From modest off-roader to luxuriously appointed overlander, the 2021 Land Rover Defender offers is an adventure-mobile with undeniable capability—and desirability. Its design is technically retro, but it represents a modern twist on the legendary Defender from the previous generation. A turbocharged four-cylinder engine is standard and a turbo inline-six-cylinder with a hybrid-assist feature is optional. A host of off-road technologies are standard or optional, and all models come with all-wheel drive and a fully-independent suspension. More advanced options are found on higher-end models or part of myriad packages. The Defender has few rivals, with several of them also wear Land Rover badges, but when it comes to conquering difficult terrain, few SUVs can truly keep pace.
Contents
Interior, Comfort, and Cargo
The Defender’s cabin walks the line between premium and utilitarian, with just enough design cues from the rest of the Land Rover lineup to make those familiar with the brand feel right at home. Exposed rivets in the door panels add a particularly rugged appearance, and a magnesium beam that runs the full width of the dashboard isn’t entirely cosmetic—it’s also structural. Under the infotainment display, a trapezoidal extension of the dashboard provides a place for buttons and switches for the climate-control system and driving mode. The shift lever and ignition switch are also mounted on this center stack rather than the center console. In some models, the center console can be flipped back to create a jump seat between the driver and passenger, similar to a three-across bench in some full-size pickup trucks. Cargo space behind the rear seat is somewhat limited, but on par with rival off-roaders such as the Jeep Wrangler; the rear seats can be folded to open up a much larger cargo bay, but those seeking to haul people and gear may want to look at the larger Land Rover Discovery or invest in a roof-top cargo carrier.
2021 Land Rover Defender Exterior
Without losing its Land Rover identity, the latest Defender is a much more polished and modern offering than the last Defender vehicle to be sold here. The chunky, retro design looks as if it will age well, with blocky headlight clusters and thick cladding around the wheel arches. The smaller Defender 90 is likely to appeal to a younger clientele and, in its base specification, comes with LED headlights/taillights, utilitarian-looking 18-inch steel wheels, and a body-color roof. Other versions come with a white contrast roof, a folding fabric roof, front fog lights, and alloy wheels measuring up to 20-inches. On the Defender X, orange brake calipers, a gloss black hood, and a sliding panoramic roof are equipped.
Exterior Colors
On the base Defender 90, the only no-cost color is Fuji White. Following this are seven metallic shades at a cost of $710 each. These are Pangea Green, Gondwana Stone, Eiger Grey, Tasman Blue, Santorini Black, Yulong White, and Hakuba Silver. Some of these shades, such as Eiger Grey, can be enhanced with a satin protective film for an extra $4,900, but this option also adds a black contrast roof for a total paint cost of $5,900. Two premium metallic paints – Carpathian Grey and Silicon Silver – go for $1,750 each. The Defender 90 First Edition only comes in Pangea Green, Gondwana Stone, or Hakuba Silver, but none of these will add anything to the base price. The Defender X also has fewer colors available than the base model but is identifiable by its black roof and black hood. The bigger Defender 110 largely mirrors the color choices of the 90.
What’s the Price of the 2021 Land Rover Defender?
In the USA, the 2021 Land Rover Defender has a starting price of $46,100 for the base Defender 90. Following this is the S at $49,400, after which 2021 Defender pricing takes a big jump to $57,800 with the X-Dynamic S, $64,100 for the 90 First Edition, and a price tag of $50,500 for the X.
The larger Defender 100 follows a similar structure, with prices starting at $50,500 for the base, $53,800 for the 110S, and $62,700 for the six-cylinder 110 SE. A 110 X-Dynamic SE, will set you back $65,500 while the HSE asks $71,600. Last up, the 110 X carries a base MSRP of $83,000. All prices exclude a delivery charge of $1,350. The Land Rover Defender can cost over $100,000 for the 110 X with most of the option boxes ticked.
