Car and Driver - USA (2020-05)

THE RUNDOWN

HOW THE NEW DEFENDER MEASURES UP

the numbers

Vehicle Type: front-engine; 4-wheel-drive; 5-, 6-,

or 7-passenger; 2- or 4-door wagon

Base (C/D est) ....................... $ 47 , 000 –$ 50 ,92 5

Engine: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC

16-valve 2.0-liter inline-4, 296 hp, 295 lb-ft;

turbocharged, supercharged, and intercooled

DOHC 24-valve 3.0-liter inline-6, 395 hp, 406 lb-ft

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Dimensions

• Wheelbase ................................................ 101.9–119.0 in


• L/W/H .......................... 180.4–197.6/78.6/77.4–77.5 in


• Curb Weight .......................................... 4850–5200 lb
  Performance (C/D est)


• 60 mph .......................................................... 5.7–7.6 sec


• 1 /4-Mile ..................................................... 14.2–15.9 sec


• Top Speed .................................................. 119–129 mph
  EPA Fuel Economy (C/D est)


• Comb/City/Hwy ................. 19–20/17–18/23–24 mpg

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lower and upper parts of the body, and the
roof has portal windows on its rear edges.
Kudos to Land Rover for the available steel
dURRYaUNaRa\ßaURRa\V[]V_RQY\\X Emissions are critical now, so the previously OYbßO\QfVQRUNcRNbOaYRaN]R_a\dN_Q
the rear to improve aerodynamics. But
[\aUV[Ta\bTUR[b]aURY\\XN[QQ_NdVaPY`R_a\Va predecessor than a generous coat of mud. What’s underneath the new Defender is a complete QR]N_ab_RS_\ZaUR\_VTV[NYO\Qf\[S_NZRaVPXNeYR
setup. Built on a unibody, the 2020 has an independent

101.9 in 92 .9 in 9 6.9 in

38 ° 31 ° 51 ° 34 °^44 ° 2 7.8°

35

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in

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in 30.^0

in

11.5 in 9 .0 in 10.8 in

40 ° 36 ° 37 °

2020 Land Rover Defender 9 0 1997 Land Rover Defender 9 0 2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon

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predecessor’s and the Jeep Wrangler’s. Engine

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On the often brutal washboard roads we

encountered, the Defender’s beefy structure

proved itself. Even with a cacophony of impacts

resonating through the cabin and one side of the

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there’s only a modest buzz coming through the

steering column and driver’s seat. Ride control

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from ungroomed dirt roads while never feel

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R[\bTUS\_NYYQNfP\ZS\_aObaS\_TVcV[TR[\bTU

when bashing about. Some of the credit for the

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beam that spans the dash. By not enclosing it

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these preproduction vehicles wasn’t nearly as surprising as

Hold this page up to

a mirror to see what

the Defender’s cabin

will look like here. The

panel on either side

of the touchscreen is

actually one face of a

structural beam.

74 MAY 2020 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

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