2025 Land Rover Defender 130 bigger not better

Six years into its second tenure the Land Rover Defender lineup maintains its boxy military appearance but with modern design updates The offerings vary greatly the rugged but versatile two-door Defender to the unwieldy three-row eight-passenger Defender The Defender remains the smallest largest part maneuverable sport utility conveyance in the British manufacturer s lineup The Defender looks the same But it s the carmaker s biggest SUV second greater part powerful and is more than feet longer than its sibling That changes everything The Defender is equipped with a two-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine that produces horsepower It s nimble particularly considering its background and utilitarian appearance The Defender not so much Parking in traditionally sized spaces is problematic Stability is tested in strong winds With horsepower six-cylinder engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission the Defender s girth provides an overall awkwardness Its braking is soft and there s extreme wind rush Gas mileage averages are miles per gallon in city driving mpg on the highway Acceleration from -to- miles per hour takes seconds Land Rover and Defender models first run lasted years after slightly more than two million vehicles were built The current offerings while related to their predecessors and connected to WWII military vehicles are far different Like countless enduring manufacturers Land Rover has a sorted history It s owned by Jaguar Land Rover a subsidiary of the Indian automotive company Tata Motors It acquired Jaguar Land Rover from Ford in Changes occurred when the Defender was reintroduced in September as a model notably from rigid axles to independent suspension and from body-on-chassis to integrated bodywork Daily driving on city streets and freeways was improved off-road toughness remained In all Defender models occupants sit high in the cabin with superior front and side vision Rear vision is the truck s biggest issue The exterior-mounted spare tire obscures part of the rear window the mid rear-seat headrests further block the driver s view Standard on all Defender models is forward collision warning automatic exigency braking lane-keeping assist blind-spot warning and a driver inattention warning system There s a -degree parking camera and a sonar system that calculates water depth called wade-sensing Adaptive cruise control is a stand-alone option Additional standard equipment is plentiful grained leather seats to a heated and power-adjustable steering wheel and rain-sensing front wipers and rear wipers and an opening panoramic roof The Meridian sound system is superior As a large luxury SUV the Defender deserves its place It has cubic feet of space with all three rows up cubic feet of cargo room when all seats are folded The Defender has a starting MSRP of Its healthy list of options pushes the price to The Defender s starting MSRP is Options and taxes push the total to a hefty The SUV has a long history and has endured the manufacturer s tribulations That s great for brand loyalists But the Defender is nearly feet and it s a deal breaker for the van as a practical daily driver If safaris and robust outback treks are on the horizon it s what the big Land Rover does best The Defender has nearly inches of ground clearance advanced four-wheel drive and computer-aided traction controls Traveling off the grid Enjoy But the Defender is overpriced and an inefficient inner city and suburbia dweller James Raia is a syndicated automotive columnist freelance writer and editor based in Sacramento E-mail address james jamesraia com