Land Rover (the brand) enjoys a storied past since arriving during the closing days of World War II as an off-road adventure choice. Some tall-standing hatchbacks enjoy heavy workloads, but Land Rover’s Safari-type narrative travels a bit deeper into the woods.
Think of the upscale British-born Land Rover brand as an all-terrain import company with three distinct families in the U.S.: Range Rover, Discovery and this week’s tester, Defender.
In the U.S., Land Rover continues as a niche player, although to a monied constituent. Back in 2008, Tata Motors, one of India’s largest conglomerates, took control of Land Rover and its British sibling, Jaguar, from Ford Motor Co.
The first-generation Land Rover Defender hit the ground running in 1983 in Europe but waited more than a decade for its U.S. debut. It was an abbreviated stay as it quietly exited the American market before the millennial turn, although sales outside the U.S. continued until 2016. By the 2020 model year, the robust, four-wheel-drive Defender returned much improved with a vengeance to the U.S. and other world markets. In the 2023 model year, Defender markets a 30th Anniversary edition.
Movie buffs may recall Defender’s big screen presence co-staring and serving alongside the very British Bond, James Bond in the ‘No Time to Die’ big screen flicker (available now on DVD and streaming).
The 2022 Defender effectively brings together the best of two distinct worlds. For much of its post WWII history Land Rovers relied upon a solid, truck-like body-on-frame structure; great when off-the beaten path but wobbly when straddling pavement. Defender upended the dynamic, opting instead with a more car-like, unibody structure along with a fully independent rear suspension.
The verdict? A surprisingly smooth ride when traversing home from the office made more pleasant with electronic power assisted steering. Essentially, Defender traverses the pavement better than just about any competing off-roader.
The U.S.-based Jeep brand successfully executed this unibody introduction into many of its larger vehicles, but not its iconic two-door Wrangler and four-door Wrangler Unlimited still built upon body-on-frame structure. The larger, upscale Lexus GX Sport Utility employees body-on-frame underpinnings delivering a bouncier experience.
Don’t let the unibody inference dissuade off-road travel. Defender promotes Land Rover’s adaptive (full-time) four-wheel drive operating behind (or under) the scenes with little driver input. With slow-speed grip-improving locking differentials, height-adjustable air suspension, hill decent control and water-wading mode, Defender delivers the goods no matter the road or lack thereof below. The programable air suspension lowers ground clearance to 8.5 inches, allowing for gentler entry and exit. When off-road, inch clearance climbs about inches.
Big news for 2022 circles around the availability of a supercharged, explosive V-8 engine under hood of this mid-sized mud buster providing a brisk zero to 60 time in 4.9 seconds based on Land Rover’s own data. Supercharges historically find homes within performance vehicles and work by increasing forced air induction by an engine-driven assist. The supercharger design delivers instant added horsepower with no lag time usually found in traditional turbochargers driven primarily by exhaust gases. Superchargers remain the darling of the drag-racing community for their instant-power hit. Land Rover offers this same Supercharged V-8 perk in Range Rover siblings and it’s Jaguar counterpart.
Get them while supplies last. Big V-8 engines remain a vanishing breed, retiring in place of smaller displacement engines teamed with complimentary electric motors. Don’t expect high-flying mileage as V-8s and superchargers combine to heighten performance, not fuel economy. The gas tank holds 23.4 gallons of recommended premium-grade fuel.
Not many off-road intended crossovers offer both two-door and four-door version; Defender does with smaller two-door hatchbacks designated ‘90’ and four-door hatches ‘110s.’ Can’t recall when (if ever) a V-8 packed two-door crossover landed in the driveway during the past three decades of evaluations, but it’s here now. The few two-door competitors include Jeep Wrangler and Ford’s new Bronco, but only Defender promises top-notch luxury status inside, and beefy V-8 under hood.
The smaller 90 includes a wheelbase (distance between front and rear axle) of 101.9 inches, approximately 17 inches less than four-door versions. The 90’s overall length checks in at a similar 17 inches less than 110. In the upcoming 2023 model year, an all-new, three-row 130 variant arrives.
Two door hatches (90) with two rows of seating include a large number of trim selections and three engine choices. The new supercharged engine comes in V-8 and V-8 Carpathian trims. An inline, 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 cranking out 395 horsepower connects up with a mild hybrid electric booster in X, X-Dynamic S, X-Dynamic SE and X-Dynamic HSE. A 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder with 296 horses adorns Base and Base S trims. Both X-Dynamic SE and X-Dynamic HSE arrive new for 2022.
All mate to an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission. James Bond fan boys (and girls) may also opt for a V-8-powered limited production Bond edition for $114,600, but only a British super spy may be able to locate one due to scarcity concerns. Bargain sleuths need to order up a two-door four-cylinder 90 Base starting in the $50,000 neighborhood (the lowest-priced 2022 Defender available). Larger 22-inch alloy wheels and quad exhaust tail pipes differentiate V-8s from the six and four bangers.
In a world filled with look-alike crossovers, the two-door Defender towers higher than most, helping visually pinpoints its coordinates even in the most crowed of shopping mall parking lots. The right-side hinged rear cargo door opens out a-la refrigerator door style with a vertically standing back window perpendicular to the elevated roof line. This design accommodates the full-sized spare tire mounted on back. A pair of smallish, vertical square lights flank the door.
Our V-8 two-door tester started at a hefty $104,200. After throwing in a couple ancillary extras (larger 11.4-inch touch screen- $140; premium interior protection and storage- $660; Wi-Fi enabling- $380) the bottom line touched $106,710 including a just-as-hefty $1,350 destination charge.
In front all Discovery’s employ half-moon LED daytime running lights and two outboard vertical turn signal LEDs flanking a narrow horizontal bar with the Land Rover logo skewed left. DEFENDER spells out along the hood’s curved front lip while the hood’s power bulge employs the center region.
Thanks to its block design, headroom throughout remains spectacular. Visually speaking, driver’s enjoy great road perceptions thanks to the tall inch count and generously sized side windows minimize blind side spots; a claim few two-doors offer; coupe, crossover or otherwise. Removable rubberized floor mats easily cleanup with pail and bucket or pressurized garden hose.
Maneuvering into the back seat involves powering the front buckets forward at a very slow pace via lower side slide tabs. Once occupants boost their way back, the same slow process takes place in the opposite direction. The twenty-something, California-based, jet-lagged, sleep-deprived niece found row two confines, ‘quite accommodating’ during an impromptu power nap during a family pizza run. Well-padded second row seats (as well as up front buckets) offer up a soothing snug.
Tall-standing three-position head rests block rear-view mirror perception. All three, however, manually fold forward for a less obstructed view, although a quarter of the full-size, hatch mounted spare tire remains omnipresent. The four-spoke steering wheel features a welcome tactile ’Suedecloth’ appealing to the driver’s sense of touch.
The easily accessible, circular electronic push button start resides right of the steering column at a 45-degree angle within the dashboard’s lower center column, just left of the joy-stick-handled electronic transmission shifter. Right hands wrap around this guide when summoning RND with a gentle nudge forward or back. Park gets called upon via a push P button on the topside face plate.
The black dashboard stretches from end to end in a straight projection with a grab bar design above the glove box should shot gun riders decide to get a grip. Exposed Torx screws on doors and center console add to the utilitarian feel.
All three Land Rover family members now include both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Smartphone compatibility standard. Standard wireless charging is also new for 2022 with qualifying Smartphones. A single flat multi-function screen occupies the upper central powered by Pivi Pro brand infotainment delivering quick response times and swipe capabilities. Lots going on within the screen, but rows and columns of icons underscore with words to expediate the learning curve. A 10.0-inch size comes standard but upgrades to 11.4 inches.
When and if off-roading, a touch screen selection details vehicle pitch/roll, wheel-spin status, center/rear differential lock status and air suspension movement. Most automatically update with minimal driver input. An electric dashboard button in close proximity to HVAC buttons summon the electronic two-speed transfer case, summoning 4x4 low once the transmission first shifts into neutral.
2022 Land Rover DefenderPrice as tested: $106,710
Engine: 5.0-liter Supercharged V-8
Horsepower: 518
Overall Length: 170.2 inches
Wheelbase: 101.9 inches
Overall Height: 77.5 inches
Overall Width: 82.9 inches
Fuel economy: 15 city/ 19 hwy.
Assembly: Slovakia