Land Rover Defender range scores new variants

JAGUAR Land Rover (JLR) Australia has announced pricing for the two-door 90 body style of its new-generation Defender off-road SUV, along with the arrival of an inline six-cylinder turbo-diesel engine to replace the existing 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit.

The full-time Defender 90 range will kick off from $71,500 plus on-road costs for the petrol P300 grade with customer deliveries commencing in February, while the diesel range opens at $78,590 for the D200.

Four full-time diesel and five petrol variants will be offered on the 90 (compared to six petrols and five diesels in the 110), with pricing topping out at $134,690 for the X P400 petrol.

Like its four-door 110 sibling, the 90 will also be offered with a First Edition variant, which asks $104,990 in D250 diesel guise and $106,190 for the P400.

The new Ingenium 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel engine replacing the four-pot version will be available in three states of tune – 147kW/500Nm for D200, 183kW/570Nm for D250 and 220kW/650Nm in top-spec D300 guise.

In D300 guise, the new Defender 90 is able to sprint from standstill to 100km/h in 6.7 seconds – a far cry from the sluggish time provided by the 90kW/360Nm engine from the previous-gen version.

As well as being more powerful than the four-cylinder engine it replaces, JLR is claiming the six-pot Ingenium is also more efficient thanks to the use of a mild-hybrid system that makes the new engine Euro 6d compliant, and in mid-spec D250 guise sips 8.8 litres of fuel per 100km while emitting 230 grams of CO2 per kilometre.

The P300 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine has been added to open the range of both 90 and 110 models, developing 221kW/400Nm.

All Defender grades use an eight-speed automatic transmission to drive all four wheels, with six-cylinder versions also scoring Intelligent All-Wheel Drive, which distributes torque to each wheel in the most efficient way possible in order to maximise fuel savings.

The two-door 90 can seat up to six occupants, features the same interior design as the 110 and is offered with the choice of base, S, SE, HSE, X and First Edition spec levels.

A new X-Dynamic pack is being offered with the new range, adding a tougher look and feel with the inclusion of Silicon satin front and rear skid pans, matching grille bar and badging, rear recovery hooks, satin dark grey/gloss black alloy wheels, black mirror caps, window decals and wheelarch cladding, metal treadplates and hard-wearing Robustek seat upholstery.

Buyers can option the X-Dynamic pack on S, SE and HSE variants.

The new pack joins the existing Adventure, Country, Explorer and Urban accessory packs, while other bundled option packs include the Blind Spot Assist pack, Family pack or Family Comfort pack.

Four new colours are available, while new individual options have been added to the catalogue including a surround-view monitor, premium LED headlights, Meridian sound system, head-up display, front foglights and a folding fabric roof for 110 grades.

New active safety features have been added across the range for 2021, including blind spot assist, clear exit monitor, adaptive cruise control, rear collision monitor and rear traffic monitor.

The Defender range now stands at 20 variants, not counting the petrol and diesel 90 First Edition limited-run grades.

Short-wheelbase 90 models will begin arriving on Australian roads in February 2021.

2020 Land Rover Defender pricing*

*Excludes on-road costs