And that's before you start adding accessories.
At long last – the Land Rover Defender
is returning to the United States after more than 20 years of absence.
Revealed today following an extensive teaser campaign, the modernized
off-roader will carry a starting price of $50,925 once you factor in the
$1,025 destination and handling charges. For your money’s worth, you’ll
be getting the Defender Standard carrying the “P300” badge denoting a
turbocharged four-cylinder engine rated at 296 hp and 295 lb-ft of
torque. The 2.0-liter Ingenium gasoline engine is good for a 0 to 60 mph
in 7.7 seconds and a top speed of 119 mph.
The
better-equipped Defender S kicks off at $54,375 and uses the same
four-cylinder engine. These are the only two trim levels to offer the
smaller engine, with the higher-spec models set to exclusively feature a
larger inline-six Ingenium with a 3.0-liter displacement and equipped
with a turbocharger working together with a 48-volt electric
supercharger. The beefier engine offered by Land Rover pumps out 395 hp and 406 lb-ft for a sprint in 5.8 seconds and a 129-mph top speed.
Moving
higher in the hierarchy, the Defender SE starts at $63,275, followed by
the Defender HSE at $69,375, the Defender First Edition at $69,675, and
the range-topping Defender X at $81,295. We’ll focus on the latter and
mention there’s an optional Explorer Pack ($4,286) adding the following
goodies: front + rear mud flaps, spare wheel cover, raised air intake,
matte black hood decal, side-mounted gear carrier, wheel arch
protection, and a roof rack.
The Pangea Green paint scheme we’ve
decided to go with has been combined with a $3,800 satin protective film
and 22-inch five-spoke glossy silver wheels adding a further $2,000 to
the final bill. Inside, the standard five-seat arrangement has been
swapped out for a more practical 5+2 layout available for an extra
$1,700. An additional $400 will get you climate control settings for the
rear seats.
The “Options” section of the configurator starts off
with several packages: Towing Pack ($895) with a tow hitch receiver and
Advanced Tow Assist system, Comfort and Convenience Pack ($300) adding a
front center console refrigerator compartment, and the Cold Climate
Pack ($700) encompassing heated windshield and washer jets, along with
headlight washers, and a heated steering wheel. There’s also a Basic
Rear Seat Convenience Pack ($139) with a hook and a hanger, along with a
Premium Interior Protection/Storage Pack ($699) with the following
items: deep-sided rubber mats, cargo rubber mat, cargo carrier, cargo
net, and a sunshade.
The $549 Basic Interior Protection/Storage Pack adds deep-sided
rubber mats, a cargo rubber mat, and a cargo carrier. An Appearance Pack
worth $2,100 contains these items: spare wheel cover, bright rear scuff
plate, matte black hood decal, wheel arch protection, and a checker
body protection kit with wheel arch panels.
In the “Exterior
Features” we only find the $250 orange recovery hooks and a $630 front
undershield. It’s a bit busy once you go to “Interior Features” as there
are lots of options to pick from: $50 Smoker’s Pack, $1,075 three-zone
climate control, $75 air quality sensor, $100 cabin air ionization, and a
$100 cargo partition net.
The infotainment can be complemented by
a $300 option to gain Sirius XM satellite radio and HD radio, plus an
extra $360 for Wi-Fi with a data plan. An intrusion sensor costs $500
and uses ultrasonic sensors to spot any intrusion inside the cabin when
the Defender is locked. It automatically triggers the alarm, which then
emits acoustic warnings and turns on the hazard lights.
Add them all up and the 2020 Land Rover Defender you see here costs
six figures - $103,133 including destination charges. Bear in mind
there’s also a section dedicated to accessories, which can further jack
up the final price. You’ll find everything from personalized and
illuminated treadplates to pet care packages and even a portable rinse
system. There are other miscellaneous items like a windshield sunshield,
a spill-resistant water bowl, and a built-in air compressor.
There are rumors of a more luxurious and therefore more expensive eight-seat Defender 130
due to arrive in 2021, but it’s too soon to say whether it will be
available in the U.S. Meanwhile, the Defender 110 will be the first to
go on sale in North America, with the shorter 90 arriving later in 2020.
