Land Rover Defender reimagined: Designing an icon for the 21st century

The New Land Rover Defender has taken the much loved characteristics of its predecessors and reimagined them for the 21st century.

Since the Series I launched in 1948, Land Rover has defined 4x4 all-terrain capability and toughness, securing iconic status in the process. 

With the new vehicle, Land Rover has created a modern Defender designed and built for a world that has changed massively since the original was created. 

Gerry McGovern, Land Rover’s Chief Design Officer, said: “This is our vision of a modern Defender. The New Defender family of vehicles with multiple characters are all emotionally engaging with modern, relevant design at their core.

“The clean body side contrasts dramatically again the sheer verticality of its front and particularly its rear to create a reassuringly purposeful stance. 

“The overall impression is of an elemental design, yet this clean reductive approach is underpinned by sophisticated surfacing of the highest quality.”

The New Land Rover Defender is finally here. Configure your own version of the reimagined icon here.

Tough on the outside

Every detail on the exterior of the New Defender has been developed to be sophisticated and durable.

The front of the Defender has a sense of solidity and robustness thanks to its distinctive headlamps, incorporating the latest adaptive technology, sculpted fenders with squared off wheel arches and strong shoulders. 

The rear’s short overhang allows for a superior departure angle while accentuating the vehicle’s strong shoulders and maximising the interior space. While its rear lights harmonise perfectly with the front end.

Available in six trims and the widest range of accessories ever produced by Land Rover, the New Defender gives customers even more choice than ever before when it comes to personalising their vehicle. Each of the four accessory packs embraces a different personality of the 4x4 without compromising the integrity of the overall vehicle design.

Massimo Frascella, Land Rover Design’s Creative Director, said: “For us designers, nothing comes close to redesigning the last automotive icon. The design of the New Defender is a manifestation of our modernist design philosophy, elemental yet incredibly sophisticated.”

A practical and minimalistic interior

The New Defender’s interior has been designed to be highly functional, and that is underpinned by a practical layout and reductive design – known as a durable constructivist theme.

There are many examples of this pared back design philosophy throughout the vehicle, including the visible fixings that retain the structural door casings and partially exposing the painted doors. 

The exposed powder-coated magnesium cross car beam, which is integral to the body architecture’s overall strength, acts as an integrated grab handle. The Defender’s main controls, including the central touchscreen infotainment system, are clustered within the car’s cross beam frame, which allows for three abreast seating in the front row.

The innovative front row centre seat was designed to be used as an occasional seat, which will give buyers the chance to seat five or six in the Defender 90, or five, six or 5+2 seats in the 110. When it is not in use the seat folds away to provide a front armrest and storage space, including a pair of additional cupholders.

The New Defender is also practical with lots of storage space, while the durable rubberised flooring combined with flush door sills give the Land Rover a brush and wipe clean interior.

Alan Sheppard, Land Rover’s Interior Design Director, said: “We strived to harness Defender’s profound spirit of boundless adventure. A comfortable interior which is at once impeccably handsome for the discerning, shrewd in functionality and prudently qualified in anticipation of any adversity.”

Choosing colours and materials

The New Defender is available in a number of different colours, including several exclusive ones. They are also modular between the interior and exterior as plenty of the bodywork is exposed on the inside.

Colour options include three new metallic shades – Tasman Blue, Pangea Green and Gondwana Stone. It is also the first Land Rover available with a factory-fitted Satin Protective Film. 

Available with Indus Silver, Gondwana Stone and Pangea Green, the durable PU-based wrap gives the vehicle a satin finish that not only enhances the exterior’s design but also shields the paintwork.

The film is solvent-free and contains no volatile organic compounds. It can also be removed at any time making it quicker to repair.

Buyers will also get the choice of 12 wheel designs, ranging from 18-inch white-painted pressed steel rims to 22-inch alloy wheels.

Inside, customers can choose from three colour schemes in the main, but there are options to personalise it further by mixing different finish options, including a range of veneers and finishes, such as a rough-cut Walnut or Natural Smoked Dark Oak veneer, or powder-coated colours.

Base models get a Resolve textile interior, while S and SE trimmed vehicles get grained leather combined with a durable Robust Woven Textile. The latter uses recycled polyester with higher decitex fibres for added strength – paying homage to early Series Land Rover’s canvas hoods.

HSE cars feature high grade Windsor leather, while Defender X combines it with Steelcut Premium Textile for added durability. This material has a higher tensile tear strength than conventional materials and is perfect at naturally regulating the temperature – keeping you cool in the heat and warm in the cold. 

It is made by Kvadrat using a 30 percent wool blend, and can be paired with Miko Suedecloth as an alternative to leather.

Amy Frascella, Land Rover’s Colour and Materials Director, said: “Obtaining this balance of tactility, softness and durability was key to creating a modern premium aesthetic for both the interior and exterior materials. 

“We have enabled innovation of materials by creating new approaches to development, challenging conventions of traditional methods of making and modifying existing technologies.”

The New Land Rover Defender is finally here. Configure your own version of the reimagined icon here.

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