BUYING GUIDE
Land Rover Defender
This upmarket SUV is more tempting than ever when you look at how much you can save by buying used
GEORGE HILL
IN PRODUCTION 2020-PRESENT
PRICE FROM £38,000
OUR FAVOURITE VERSION 110 D250 S
george.hill@haymarket.com
REINVENTING AN ICON can be like walking a tightrope. On one hand, you want to move your much-loved product into a new era and appeal to a wider audience, but on the other, you don’t want to alienate existing fans. It’s something that Amazon Studios will have to consider carefully now that it has control over the long-running James Bond franchise, and it’s a challenge that Land Rover has successfully navigated with the Defender.
The modern interpretation of Land Rover’s classic 4x4 has been a box office hit. Last year it was the brand’s best-selling model worldwide, and it has outsold the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport since launch in 2020. As a result, plenty of examples are now available second-hand, many at relatively affordable prices.
In a similar vein to the original, the Defender can be had in a choice of bodystyles: a three-door 90, a longer five-door 110 (which is available with five, six or seven seats) and an even larger 130 that can seat up to eight people. This means it rivals everything from the BMW X3 to seven-seaters like the Audi Q7. It’s also an alternative to old-school off-roaders such as the Jeep Wrangler.