The rolling and roving Defender is an indomitable force of nature and one of the great archetypes of the automotive world
“If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it”, is an adage that goes a long way towards explaining why the MY26 Defender only features the mildest of nips, tucks and updates, even though its iconic silhouette – an identity that has been refined over 70 years – remains unchanged.
And to be fair, it didn’t come as close to breaking (as we did!), even after the pain we inflicted on it during a recent multi-challenge campaign in Kaohsiung in Taiwan as a taster to the APAC Defender Trophy Regional Competition. (pictured above: Woolstone Green trio lined up at the Yingda Mulu Camping Site in Kaohsiung, Taiwan)
By our reckoning, the current L663 incarnation to wear the legendary “Defender” name-plate was already pretty close to technically perfect at its 2020 launch, which should come as little surprise given how important a model it is for Land Rover and the 4x4 community at large.
See also: Teen tackles Eastnor in the Land Rover Defender 90
Incidentally, model excellence of the iconic Defender aside, the more controversial decision by JLR (Jaguar Land Rover) was to implement its “House of Brands” corporate identity protocol some years ago in a bid to execute its vision of “modern luxury”.
In other words, this means that Jaguar, Range Rover, Discovery and Defender have become model placeholders.
See also: Subaru Solterra XT Drive Review : O Sol’ Mio
For instance, the facelift model we’re driving is now referred to as “Defender 110”, as opposed to the more familiar “Land Rover Defender 110” to its long-time fans.
Furthermore, the Discovery (née Discovery 5) and Defender models have lumbered up a segment in terms of price and polish. This writer comes from a rough and ready Discovery 4, and sees the Discovery 5 as a huge leap forward in terms of cosseting comfort, not to forget all the handy electronic mod-cons it is now featured packed with.
Likewise, the jump from the no-frills Classic Defender overland overlord to the current iteration is even more pronounced, to the extent some regard New Defender as the spiritual successor of the Discovery 4, which is no bad thing.
Insofar as Defender’s new gentrified positioning now reaches a new and larger buying audience, it also has the unfortunate effect of alienating some purists who prefer the visceral, mechanical thrills offered by the original.
For more lifestyle, arts and fashion trends, click here for Options Section
Visually, the facelift Defender gets updated head- and tail-lights, as well as an updated palette of contemporary colours, including Borasco Grey (named for the Borasco Silver mines in California) and Woolstone Green (named for the Woolstone waterfall in the UK).
Like all the great automotive icons, the changes are mostly under the skin, which is where it matters most.
The constructivist cabin architecture retains its reductive design and practical layout, with the distinctive powder-coated magnesium Cross-Car Beam, which is deliberately left exposed.
Interface-wise, it gets a larger, 13.1-inch touchscreen with which to operate the Pivi Pro, while the central controls and shifter are intuitively grouped within easy reach of the driver.
In terms of powertrain updates, the MY26 Defender features an optional Adaptive Off-Road Cruise Control, which is an evolution of the All Terrain Progress Control. The new system automatically maintains the 4x4’s speed at a level you’re comfortable with as it navigates the wilderness, which lets the driver concentrate on the task of steering and strategising.
Now, it’s hard to imagine dozing off when you’re behind the wheel of something as involving to pilot as the Defender, but new for MY26 is a Driver Attention Monitor, which features a driver-facing camera to ensure you’re paying attention to the task of driving!
We’re trundling around different off-road, physical and team challenge stations at the Yingda Mulu Camping Site in Kaohsiung in the MY26 Defender 110 – tests of both ours and the 4x4’s mental, physical and driving dexterity.
The campaign would also see us cruise on road and highway into the heart of the Sandi Mountains, where we could better exploit the Defender’s legendary overland ability. (pictured above: & below kopi stop on Sandi Mountain)
In case it all became too intense for us city slickers, we could take a break from #defenderlife, because unlike the Defender Trophy competitors who would rough-it-outdoors in tents, the media contingent would retire at the end of each day to the hotel.
Driving the Defender is a mood, a vibe even. At the wheel, the rocksteady sense of confidence isn’t arrogance, just the peace of mind that comes from the knowledge that the Defender can (and will) nonchalantly stomp all sorts of surfaces into submission, be it steep slope, sand or slippy.
As before, the Defender 110 is perfectly civilised and urbane on the black stuff, but the moment we venture onto forest paths less travelled, it unabashedly rolls-up its sleeves and really gets into the groove of the muck, mud and ruts stuff. (pictured above: Keeping your Defender clean is like wrap-protecting your check-in Rimowa... pointless)
Mind you, we’ve taken on the Gobi Desert on an overland expedition, as well as challenged the technical bits of the Eastnor estate on more than one occasion, and the Defenders we’ve driven never skipped a beat, which meant our excursion in Taiwan was well within the scope of its abilities.
We particularly enjoy the flexible elasticity of a turbodiesel’s powerband such as we enjoy with our Discovery 4 SDV6, and the Defender 110 D350 doesn’t disappoint. It produces a pokey 350hp, but true to turbodiesel form, hits hard with 700Nm of torque from just 1500rpm.
It’s great for wafting about on-road and on the highways, but really comes into its own when the going gets rough and rocky and it isn’t shy to wag a loose wheel in the air when the articulation gets particularly arduous. Big torque that hits from low revs makes the Defender fabulously tractable, with nuanced throttle inputs enabling precise control over its trajectory and angle of attack. (pictured above: Defender 110 Trophy Edition leads the way – hit the greens with the wing mirrors, avoid the reds)
The Defender doesn’t just look the part of intrepid overland overlord, it plays the role perfectly as well. With the spirit of expedition is in its blood, it will traverse both the paved and the unpaved with aplomb and plenty of panache.
With cars like the Defender, it’s never about being too much, but knowing it can if it wants to, which lets it live up to its go-everywhere credentials.
Defender 110 D350 MHEV
Engine: 2,997cc, 6cyl, turbodiesel, mild-hybrid
Power at rpm: 350hp at 4,000rpm
Torque at rpm: 700Nm at 1,500 - 3,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed ZF auto
0–100km/h: 6.4 secs
Top speed: 191km/h
