Can the ‘Shorty’ Defender 90 go one better than its bigger 110 sibling did in last year’s carsales COTY, claiming the ultimate prize?
- Why is the Land Rover Defender 90 a carsales COTY finalist?
- Who will the Defender 90 appeal to?
- How much does the Land Rover Defender 90 cost?
- What have we already said about the Land Rover Defender 90?
- Related: Land Rover Defender 90 2021 Review Related: Land Rover Defender 90 2021 Video Review Related: Land Rover Defender 90 2021 Review – International Related: Land Rover Defender 90 hit by delays
Why is the Land Rover Defender 90 a carsales COTY finalist?
The reborn Land Rover Defender had big shoes to fill, and not only has it filled those shoes, it’s polished and buffed them for good measure.
Like many short-wheelbase 4×4 off-roaders or ‘shorties’, the smaller three-door Land Rover Defender 90 brings plenty of attitude to this year’s carsales Car of the Year, proudly presented by Bingle.
Improving on its boxy-looking predecessor’s off-road capabilities and bringing a retro-cool design to bear, the Defender 90 also injects a big dose of luxury and technology, generating a huge amount of showroom appeal.
Retaining its go-anywhere off-road capability while adding much-needed urban manners, what the Defender 90 lacks in practicality compared to its longer four-door Defender 110 twin, it makes up for with visual appeal.
The Defender 90 is available with a variety of engines, including the popular new 3.0-litre turbo-diesel inline six-cylinder with 48-volt mild-hybrid augmentation in two different states of tune – D200 and D250.
There’s also three petrol powerplants: an entry-level 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo (P300), a mid-spec 3.0-litre inline turbo six (P400) and a range-topping, ear-popping 5.0-litre V8 (P525).
Propelling the iconic mud-plugger well and truly into the 21st century, the Defender 90 delivers an intriguing blend of ruggedness and high technology that’s been a hit with Aussie buyers, elevating one of the brand’s slowest-selling models in 2020 to its top-selling vehicle in 2021.
This is despite demand outstripping supply, and customer waiting times stretching out into 2022.
In last year’s 2020 carsales COTY awards, the family-friendly five-door Defender 110 was handed the ‘Highly Commended’ gong, and now the plucky little three-door Defender 90 is in the mix.
The question is, can the ‘Shorty’ do what the family wagon couldn’t?
Who will the Defender 90 appeal to?
It’s a bit of a cliché to insist a vehicle has universal appeal, but as our recent tests – and sales demographics – suggest, everyone from little kids to middle-aged parents and retirees are getting excited about the Defender.
Beneath its striking Tonka-truck exterior design there’s a comfortable, well-equipped interior with much higher levels of quality and luxury than its boxy Defender ancestors.
But with this classy new outlook comes a premium price tag, which makes the Defender a far more expensive proposition.
Given the higher price point, buyers will typically be professionals or successfully self-employed with keen senses of adventure who are seeking to explore the path less travelled.
But with its class-leading off-road ability, buyers who might have looked into LandCruisers and Patrols – and don’t mind a smaller cabin – will also put this mud-plugger on the consideration list.
Ownership costs are in line with most European brands but Land Rover’s new five-year warranty should allay any reliability fears, while recent RedBook ratings showed that new-generation Defenders offered very good retained value.
Indeed, independent RedBook forecasts show retained values for Land Rover’s iconic off-roader with around 60,000km on the clock after three years is between 79 and 82 per cent, which is a strong result, making the blocky bush-basher a relatively sound investment.
How much does the Land Rover Defender 90 cost?
Entry-level Defender 90 models start at around $75,000 plus on-road costs and top out at just over $210,000 for the V8-powered flagship.
Given the pricing is only marginally cheaper than the four-door version, the Defender 90 is very much a purchase of desire rather than necessity, with the base-grade 2.0-litre turbo-petrol Land Rover Defender 90 P300 model priced from $74,516 plus ORCs.
Things like heated and power-folding door mirrors are standard, as is a full-size spare wheel mounted to the side-hinged tailgate, dual-zone automatic climate control, rubber cabin and cargo mats plus more grab handles than a city train.
There’s a good level of tech features, with a semi-digital instrument cluster, a 10.0-inch central touch-screen with a neat menu system, wireless phone charging, plus keyless entry and push-button engine start. Adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist are lumped in there too.
There are eight model grades available and more options than you can shake a muddy stick at. For carsales Car of the Year 2021 we’re considering the D200 model, the most affordable turbo-diesel Defender 90 that starts at $81,166 plus ORCs.
That buys you a 147kW/500Nm 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder engine with 48-volt mild-hybrid tech and an eight-speed automatic transmission, driving through an all-wheel drive system and offering low-range gearing for off-road work.
Safety features include six airbags, tyre pressure monitoring, autonomous emergency braking (with car, pedestrian and cyclist detection), blind spot assist, a 360-degree parking camera with 3D overlays which can be used as off-road cameras too, lane keep assist, rear collision monitoring, driver fatigue monitoring and traffic sign recognition.
Like all Land Rover models, the Defender 90 is covered by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty matched by five years of roadside assistance and five years’ capped-price servicing.
What have we already said about the Land Rover Defender 90?
From the international launch in the UK, carsales’ European reporter John Mahoney talked up the Defender 90’s ability to deliver excellent off-roading while vastly improving its on-road behaviour.
“If adventure courses through your veins and you’re not afraid to ditch civilisation for a week or two, the new Defender is one of most capable all-rounders money can buy,” he said.
“Even within the city where, let’s be honest, most Defender 90s will live, it no longer requires the sacrifices the last one demanded.”
Closer to home, at the local launch in Victoria, Feann Torr described the new 3.0-litre twin-turbo diesel six-cylinder engine “an absolute pearler”.
“The engine is so quiet, so smooth and so torquey that it creates an almost premium passenger car feel for the rough-and-ready Defender 90,” he said.
“Indeed, engine refinement levels are staggering – you’d almost be forgiven for thinking this wasn’t a diesel engine, such is its silky-smooth operation.”
There’s no doubting the new Defender’s new-found all-round capabilities, but it will be up to the judges to determine whether this slick new British mud-slinger is good enough to earn the title of carsales Car of the Year 2021, proudly presented by Bingle.
Land Rover Defender D200 at a glance:Price: From $81,166Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder twin-turbo dieselOutput: 147kW/500NmTransmission: Eight-speed automaticFuel: 7.9L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 207g/km (ADR Combined)
Related: Land Rover Defender 90 2021 Review Related: Land Rover Defender 90 2021 Video Review Related: Land Rover Defender 90 2021 Review – International
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