Land Rover Defender
A model with off-road capability at the centre of its identity, and an example of how that capability becomes a symbol in town.
Overview
The Defender is a model built around off-road use. What matters in this class is geometry rather than power: approach and departure angles, ground clearance and suspension travel define where the vehicle can go.
Classic off-roaders used a heavy ladder frame; the newer generation moved to a monocoque body and improved on-road comfort. That transition sits at the centre of the class's identity debate: capability or everyday liveability.
That most owners never need the off-road ability does not reduce the model's appeal. A vehicle's promise can carry value independent of usage statistics — a cultural phenomenon more than an engineering one.
Details
- Brand
- Land Rover
- Category
- SUV
- Body
- SUV
- Propulsion
- dizel
- Produced
- 1983–