Focus on Lighting
The current Land Rover Defender is just over five years old, but it is not yet due for replacement. The SUV with the iconic name gets a refresh, but to see the differences with the original presented in 2019, you have to look very carefully.
‘The Defender has been updated,’ Land Rover announces. Officially, the Defender is no longer just a model, but together with Range Rover, Discovery, and Jaguar, a true brand within JLR. The current model is now 5.5 years old, so the potent off-roader gets a subtle facelift. However, you have to know the Defender very well to see what’s new.
The main visual changes: the two segmented pieces of LED daytime running lights in the headlights are now more than just the outlines. They are now actually ‘colored in’ with LED lighting. The taillights have also been sharpened. They are now completely ‘smooth’ due to the arrival of completely flat and darkly designed glazing. This also applies to the two stacked parts of the taillights that are furthest outward. The heart of it is now also dark.
There is more news. There are new Woolstone Green and Borasco Grey paint colors, and Land Rover offers a collection of new materials to finish various interior and exterior parts. Regardless of the chosen Defender, you get black hubcaps with ‘Defender’ on them. There is also engine news. The D300 300 hp diesel engine is replaced by the D350 with – you guessed it – 350 hp.
In the Defender you will now find a 13.1-inch infotainment screen. This replaces the 11.4-inch screen that was previously in the center console. New on the options list is Adaptive Offroad Cruise Control, although that is ignored by the top version Octa.