Defender 90 is a star drive – but expensive and impractical

Land Rover ended its 'old' Defender production run in 2016 because it said that getting within modern emission legislation was impossible, but the company promised a new, improved and modern take on that classic.

It's a generation thing ... the new Land Rover Defender only has a passing resemblance to the previous family

When it finally arrived a few years later, in 2020, it was an immediate hit with those who drove it but aroused suspicion in those who hadn't, wary of the fact that it had too many electronics – which does not mix well with slurry and snotters.

I'd driven the long wheelbase version earlier this year and it was impressive, so I was equally keen to get behind the wheel of the short wheelbase, 90-version which came my way recently. It was another superb vehicle to drive but it had a major downside. I do not know why they ever thought putting a second row of seating into a two-door vehicle was going to work.

That's simply because even an Olympic gymnast would find it difficult to get into those rear seats. Yes, it was that bad and the mesdames who found themselves asked to travel in the rear had to be punted into the rear seats with a fair amount of help from a friendly shoulder! I almost expected a 'pop' when they finally made it through the narrow V-shaped aperture into the rear!

That was a shame, because anyone who travelled in 'the back bit' found it a really comfy ride and with a grand view across the passenger and driver's seats. But, that ungainly entrance would lead me to say that, at best, this was one for two adults up front and two children in the rear.

Not like the old Defender at all. A short, stubby gear-change for the standard auto-box and enough electronics to power a moon module

Better still, make it a two seater and a commercial version only – especially given that the rear seating affords very little luggage space trapped behind the one-piece rear door. Certainly, it ain't enough for a braxy yowe.

That major factor aside, there is no doubt that this is a winner from Land Rover that will more appeal to the rural/urban fraternity, rather than as an out and out work horse. It's just too expensive and not versatile enough for that.

It does work well as an off-roader – it actually snowed while I had a short, but fairly tough off-road test for it above Lochgoilhead – and once you acquire the skills needed to set it up properly for whatever terrain you are on, via the dash and interactive controls, then it will handle it just as well as the old Defender. In fact, probably better if the driver had only moderate off-road experience.

It's also quite a pretty machine – which is another reason hard-liner Land Rover fans don't like it! It's quite a bit bigger, too, being about 4400mm longer and 206mm wider and, despite the designers best efforts to lower weight – even though aluminium panels still abound – it is also around half-a-tonne heavier.

The model under test was the Defender 90 D250 SE which hits the road at a shade more than £61,000 as tested, including a few extras – you'd get a highly pimped up pick-up truck for a fraction of that.

The new Land Rover Defender 90 commercial is the one to have if you need to carry a load

The SE starts off with a base price of £51k – a no frills starter model costs £44,000 – but its silver metallic paint added £895; the black contrast roof, £900 and the folding fabric roof a further £1800; off-road tyres added £225; the Tracker Pro anti-theft device, £745; electronic active diff, £1020; tinted glass, £490; Air suspension pack, £1615 and the towing pack would add £2200.

That latter option also included the rather nifty electrically deployable tow bar which will give you hours of fun just watching it!

Of course, as well as all the mechanics and electronics, it's pretty well kitted out inside too. The bumph said it had a 'hose through interior', but with all those gadgets sitting in the console and on the dash, I don't think I'd use that option much.

This version also had 12-way heated and semi-powered front seats, with memory (standard is an eight-way control), plus grained leather and robust woven textile seat facings. You also get a fancy Meridian sound system and the 10-inch Pivi Pro driver display monitor has an interactive feature.

It has a three-litre diesel that has 249bhp available from the six-cylinders, which is a big gain from anything from the old range, bar the rare V8 petrol versions. Crucially, it is also rated to tow the 3.5-tonne weight limit.

It also pretty much blows away the old Defender on performance and handling. This one really is well up to the rated 0-60mph sprint in 7.6 seconds and can theoretically hit 117mph – you'd have no teeth left if you hit that in one of the old models (even it it could manage it, which it couldn't).

As for economy, expect to get 30mpg for everyday driving and into the mid-20s when towing. Downhill, with a following wind, up to 40mpg is possible!

Read more - The off-roader that handles the road well too

If you like the size of the 90, get the 'commercial' version with no seats in the back, or spend a bit more for the 110, which is a different beast altogether, especially if you want to carry more than two people.

... and what's next?

Jaguar Land Rover is developing a prototype hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) based on the new Land Rover Defender. Testing begins this year.

This is all part of the company’s aim to achieve zero emissions by 2036 and net zero carbon emissions across its supply chain, products and operations by 2039.

Generating electricity from hydrogen to power an electric motor, is already being pioneered in agricultural tractors. Hydrogen-powered FCEVs provide high energy density and rapid refuelling – which gets around the problems associated with battery range and re-charging issues.