Land Rover New Zealand is about to get its first deliveries of the Defender 90, the three-door version of the all-new model. 

You can choose from four powertrains: two diesel engines and two petrol and all have four-wheel drive. The lineup starts with the Defender S with has a 2-litre 4-cylinder twin-turbocharged diesel and is priced from $94,900; the SE is $106,900 and have a 2-litre diesel engine that produces 177kW of power (up 30kW from the S) and both produce 430Nm of torque.

The SE range also has a 2-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol version (221kW/400Nm) priced also from $106,900. There is also the $118,900  3-litre 6-cylinder turbocharged petrol MHEV petrol (294kW/550Nm) in the SE range, and the X model with the same engine, priced from $159,900. 

The 90 has a wading depth of 900mm on air suspension or 50mm less on coil suspension.

What do global motoring writers think about the Defender 90? Does it live up to the five-door 110’s hype? We can’t wait to test it!

Top Gear

The British website and magazine gave it 9/10.

“Being short in the wheelbase, the 90 is even more insanely handy in the rough than the 110 – it can wriggle its way out of tighter spots, and is less likely to ground its belly. We also tried the base-model P300 on steel coil springs.

The coils are available only on the 90, as all 110s have air-springs. Air springs also bring adaptive damping, so you miss out on that. This base model also has a simpler terrain response system (no configurable mode). It also goes without an active rear diff and the off-road speed system they call all-terrain progress control. You can add all those things back as option packs though.

It still has a low box and diff locks. And 3D cameras and wade-depth sensing. And the Pivi Pro navigation.

The P300 petrol is pretty much like anyone else’s four-cylinder turbo: not exactly inspiring, but torquey and useful. The coil springs ride decently [on the road] when the Defender is empty, and have helper springs within them for when you’re loaded up or towing. Given the diminished performance versus the P400, you can probably manage without adaptive damping.

And off the road? Oh my oh my. Even without the air suspension to levitate the body in extreme circs, it’s amazing. Remember, ground clearance between the wheels is determined by the wishbones, and raising the air springs wouldn’t help that. Of course, you don’t get the advantage of using air to increase your breakover, but in the SWB that angle is so insanely good any way it’s seldom a worry.”

Car and Driver

“Supercar makers rarely boast about ground clearance, breakover angles, or wading depths. Acceleration numbers for rugged SUVs are barely more relevant. Yet, being shorter and lighter than its four-door sister, the new two-door Defender 90 is set to be the quickest factory-produced version of Land Rover's classic off-roader. [The 3-litre petrol goes from 0-100km/h in 6 seconds.]

Nobody is likely to buy a Defender 90 to win a stoplight grand prix, but it might mean owners will take victories in a few.

Steel-sprung clearance wasn't quite as good as it would have been with fully raised air suspension—8.9 inches versus 11.5 inches—but it was still more than adequate to clear sizable obstacles. And with four-wheel independent suspension, the diffs are tucked up in the middle instead of dragging along with the axles, as in the old Defender. (And the current Jeep Wrangler.)”

Car Advice

The Aussie website’s Europe writer Mike Duff gave it 8.3/10

“Eastnor is a tiny village in the English county of Herefordshire, home of a scenic Victorian castle that was originally commissioned by a bloke with the unimprovable name of John Cocks.

The extensive grounds of this country pile are where Land Rover has been testing the off-road credentials of its products, almost since the company’s foundation. The ability to tackle the toughest trails is reckoned to be every bit as important to the British brand a new Ferrari’s Fiorano lap time is in Modena.

Many years ago I got to drive an original Defender 90 TD5 around Eastnor under the supervision of Land Rover’s legendary off-road expert, Roger Crathorne. It was a day of mud, sweat and gears – Crathorne emphasizing the need to select an appropriate combination of transmission ratio and differential locks before every new obstacle.

By contrast, the 2021 Defender did the whole thing with its Mud and Ruts dynamic programme, managing everything with no more drama than occasional twanging noises as the brakes regulated speed and traction.

Petrol versions have a simpler all-wheel-drive system, missing the diesel’s torque-juggling clutch pack, but this doesn’t make any difference in terms of finding grip in the wilderness.

Of course, mud-plugging in rural England a very different challenge from life in the rougher parts of Australia, but Land Rover is keen to emphasise that the Defender has been designed for adventure in almost every environment. And as the 90’s shorter wheelbase gives it a bigger ramp over angle than the 110 it should be the most adventurous of the lot.

It’s certainly a useful reminder that even, beneath the sleek design and life-stylish options packs, the new Defender remains a proper off-roader.”

Auto Express

The British magazine and website gave it 4/5.

“There’s no denying the Defender 90 packs masses of personality, and with Land Rover’s new mild-hybrid D250 six-cylinder diesel engine, the powertrain is torquey, smooth and refined, even if it’s not all that quick. 

You lose some practicality over the 110, but the 90’s image is unrivalled, and the tech means it’s as easy as any other Land Rover to live with. While it’s still a pricey car in SE trim, the kit list stands up to scrutiny and few other true SUVs offer this level of desirability.

The three-door-only Defender 90 does lose out a little to its larger 110 brother, which is available as a five, six or seven-seater.

Boot space stands at 397 litres, but the load bay is a less usable shape. It’s also a bit trickier to climb into the 90’s rear seats, but once you’re there, space isn’t too bad. And of course, to some the three-door’s even boxier look might be preferable and more reminiscent of the previous Defender.

All Defenders feature LED headlights, heated front seats, Land Rover’s 10-inch Pivi Pro infotainment set-up (it was the first model to feature the brand’s newer tech, which still stands up one year on), with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, a 3D surround-view camera and all-round parking sensors, cruise control, lane-keep assist and autonomous emergency braking.

SE trim gets the kind of kit you’d really want, adding 20-inch alloys, leather trim, a Meridian sound system with 10 speakers plus a subwoofer, Land Rover’s Blind Spot Assist Pack, keyless operation, the firm’s ClearSight digital rear-view mirror, and Isofix mountings for the front seat to improve practicality.

Stepping up to HSE brings a panoramic glass roof and some higher quality materials, but we don’t think it’s worth the extra.”