Had the opportunity to drive the Land Rover Defender 90 recently. Launched locally in 2020 under the cloak of the corona pandemic, it is still a model that divides opinion, those the love the new look and feel that it is better, and those that believe that it is a soft off-roader now. My opinion after testing the 110, and now the 90, is the former, and I believe that it ticks many boxes.

The shorter 90 model has got some drawbacks off course, firstly that it is a three door, and not a five door. It also has a plaque of sorts on the rear window, which limits visibility somewhat. But that’s it, the rest is great. It really is a head turner of note, and in the silver and black colour, it really pops. It has a very long nose, so watch your turning circle, and turning into airport parkings with big pillars next to you. The unit we tested had a fold-up sun roof.

Cabin.

We had the bigger kids jump into the back, and with their agility it certainly was not an issue. Might be for some older folks however. The dash area and interior is well laid out, very functional and the build quality is exceptional. I like the high drive feel, and visibility for me was good. It is a wide SUV so feels very spacious.

Boot space, being a three door is very limited. If I had to think of adjectives of description, sturdy and robust would come to mind. A nice big steering wheel, with all the controls close to hand, make you feel very in control of the vehicle. The 10 inch touch screen is easy to use for all functions. Loved the Meridian Surround sound system on the road. Apple CarPlay & ANDROID Auto are available for pairing phones, and this is standard.

Engine & Drive feel.

We had the top-line Defender HSE D300, which has a straight six twin-turbo engine, pushing a veritable 221kw, which feels plenty in the shorter version. It is paired with a 8-speed automatic transmission, and it really is very smooth and responsive. Quiet is another superlative, and you just feel cushioned when driving on road or off. You really don’t need more, but there are more powerful models to choose from.

Fuel economy was good, and we got around 9.0 L/100km, with a bit of pushing here and there. It has a wading depth of 900mm, if you feel like a little swim… And off-road 20 inch tyres that seem to sail over any bump or smaller pothole.

The unit we tested had some optional add-ons, but there is a lot of standard features, to name a few- all wheel drive, Dynamic stability control, low traction launch, hill descent control & roll stability control. It comes with follow me home lighting, puddle lights, LED tail lights, side-hinged tailgate and body coloured door-handles. Also wade-sensing, 360 deg parking aid, rear collision monitor.

So let’s look at the price, and it isn’t for the faint hearted. The base price comes in at R1, 365 900.00 and the add ons we had took it up to R1,530,900.00 but you are buying an iconic SUV, this car will always have people talking about it, and I for one, am a huge fan.