Land Rover Defender 90 P400: This Combination Finally works
In the last year the new Defender has won a place in our hearts. The first date was exciting but left us a bit wondering if a 400 hp petrol straight-six would work in a 5 meter long, 2.3 tonne SUV. Our second date was with a less powerful 250 hp straight-six diesel which really ignited the spark. So can this 400 hp petrol straight-six redeem itself in the shorter Defender 90?
Where Mercedes ditched the idea of a short G-Class in this latest generation, Land Rover decided to be stubborn and build a 3-door Defender. The Defender 90 is nearly half a meter shorter than the 110 coming in at 4.583 mm (compared to 5.018 mm). This means the wheelbase is also shorter at 2.587 mm, compared to 3.022 mm. And so is the weight, well not shorter but it comes in a full 116 kg lighter (2170 kg compared to 2.286 kg). But that’s enough with the numbers. Time for some more impressions of the shorty ninety!
A more fitting shape
I’ve been a firm believer of the design direction Land Rover took with the Defender. The old shape has served its purpose in the past but it was time for something new and fresh. Refreshing an icon is a hard task but Land Rover managed to nail a modern design that still embodies the Defender perfectly. The large surfaces smoothly flow into eachother, retaining the big solid look but with a certain modern aerodynamic feel. Classically, the Defender has short overhang for those sharp approach and departure angles. But with the 110, the Defender did look very, very long. The Defender 90 looks a lot tougher and let’s face it: 3 doors always looks better than 5 doors.
So not much has changed really, the front doors became longer to help the passengers get into the back more easily. It’s slightly less convenient in parking garages but still manageable. Another neat feature on this Defender 90 (which is also available on the 110) is the cloth convertible roof which stretches the full length of the roof giving both you and the rear passengers a great open air experience. In tunnels however you do have quite some noise coming through the closed cloth roof. But speaking about those passengers in the rear, let’s move to the interior.
Only 1 place where space lacks.
Interior is pretty much the same rugged look with the big charming wheel as we’ve discussed twice already in previous reviews. The buttons could be moved closer to the outside of the wheel for better ergonomics but that can’t be said for the infotainment. Finding settings is easy and straightforward thanks to the small shortcuts on either side of the screen.
And in this spec there’s even space for 6 people. Granted, it’s quite tight with 3 people up front. But in the back it’s as spacious as its longer sibling. It’s great to be able to take along 6 people in such a “small” car. However, when Land Rover doesn’t sacrifice seating, something else has to sacrifice in space. Yup, trunk space is limited to 297 L compared to 786 L in the Defender 110. And bearing in mind that most of the trunk space is vertical, there’s not a lot of floorspace in the trunk.
With that in mind, you can’t be packing heavy if you’re going on a weekend away with 4 people.
P400 actually works
Well I’ll explain that here. The Defender on test here is the P400, which means it’s packing a 3.0L straight-six engine producing 400 hp and 550 Nm of torque. This sprints the car to a 100 in an impressive 6,0 seconds and it’s honestly really fun too. The car just rockets off once the turbos spool up and the way the nose lifts is just an amazing feeling. On paper, it only gains 0,1 seconds on the 110 which felt kinda sluggish and you had to push it hard to get it moving.
But thanks to the shedded weight and the short wheelbase, the Defender 90 really livens up. And not just in a straight line, in the corners it’s also quite surprising. Not that it doesn’t have bodyroll because believe me, it does. But if you push it the right way, it handles very, very good. It’s even fun to throw it around a corner. Especially thanks to that big steering wheel which allows for a lot of small corrections mid-corner.
On loose surface, it too could be as playful as it is on-road but even with the traction control turned off, it will cut power to regain grip. It would be nicer if off actually meant off.
On long journeys it’s as comfortable as you’d imagine it to be, gone are the days where the Defender was referred to as noisy, uncomfortable,… Some will argue that was part of the charm of the old one yet the new one still manages to charm you in different kinds of ways.
But, the P400 is still a thirsty one, even thirstier than in the 110 because of the shorter shape which produces more drag towards the back of the car. This translates into an average fuel consumption of 13,0 L/100 km which included a lot of highway driving as well.
So why would you spend your money on a smaller, less practical Defender?
Well for the reasons I’ve explained in the last paragraph here. The Defender 90 P400 doesn’t need to be economical or practical to convince you from buying one. It convinces you with good looks, impressive and charming handling plus the sound of sweet straight-six. In short, it’s a car that you buy with your heart because after a week, I’ve grown to love this amazing combination which really sets the Defender alive.
Granted, coming in at 88.465 € (BE), it is a hefty sum to pay. But if you’re in the market for one of these, you won’t regret it. It’s one of the few cars that really wins you over even though it has its shortcomings. If you’re looking for the most practical Defender, the diesel 110 is the one to get. However if you’re looking for the ultimate Defender experience, the Defender 90 P400 is the best one to get. Now we’re just wondering what the Defender 90 V8 might just be like.
