The Land Rover Defender experience: a highlight of 2024

• Auto123 participated in a unique Land Rover Defender experience in 2024. Here’s how it went.

Dunkeld, Scotland — I feel every bump and crevice as I drive through green pastures and idyllic tree-lined roads. The V8 in front of me is working hard — and it lets itself be heard, because the soundproofing is minimal here — and the steering wheel twists in my hands as it fights with the front axle which, in turn, fights with the obstacles on the route.

At least the view outside is good. I sit upright, and thankfully the square hood that stretches across the right windshield helps me drive this right-hand drive vehicle.

We’re in Scotland and the vehicle I’m driving is a Land Rover Defender 110. But not one of the new turbocharged versions. It’s what you might call a classic Land Rover, a model that’s been used to farm, haul bales of hay, take the kids to school and climb mountains for decades.

Land-Rover Experience | Photo : D. Heyman

A history sheet
Few brands have as rich a history as Land Rover. It all started with the Defender Series I, an all-terrain and military vehicle, a farmer’s best friend, that evolved into a preeminent luxury SUV brand. Given the popularity of Land Rover, which operates within the Jaguar-Land Rover conglomerate which is going through turbulent times, these vehicles are not only legendary; today they are a real lifeline for the company.

The Land Rover Experience
It was with this reality in mind that we traveled to Scotland to drive the original Land Rover, the pioneer that kicked off the brand: the Defender. The opportunity arose as part of the Land Rover Experience program, which offers different driving experiences around the world to help new owners get to know their vehicle better and, of course, to introduce the brand to more people. new people.

There is even a program for young people, the “Young Off-Roader Experience” which allows them, as well as their parents, to climb aboard a Defender which they then drive off the beaten track, while benefiting from the off-road driving advice from Land Rover experts.

Land Rover Experience Scotland | Photo : D. Heyman

What’s even better is that aside from the fact that the Defender Off-Roads are included in the $359 price, no experience is required, so anyone can hop in and drive.

Sessions are also organized to teach advanced off-road driving techniques and the use of a winch, as well as exercises to get a model out of the mud, to deepen the most delicate basics of off-road driving.

Although in Scotland we didn’t have the opportunity to attend this event, we did attend a similar version at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina last year. There we drove Defender 130s in Outbound trim over a range of off-road obstacles, including steep inclines on an uneven track and through slippery, muddy dips.

As you might expect, the vehicles had no trouble navigating all these obstacles, even in the case of the largest models. But what we especially remember are the lessons learned. The instructors accompanied us and monitored our actions, informing us when we accelerated too much (or not enough), when we needed to change the off-road mode, even reminding us how to hold the steering wheel (with our thumbs on the steering wheel, not around it). to avoid having it broken in the event of an obstacle which acts directly on the steering).

Land Rover Experience | Photo : D. Heyman

Old and new at the same time
The models we drove have all the appearance of classics, but they are not entirely so. These are modified versions of the original Defender platform from the last years, before the arrival of the current structure in 2020. This version of the Defender was marketed until 2016, so the materials used, and all the rest of the vehicle are a little more modern than what can be found with older editions.

However, several elements refer to older models. The center console, for example, has a series of buttons the likes of which you no longer see, particularly in modern Land Rovers and Range Rovers which all use digital display screens. Here our vehicles were equipped with conventional switches for the climate controls, a full set of buttons for the headlights and defrost, and a radio that looks a lot like the one I had in my old 1992 Honda Civic .

Even the window switches are in the center console, as with the Jeep Wrangler. We notice their presence, less because of their location than because they seem to be an anachronism on such a model.

There are also elements that have made their way into current Defenders, such as the grab handles, the gear lever that protrudes from the base of the center console and the vertical orientation of the dashboard and the passenger compartment.

Moreover, keen-eyed Defender fans will notice that the gear lever is directly derived from the current vehicle. As mentioned, these are reworked versions that may resemble the old model. In reality, they are equipped with an engine and gearbox from the current model.

It’s not that the atmosphere of the old Defender isn’t present. The driver’s position is upright, the steering wheel angle is odd and legroom is, let’s call it, “reduced.”

Cargo space is also reduced, especially in the two-door model we tested, especially since this particular version has rear-seat seating. They can be folded to provide more space, but the way they fold up and against the walls of the cargo area means that the available volume isn’t as generous as it might seem.

These Land Rovers are not that practical. These are unique versions of the platform, models focused on the “wow” factor. This two-door 90 version even came equipped with specialized racing seats. Another 90 version had a wooden loading floor.

The one that delighted me the most was a four-door 110 model whose style is reminiscent of the Land Rovers of yesteryear in Trophy configuration. It was equipped with roof rails that would be quite suitable for a safari vehicle, a set of headlights that would also be at home on a rally car, and a bull bar of the kind that the found on semi-trailers called to explore the backcountry.

Generally, when I test drive a vehicle, once behind the wheel, the superficial side is forgotten. My focus goes to the ease of plugging a phone into the vehicle, driving, etc.

It’s different with a Land Rover.

Land Rover 110 engine | Photo: D. Heyman

A tractor?
Even with the state-of-the-art powertrain, the massive tires and solid-axle suspension give a ride that feels like a tractor. As we drove through trails full of ruts and gravel, it felt like these trucks could carve their way through anything. And as if, with its two-speed transfer case and lockable differentials, it could climb, descend and traverse any type of terrain.

For someone who had never driven a true off-road vehicle, it was an enlightening experience. Yes, the driving position is uncomfortable, the handling is bouncy and, although the V8 is very powerful, the chassis and steering aren’t really tuned for performance driving. And as speed increases, a feeling of sluggishness takes over (the original versions from the 50s and 60s could barely break the 80 km/h mark), a feeling that only grows with speed.

No matter, you have the indelible feeling, at the controls of a Defender, that you are piloting something mechanical, that you are in control, that there is not a crowd of electronic gadgets that you keep you in your lane or tell you that there is a motorcycle in your blind spot or prevent you from getting closer to the car in front of you, etc.

There is nothing inherently wrong with these modern devices, but there is something fundamentally healthy and enjoyable about driving without electronic constraints. The classic Defender offers it and no one is going to complain.