New information keeps on rolling in on the revived 2020 Land Rover Defender. Set to actually launch at this year’s Frankfurt Auto Show in September, the new Defender will reportedly come in these forms:
- Two-door “Defender 90”: This version will seat five or six passengers, with a 170-inch overall length.
- Four-door “Defender 110”: This model will seat five, six or seven passengers, with an overall length of 187 inches.
- Long wheelbase “Defender 130”: This one will be the eight-passenger version, with more space to accommodate more people. The 130 model will have an overall length of 201 inches. Previously, the Defender 130 came as a pickup.
The 2020 Land Rover Defender will have six enging options.
On top of the two-door and four-door versions we knew were coming, there will be a third option. Sources close to the Defender’s development revealed there will be a larger, eight-passenger version, according to recent reports. Land Rover will ultimately offer three variants of the new Defender to appeal to as wide an audience as possible. That way, off-road enthusiasts will have the short wheelbase version, while those seeking a family hauler will have a suitable choice.
Not only that, but a new presentation shows the range of available engines. Nothing out of place here, as these are all tried Land Rover powertrains, although we may not see all of them in the United States. Disco4 forums and Automotive News originally spotted the presentation, with engines ranging from a 2.0-liter turbodiesel to a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 engine. We don’t believe all these engines will come to the U.S., but it’s likely we’ll see all the gas units as well as at least one of the diesels.
This comparison chart shows the engines with power and torque figures, converted to horsepower and lb-ft.
| Model | Engine | Power | Torque |
| D200 | 2.0-liter I-4 diesel | 197 hp | 317 lb-ft |
| D240 | 2.0-liter I-4 diesel | 237 hp | 317 lb-ft |
| D300 | 3.0-liter V6 diesel | 296 hp | 479 lb-ft |
| P300 | 2.0-liter I-4 gasoline | 296 hp | 295 lb-ft |
| P400 (PHEV) | 2.0-liter I-4 gasoline | 398 hp | U/K |
| P400 | 3.0-liter V6 gasoline | 395 hp | 406 lb-ft |
Stretching the Defender’s appeal
More than likely, close enthusiasts of the old model will protest this latest piece of news. The Defender has stood in the range as a simple, rugged SUV against the likes of the high-riding, high-class Range Rover. Land Rover needs to win new customers over, though, for the 2020 Land Rover Defender to be a financially viable move.
To that end, Jaguar Land Rover will build the new Defender at its plant in Nitra, Slovakia, alongside the current-generation Discovery. The Land Rover Discovery’s D7u platform will also underpin the new Defender model.
Photos: Disco4 forums
