Here in the U.S., we don’t yet have full 2020 Land Rover Defender crash test figures from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). However, the European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) just published their findings, and the four-door Defender 110 model scored top marks.
Specifically, Euro NCAP tested a right-hand drive Defender 110, both in crash scenarios and accident avoidance maneuvers. With each passing year, systems like automatic emergency braking become more advanced, adding pedestrian and cyclist detection. The 2020 Land Rover Defender scored 71% in that area, while further driver assistance systems (emergency lane keep assist, road edge detection) scored 79% overall.
In crash tests, Euro NCAP puts every new car on sale in Europe through a specific gauntlet of crash tests. The Defender underwent an offset test as well as a full-frontal crash into a deformable barrier, each at 50 km/h or 31 mph. Then, the side impact test hits the car at 60 km/h (37 mph) into the driver’s door, as well as hitting a pole at 32 km/h (20 mph). In those tests, the Land Rover Defender scored 85%. The testing regimen also analyzes how well the car protects child occupants. Again, the Defender scored 85% — a well-faring score overall.
We’ll have to see how those results translate to U.S. safety tests, but the results here are encouraging. So, if you do order a new Defender, it does appear to be a safe option for you and your family.
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