Land Rover Defender 110

In an ocean of hype, it can be easy to forget the original Land Rover Defender barely had an official presence on American shores. While it debuted in 1983 overseas, it didn’t go on sale here until 1994 — and it vanished from showrooms just three years later, axed due to slow sales and rising safety standards that mandated things like passenger-side airbags. Yet to hardcore off-roaders, the old Defender 90 and 110 represent something like the Platonic ideal of an SUV.

So when Jaguar Land Rover announced the Defender would be returning using a car-like unibody chassis instead of a truck-like body-onframe setup, purists howled — only to redouble their cries when they saw design boss Gerry McGovern’s modern take on the vehicle. This, they said, is not a real Defender.

Well, guess what: it’s the right Defender for our times. Unlike those Defenders of yore, you can drive this one on the highway without complaint; the ride is smooth and the handling stable, and the interior is both comfortable and packed with convenience features. And while previous versions were outdated even for their time, the new version embraces technology with verve. Not just when it comes to off-road tech (though it has that in spades) but also in the form of a new computer architecture that lets it download vehicle updates via cell networks, which should mean fewer pesky trips to the dealer for any gremlins that raise their heads.

Granted, the front still looks a little too much like a Thomas the Tank Engine character, and there’s no denying that many buyers might be better off with a well-equipped Discovery for the same money as a moderate-spec Defender. But Land Rover has delivered an SUV that combines go-anywhere prowess with true real-world usability … and that’s something even the original Defender couldn’t do.

Specs

Powertrain: 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 / 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 ; 8-speed automatic; 4-wheel-drive

Horsepower: 296 / 395

Torque: 295 lb-ft / 406 lb-ft $49,900+