An Early Look at the New Land Rover Defender

The Land Rover Defender left our shores in 1997 and ended production at the brand’s Solihull plant in the UK in 2016. The legendary off-roader continues to be modded and resto-modded at high prices for devotees and collectors around the world. But the everyman will be able to buy one soon since it returns to America for the 2020 model year. The new, modern Defender test fleet has been going through rigorous paces all over the globe to the tune of about 750,000 miles so far, including scalding 120+ degree desert runs in Dubai and subzero jaunts in Sweden’s dead of winter. It’s finishing up its final leg of testing in Kenya. It’s obvious the brand wants the new vehicle to hold up to its iconic reputation. For World Land Rover Day, celebrated every April 30th in commemoration of its 1948 debut, the brand unveiled fresh photos of the test fleet in body cloaking camouflage that hides the details but reveals the modern but still boxy shape. The new Defender will show up in 90 (two-door) and 110 (four-door) configurations later this year as a 2020 model. We can’t wait to see it in the flesh.