Land Rover Defender 90: 4 Lads’ Weekend Away

Defender 90 on a 4-Lad Getaway

For our upcoming review we asked the question: Can 4 lads really go for a weekend away in a 3 door Land Rover.

The answer is: yes, with qualifications.

Defender 90 is the stupidly cute 3-door version of the 4-door Defender 110. Just as the 1950’s  great grandfather Defender looked fabulous in the short wheelbase, so does the 21^st century reimagining of the cosy country classic. We reviewed the 4-door HERE.

Cylinders range from 4, to 6 and 8, with the latter getting you to 100 in a sensation over 5 seconds. Considering the hullabaloo the 386kw V8 takes to get there, you’ll be forgiven for thinking the thrifty 4 pot might need a calendar to time the same sprint, but you’d be dead wrong. 7.2 seconds 0-100 left me asking why anyone would bother with adding more cylinders, and dollars, to their orders. It is usually the same suspects, those with more dollars than cents. You only have 1 diesel to choose from, but the petrol engines more than make up for it.

High-powered V8 SUVs are favoured by despots and drugs lords the world over, but the 4 Sydney boys heading out of town in a plucky base model Defender, eschewed that wanton excess.

To further drive home the point, optional (no cost) 18” steel wheels are painted in white, to harken back halcyon days of the Raj, continent-crossing explorers, and the sponsored archaeologists who inspired Christie novels. They replace the 19” alloys, and look all the better for it.

Above: This Week – 2022 Land Rover 90 P300 Review

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ABOVE: Land Rover Defender 110 and 90

Defender 90 might well be as pretty as her bigger sister, but the 90’s perfect proportions paint a picture of bijou accommodations. One might think 4 large lad might loath the lack of legginess, but not a bit of it. In truth, most of the space was trimmed from the bringing of bags.

While rear legroom is rather generous, watching lanky lads load themselves makes for a TikTok worthy video op.

Casper was first to arrive, and the first to be tasked with culling his cases. Gays pack for every occasion, so soft duffels only, please.

Ethan and Max turned up late, and they too, were given a stern talking to. Soft bags allowed the loading of more essential supplies, like food and booze. Once the champagne was secreted in the spaces between Coles bags and branded duffels, we headed for the cabins. Land Rover says the cargo hold is “up to 1563L” and so it is, if you only have 2 on board and can lower rear seats.

Land Rover was keen to point out that Defender 90 has the same footprint as the Range Rover Evoque, which is seen as being much smaller. I took them at their word and easily parked in the “small cars only” spot at Broadway Shopping Centre.

Here’s what we thought:

Alan-

0-100 times for the D250, P300 and P400 and P525 are remarkably close considering the vast gaps in power.

Ride is very good on the coil suspension.

The wafty handling is fun, ironing out rough dirt tracks with ease. We didn’t try off road programmes, and the on-road choices are limited to Econ and Comfort. Off-roading is aided by 850mm of capacity and 216mm of clearance.

The 221kw/400Nm turbo-4 P300 has a 90L tank, meaning a stint on the open road might get you from Sydney to Brisbane or Melbourne, with judicious driving.

Ethan-

We were comfy, even in the back. We shoehorned weekend supplies in, but luggage space is more “small hatch” than” large SUV”.

The AC controls double as Drive Mode selector, and is something I really don’t like. I adored the camera displayed in the rearview mirror.

Parking is easy, and despite our Defender being near entry level, I felt the cabin to be great quality. Rubber flooring is perfect if you venture into muddier climes as we did. New South Wales weather in on shuffle, so you’re never sure what you’ll get from one week to another. The AWD Defender has low range if things get a bit eggy.

Casper-

I want!

Most of us have had a ride in an ancient Landy. The romantic notion of pith-hatted explorers is very different to the reality. I hate sweating, nor do care for sand up my clacker. Even on the dirtiest track, the cabin was crisp, clean, and above all, comfortable. It is an oasis to return to after a long walk, and I would advise keeping a bin liner for the dirty boots. It doesn’t seem right to bring half of the outdoors, indoors.

The design is gorgeous and looks much better as a 2 door, and I’d love to do a longer trip in it.

Max-

The family has a couple of old Landys but the new Defender 90 makes them look like cattle drays.

Technology had to come to the range. The old models just didn’t cut it in the 21^st century. Defender 90 isn’t perfect, which for me, makes it perfect. It’s got everything any other road-going car has, and adds the ability to go almost anywhere that tarmac doesn’t reach.

The Drive:

Apple CarPlay and over-air updates make Defender feel up-to-date. Pivo Pro is easy to use, even while on the go. We loved the digital dashboard and the good quality reversing camera. The addition of the $1274 ClearView system has a camera up on the shark fin, to display a real-time picture on the rearview mirror. With the system off, the spar mounted on the tailgate makes the view badly obstructed.

There is plenty of power, and 10.1L/100k fuel figures are decent for a 2149kg SUV. Steering is nice and light, and the driver assist features are familiar to anyone who has been in a recent Jaguar Land Rover product.

We arrived at the cabins fresh and relaxed. 2 hours felt like 2 minutes, and we were happy to do it all again on the return leg.

Conclusion:

Our FULL REVIEW will follow, but we wanted to tempt you with a couple of tasty morsels meanwhile.

The was enough room for bags and bits and bobs, and all 4 reported comfort and convenience was top notch. Cargo space is tight in the SWB version, but the cute looks more than make up for it.

Price:

$87.073 (as tested – $95,172)

Engine: 2.0 Turbo Petrol

Power 221kw/400Nm

Econ: 10.1L/100k

Trans: 8 Speed Auto