New Land Rover Defender Makes U.S. Debut at L.A. Auto Show

Land Rover displayed the Defender in 90 and 110 trim, along with a vehicle used in the new Bond movie.

The new Land Rover Defender has been shown off overseas, but the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show marks the North American debut of the legendary SUV. There are no big surprises with the North American debut. Land Rover announced details back in September. The L.A. show marks the first time that potential Defender buyers can check out the new vehicle in person.

Defender 90 and 110

The new Land Rover Defender will be offered in two basic forms, 90 and 110. The Defender 90 is the two-door model while the 110 is the four-door model. Aside from the body length, the number of doors and the extra seating space, the two models are pretty similar. Within those two body styles, there are six trim lines including the base, S, SE, HSE, X and First Edition.

When the Land Rover Defender first goes on sale in the United States, it will be offered only in First Edition with the 3.0-liter mild hybrid V6. This gas-electric hybrid power plant works with a ZF 8-speed automatic transmission and an advanced four-wheel-drive system to send 395 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque towards all four wheels.

The new Land Rover will eventually be available with the V6 hybrid or a turbocharged four-cylinder. This smaller mill delivers 300 horsepower will be available on base and S models. The SE, HSE, First Edition and X trim levels all come with the V6 hybrid.

Accessory Packs

One of the key features of the new Land Rover Defender is the lineup of accessory packs. The company designed four packages that cater to specific buyers. This includes the Explorer Pack, the Adventure Pack, the Country Pack and the Urban Pack.

The Explorer Pack for the Defender includes a lightweight roof rack, an exterior side-mounted gear carrier, wheel arch protection, mud flaps, a spare tire cover and a matte black hood decal with either the 90 or 110 logo.

The Adventure Pack adds a portable water system with a 1.7-gallon tank, a trunk-mounted air compressor, the exterior side-mounted gear carrier, mud flaps, and a removable 6.3-gallon “seat backpack”.

The Country Pack for the new Defender adds wheel arch protection, mud flaps, a bright rear scuff plate, the portable rinse system and a load-space partition.

Finally, the Urban Pack adds a bright rear scuff plate, a spare tire cover, a front end undershield, and bright pedals on the inside.

James Bond’s Defender

In addition to showcasing the new Defender 90 and 110 in production form, the Los Angeles Auto Show also has the Land Rover SUV that was used in the newest James Bond movie. This particular model is a Defender 110 X in Santorini Black. This Defender was one of the first vehicles produced at Jaguar Land Rover’s new production facility in Nitra, Slovakia.

The No Time to Die Defender remained covered with the dirt accumulated during filming. The off-road abilities of this Land Rover allowed the crew to do some wicked stunts. The new Land Rover will be well-represented when the movie launches in April 2020.

The Land Rover from the movie will be displayed with the rest of the new lineup until the auto show ends on December 1.

Photos for Jaguar Forums by Michael S. Palmer

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com