The Land Rover Defender is back, finally. It looks a bit more futuristic than we remember but Land Rover says it will be better than ever? Is it? Henry Catchpole takes an in-depth first look at the new Land Rover Defender.
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It's been almost a year since Land Rover first announced that the Defender would return to the US after 21 years. Now, at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the 2020 Land Rover Defender is ready to tackle terrain around the world.

The 2020 Defender represents a massive leap forward in styling, which makes sense, since the last-generation Defender stopped rolling off the line in 2016, its most major refresh occurring all the way back in 2012. It's a radical departure from generations past. The new Defender is smoother and far more modern. Yet, at the same time, there's more rectilinearity here than on any other modern Land Rover. The front grilles consist largely of slots, while the headlights and their running-light patterns look like a set of angry eyes. It's like a little bulldog scowling at you.

Straight lines carry the eyes from the front bumper to the back, where there's more than a little traditional Defender design thrown into the mix. The back end is mostly straight, devoid of too many curves. It looks especially ready for off-roading, given the high-mounted spare wheel on the tailgate.

With the inlets and outlets nice and high, the Defender is mighty capable. Ground clearance is set at 8.5 inches for the two-door Defender 90 (8.6 for the four-door Defender 110) but selecting the car's off-road-height setting bumps the figure up to 11.5 inches for both models. Both the 90 and 110 sport a 30.1-degree approach angle, which grows to 38 degrees at the vehicle's off-road height. The departure angle is even better at 37.6 degrees for the 90 and 37.7 degrees for the 110, although both even out to 40 degrees at off-road height. The 90's shorter wheelbase gives it the superior breakover angle at 24.2 degrees versus the 110's 22 degrees. Both variants can tackle up to 35.4 inches of water.