Land Rover just redesigned its hallmark iconic SUV, the Defender — here's what it looks like now

Brittany Chang

September 12, 2019 2:52 PM

Land Rover

The Defender was originally pulled off the North American market in 1997.

Land Rover is bringing back the legendary Defender model after its long hiatus from the North American market.
The old Defender disappeared from US roads in 1997 due to poor sales and changing new car requirements that required cars to have airbags.
The new Defender includes many upgrades that modernize the vehicle along with options that maintain the nameplate's legendary offroad prowess.
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After a 22-year North American hiatus, Land Rover is bringing the Defender back to the US.

The car was originally pulled from the North American market in 1997, according to CNBC , because airbags could not be installed in the bare-bones models.

The new 2020 model was unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Show on Monday. It will include a mild-hybrid electric vehicle option that gives the car a horsepower of 395, 406 pound-feet of torque, and a zero-to-60 mph time of 5.8 seconds.

Land Rover will offer two different bodies: the Defender 90 and the Defender 110. The 90 is a two-door option that can seat six people, while the 110 is a four-door that has a 5+2 seating option. There will also be six models offered for each body: the Defender, Defender S, Defender SE, Defender HSE, Defender X and Defender First Edition.

"The new Defender is respectful of its past but is not harnessed by it," Land Rover's Chief Design Officer Gerry McGovern said in a prepared statement .

The Land Rover has a maximum towing capacity of 8,201 pounds and a maximum roof load of 370 pounds. Customers can also pick between four optional accessory packs that customize the car to the driver's purpose: the Explorer, Adventure, Country, and Urban.

The Defender 110 starts at $49,900 and goes up to $80,900 for the P400 X edition.

Take a look at what McGovern calls "the Defender for a new age":

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