New Land Rover Defender Named MotorTrend 2021 SUV of the Year

MAHWAH, N.J., Oct. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Land Rover announced today that the new Land Rover Defender has been named the winner of MotorTrend's 2021 "Golden Calipers" for SUV of the Year.

­­With a nod to the historic Land Rover Defender, the New Defender is the toughest and most capable Land Rover vehicle yet, combining a new body structure with all-new technologies and legendary engineering to create a Defender fit for the 21^st century.

"It's a great achievement, and an honor, for the New Defender to be selected as the SUV of the Year from MotorTrend," said Joe Eberhardt, President & CEO, Jaguar Land Rover North America. "We know enthusiasts have been waiting for the return of this icon back to the U.S for more than 20 years, and we especially want to thank our designers, engineers and everyone else at Land Rover for helping to create a 21^st century Defender that can be personalized and enjoyed for generations to come."

Every year, the MotorTrend editorial staff meticulously selects a field of worthy contenders for its SUV of the Year^® award. Contenders are put through MotorTrend's standard battery of instrumented testing, a rigorous series of tests that measure performance under controlled circumstances, which allow the editors to evaluate the real-world driving behavior of each of the vehicles.

­­"We are thrilled to honor the Land Rover Defender with our SUV of the Year award," said MotorTrend Editor-in-Chief Mark Rechtin. "Part of the word 'transportation' is not just the driving but the feeling of being transported. The moment you get into a Land Rover Defender, you are transported. Every design element gives the aura of journey, safari, moving outward into the world with courage."

This year's group of 28 new or redesigned SUVs and variants were evaluated and selected for excelling in MotorTrend's six key category criteria: safety, efficiency, value, advancement in design, engineering excellence, and performance of the intended function, to determine the one model that performs best for its intended purpose and to MotorTrend's highest standards.

In choosing the New Defender as its SUV of the Year, MotorTrend found that the reimagined icon delivered much more than just legendary off-roading capability. In redesigning the vehicle's platform and chassis, Land Rover created a vehicle with excellent on-road comfort and handling, a slew of active and passive safety features, and strong value compared to its direct competitors.

"One SUV stood roof rack and rearviews above the rest," said Senior Features Editor Jonny Lieberman. "There are certain vehicles you can feel are special after only 50 feet of driving. The Defender bowled us over with the wonderful synchronization of its stout engine and yeoman transmission; the exceptional ride quality; its ambient nature; the baked-in, go-anywhere capability; and its amazing value."

The 2021 Defender 110 is on sale now in the U.S. and is priced from $50,100¹; the Defender 90 body style will be available early in 2021 and will be priced from $46,100¹. Configure your New Defender at www.landroverusa.com/Defender.

About Land Rover
Founded in 1948, Land Rover designs and engineers its vehicles in the United Kingdom. For over 70 years the brand has built a reputation for providing its clientele with some of the most luxurious and capable vehicles in the world; whether driving through the heart of the city or traversing the countryside on- and off-road. Today's Land Rover lineup includes the Defender; Discovery and Discovery Sport; Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Velar and Range Rover Evoque. Land Rover is fully engaged with sustainability initiatives and social concerns with continuous involvement in environmental and community programs. For more information, visit the official Land Rover website at www.landroverusa.com.

About Jaguar Land Rover
Jaguar Land Rover is the UK's largest automotive manufacturer, built around two iconic British car brands: Land Rover, the world's leading manufacturer of premium all-wheel-drive vehicles; and Jaguar, one of the world's premier luxury sports sedan and sports car marques.

At Jaguar Land Rover, we are driven by a desire to deliver class-leading vehicles, which will provide experiences our customers will love, for life. Our products are in demand around the globe. In 2018 Jaguar Land Rover sold 592,708 vehicles in 128 countries.

We support around 260,000 people through our retailer network, suppliers and local businesses. At heart we are a British company, with two major design and engineering sites, three vehicle manufacturing facilities and an engine manufacturing center in the UK. We also have plants in China, Brazil, India, Austria and Slovakia. 

About MotorTrend 
MOTORTREND®, a media brand of MotorTrend Group, was founded in 1949 and is internationally recognized as one of the leading brands in the automotive category. The MOTORTREND brand is composed of Discovery's MotorTrend Network, formerly Velocity; MotorTrend magazine; the award-winning website MotorTrend.com; MotorTrend App subscription video on-demand service; MotorTrend Auto Shows; MotorTrend Audio; MotorTrend en Español; MotorTrend India; and the renowned MotorTrend Car of the Year, SUV of the Year, Truck of the Year, Person of the Year, and Best Driver's Car awards programs. 

SOURCE MotorTrend