The Jeep Wrangler dominates the off-roading scene in the US, however journey internationally and you will find a unique nameplate that is synonymous with conquering robust terrain: Land Rover Defender. From carrying personnel within the Carrara marble quarries of Italy to roving the plush farmland of England and traversing the tough desert of Namibia, the Land Rover Defender has been a stalwart companion for these exploring past the top of the pavement because it arrived in 1983 because the One Ten. However 2020 noticed the basic workhorse changed by an all-new Defender—formally provided within the U.S. for the primary time because the mid-Nineties—that ditched the bare-bones, rough-edged body-on-frame strategy of the unique for an aluminum unibody and an upscale inside.

Combining an opulent cabin with the promise of all-terrain skills, the brand new Defender rapidly grew to become a well-liked selection in upper-middle-class suburban America, shuttling the children to highschool and hauling groceries residence from the grocery store. However a latest journey to participate within the Land Rover Trek competitors served as a reminder that the Defender does not simply recommend off-road functionality with its squared-off appears and Land Rover badge. Throughout our time with the Trek program—a grueling two-day journey designed to coach dealership workers—we had been reacquainted with the Defender’s excessive off-road chops because it grew to become our go-anywhere cell residence for an evening.

Rooftop Tents, Gear Add Utility (and Weight)

The Trek competitors sees retail workers—plus a batch of journalists—driving modified 2023 Defender 110s. The obvious change to the Trek autos is the Roofnest Falcon Professional rooftop tent, which prices $3995 and weighs 180 kilos. The Defenders are additionally fitted with a remote-controlled digital Warn winch, a snorkel air consumption, a gear provider field affixed to the facet of the cabin, and a beefier entrance under-shield for shielding very important mechanical elements from protruding rocks. Different goodies included an ARB fridge within the cargo space, a photo voltaic panel perched atop the tent, two exterior-mounted water containers, and limb risers stretching from the hood to the roof to information tree branches out of the best way on slender trails.

All this tools strapped to the Defender severely compromises the on-road driving expertise. The additional weight makes acceleration an train in persistence, particularly provided that our Defenders had been powered by the bottom turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four. The 296 horsepower produced by that engine is sufficient for day by day driving in an unmodified 110, however with the elevated weight, we wished we had the 395-hp inline-six and even the 518-hp supercharged V-8.

The added heft additionally meant that the brakes wanted to work that a lot more durable to carry the rig to a cease. The rooftop tent and different exterior-mounted tools additionally noticeably raised the middle of gravity, requiring us to make use of warning when navigating the twisty two-lane highways of upstate New York and Vermont. Plus, at speeds above 50 mph the tent and different protrusions amplified wind noise to a deafening howl.

Over the Rocks

However the heavier load didn’t appear to have an effect on the Defender a lot when tackling the off-road challenges set out by Land Rover on its property in Manchester, Vermont. On a sequence of all-terrain programs, the Defender confidently scaled mud-covered hills and adeptly trundled over massive rocks. The expertise inside was surprisingly serene and enjoyable, with the usual air springs absorbing bumps and conserving the cabin pretty degree over the undulating topography. Even with the Warn winch hooked up to the entrance bumper, the 110 had wonderful strategy and departure angles, permitting for spectacular agility in tight areas and on steeply inclined hills. We by no means scraped the entrance skid plate or high-sided the SUV, with the Defender seemingly egging us on to seek out it extra demanding challenges.

Not like the unique Defender, the brand new 110 makes use of expertise to assist it deal with difficult off-road trails. The beginning of one of many programs featured an roughly 45-degree drop down a rocky slope, however the car’s hill-descent management simply managed our pace, leaving us to give attention to avoiding the most important obstacles in our path. The peak-adjustable air suspension additionally got here in useful throughout an accuracy problem, the place we had been tasked with steering our Defender to hit hanging cones with a goal caught onto our roof. The peak-adjustable air suspension allowed us to boost or decrease the car with a view to line up the precise trajectory to hit a cone with the goal. The backup digital camera, together with a collection of different digital camera views, additionally performed a important function within the Defender’s finesse within the tight and twisty route by way of the forest.

Regardless of the compromises on the freeway, we had been grateful for the entire gear our Defender was carrying after we stopped for the night time. The fridge offered us with cool water after an extended and tiring day and likewise preserved the substances for our dinner cookout. Establishing our rooftop tent was a breeze, with the hydraulic folding mechanism slowly opening the tent after a lightweight upward thrust. As soon as erected, the tent was comfy—with a delicate ground and loads of room for one individual—and heat, permitting us to keep away from the chilly floor as temperatures dropped into the low 50s at night time.

After we obtained again on the New York State Thruway to return to Jaguar Land Rover headquarters in Mahwah, New Jersey, we had been rapidly reminded of the tradeoffs that got here with transporting a number of tons of of kilos of apparatus on the roof. However the Defender’s all-terrain competence and our cozy night time within the tent had received us over. We stopped worrying concerning the sluggish acceleration and ungainly dealing with, as a substitute slowing down to understand the picturesque New York countryside because the leaves started to don their autumnal hues.