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2020 Land Rover Defender (Credit: Land Rover)

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The moment hard-core Land Rover fans have been demanding for years has arrived — the Defender is back.

Following a 22-year absence in the U.S., the model’s return has sent anticipation and hype in the car world that’s been off the charts.

The all-new 2020 Defender certainly looks good in pictures, with an updated appearance that still embraced many of the elements of what makes it unique. That includes a heritage look on the two-door ‘90’ model, complete with a white roof and ‘steelie’ wheels, is on offer. 

I’m one of those old-school Defender fans, and I finally had the chance to drive the new one (both on-road and off) during a recent weekend. But it’s not exactly priced like the utilitarian, jack-of-all-trades of old — it’s gone upscale.

Form follows function 

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2020 Land Rover Defender (Credit: Land Rover)

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Land Rover says the Defender reflects what they call overarching brand characteristics like ‘design,’ ‘capability,’ and ‘durability,’ key traits designers and engineers were focusing on when creating the latest model.