The Land Rover Defender is getting a complete redesign, and although designers worked hard to modernize its iconic exterior, customers will be spending all of their time in the new interior, which brings a mix of outdoor and elegant cues that give the cabin a modern look. Here are four things we like and two we dislike about the Land Rover Defender interior.
We Like: Exposed Bolts
Contributing to the cabin’s outdoorsy feel are the exposed bolts on the door panels and center console. Whether they’re on the metal or the wood trim, the bolts give the Land Rover Defender interior a unique look and feel that goes well with the rest of the vehicle. It only makes sense to show the exposed bolts in a few vehicles, and it looks great in the Defender.
We Like: Rubber Floors
Given the type of vehicle it is, every Defender comes with rubber floors that can easily be cleaned after you hit the dirt. I also like how the engineering team made it possible to have an almost flat floor, which is good for all the camping equipment and is more comfortable when you have three adults sitting in the back.
We Like: Infotainment Screen
The 10-inch center touchscreen comes with the new infotainment system from Jaguar Land Rover, which was designed to be used like a smartphone. Land Rover promises the response to be quick, and although we weren’t able to test it during the auto show, the graphics look modern and the system seems intuitive.
We DON’T Like: 5+2 Seating
Although I’m a fan of the headroom and legroom in the second row, the optional two seats in the cargo area are not for adults. I had a hard time trying to enter the seats, and once I finally got my body in the correct place and the second-row seat back to its upright position, legroom was extremely tight. What’s more, the second-row seat was all the way forward, touching the driver’s seat and leaving absolutely no legroom.
We Like: Four USB Ports in the Back
Defender designers placed one USB port on the back of each of the front seats, making it easy for rear-seat passengers to use the ports. Two additional ports are located on the center console, under the air vents for rear-seat passengers, bringing the total number of ports to four. Those who opt for the 5+2 interior will also get two USB ports in the third row.
We DON’T Like: The Center Console Design
Although I applaud Land Rover for putting a cooler under the center armrest, the rest of the design of the center console is a bit weird (if you don’t opt for the center jump seat). There’s a decent gap between the cupholders and the USB ports that leads to a bigger space under the center console to store larger items (think handbags, purses, etc. ). But you can also access that room from the sides…