LAND ROVER DEFENDER CROWNED SUPREME WINNER WOMEN’S WORLD CAR OF THE YEAR 2021

9 March 2021

The Land Rover Defender has been named Supreme Winner Women’s World Car of the Year 2021. The triumph is the first time a Land Rover has won the top prize at the awards and is the latest in a series of international honours for the most capable Land Rover ever made.

  • Seal of approval: New Land Rover Defender named Supreme Winner Women’s World Car of the Year 2021 and Best Medium SUV 2021 as unstoppable all-terrain 4x4 celebrates International Woman’s Day in style
  • Breadth of capability: Judges commend Defender’s distinctive design, all-conquering off-road capability, excellent on-road dynamics and 21st century practicality and connectivity
  • Customer appeal: Defender line-up provides incredible choice, including 90 and 110 body designs, commercial Hard Top models and powertrains ranging from an efficient plug-in hybrid to a new V8
  • Serial success: Defender has now won over 50 international awards since launch, with Land Rover experiencing unprecedented demand for the 110 and 90
  • Choose your model: 90 Hard Top priced from £35,360 OTR (ex. VAT), 90 from £44,825 and 110 starting at £46,215 in the UK. Configure yours at www.landrover.com/Defender

Whitley, UK, 8 March 2021 – The Land Rover Defender has been named Supreme Winner Women’s World Car of the Year 2021. The triumph is the first time a Land Rover has won the top prize at the awards and is the latest in a series of international honours for the most capable Land Rover ever made.

Defender remains true to the pioneering spirit that has been a Land Rover hallmark for over 70 years and redefines adventure for the 21st century. Iconic in name, shape and capability, it is available in a choice of body designs and can be personalised with a choice of four Accessory Packs to help owners make more of their world.

The Women’s World Car of the Year (WWCOTY) awards are the only car awards in the world with a jury comprised exclusively of woman, with 50 motoring journalists from 38 countries on five continents recognising the best new models available. New Defender was named Best Medium SUV 2021 at the awards before being awarded – to coincide with International Women’s Day – the headline WWCOTY prize.

This is a huge honour for the whole team and a reward for the hard work that has gone into creating such a capable vehicle. Defender has won more than 50 international awards already, which tells us that our original vision for a 21st century Defender was the right one. New Defender combines an unmistakable silhouette with state-of-the-art technology in a design that respects its heritage and delivers authentic Land Rover capability. The result is a family of 4x4s that lives up to the Defender name with durable commercial derivatives, an efficient plug-in hybrid powertrain and our potent new Defender V8.

Nick Collins
Executive Director, Vehicle Programmes, Jaguar Land Rover

The legend has been updated. The Land Rover Defender is no longer just a SUV to cross the Amazon or go into the desert. Its latest reinvention invites you to travel by road in the same comfort as a luxury saloon. For this reason, and for its technology and comfort it has been chosen as the Best Car of the Year by the Women's World Car of the Year.

Marta García
Executive President Women’s World Car of the Year
New Land Rover Defender named Supreme Winner Women’s World Car of the Year 2021

The stripped-back personality of the original Defender has been embraced inside, with the emphasis on simplicity and practicality. Defender 110 offers five, six or 5+2 seating configurations, while the 90 is capable of accommodating six occupants in a vehicle the length of a compact family hatchback.

Defender’s breadth of capability raises the threshold for off-road ruggedness and on-road comfort. Underpinned by Land Rover’s strong D7x aluminium platform – the brand’s stiffest ever body structure – advanced all-terrain technologies and state-of-the-art powertrains deliver unstoppable capability. Its carefully honed handling delivers a rewarding drive and first-class long-haul comfort across all terrains, and the experts at Euro NCAP have given Defender a maximum five-star safety rating.

A choice of advanced Ingenium petrol and cleaner diesel engines ensure Defender has the power, control and efficiency for any environment, while a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) powertrain provides silent EV-only progress of up to 27 miles*. In addition, a powerful supercharged petrol V8 new levels of performance and driver engagement to the Defender family.

State-of-the art technology ensures Defender delivers 21st century connectivity. Its next-generation Electrical Vehicle Architecture (EVA2) works in conjunction with Software Over the Air (SOTA) to ensure Defender is always connected and always up to date. Intuitive Pivi Pro infotainment features a simple menu structure and allows the most commonly used functions to be accessed directly from the home screen, while the easily customised layouts require 50 per cent fewer inputs than before.

The Defender family now encompasses the Defender 90 and Defender 110, as well as the 90 and 110 Hard Top commercial variants, while the new 525PS Defender V8 combines characteristic Land Rover capability with incredible performance and bespoke chassis settings for heightened driver engagement.

Since its launch, Defender has won more than 50 global accolades, including Top Gear’s 2020 Car of the Year, Motortrend’s 2021 SUV of the year and Autocar’s Best SUV 2020.

*All fuel consumption and CO2 data quoted above relates to Official EU-WLTP TEL Combined Test Figures for five-seat derivatives. The figures provided are as a result of official manufacturer’s tests in accordance with EU legislation. For comparison purposes only. Real world figures may differ. CO2 and fuel economy figures may vary according to factors such as driving styles, environmental conditions, load and accessories.

ENDS

Further information

For further information log onto www.uk.media.landrover.com or contact:

Kim Palmer
Public Relations Manager, Land Rover UK
M: 07795 666 169
E: kpalmer@landrover.com

Mark Griffin
Senior Press Officer, Land Rover UK
M: 07387 237 796
E: mgrif124@jaguarlandrover.com 

Twitter: @LandRoverUKPR
Instagram: @LandRoverUKPR

 

Notes to Editors

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 saloon 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 2019 Jaguar Land Rover sold 557,706 vehicles in 127 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, an Engine Manufacturing Centre and soon to be opened Battery Assembly Centre. We also have vehicle plants in China, Brazil, India, Austria and Slovakia. We have seven technology hubs. In the UK these are based in Manchester, Warwick (NAIC) and London. Globally these are located in Shannon, Ireland, Portland, USA, Budapest, Hungary and Changshu, China.

We have a portfolio of electrified products across our model range, embracing fully electric, plug-in hybrid and mild hybrid vehicles as well as continuing to offer the latest diesel and petrol engines. All new Jaguar and Land Rover vehicle models offer the option of electrification, giving our customers even more choice