New Land Rover Defender Trophy Version 2025 evaluation: a household SUV for each terrain

On high of this, Trophy vehicles get the choice of Deep Sandglow Yellow paint – unique to the particular version – plus, for £4,500 further, a matte protecting movie for some, however not all, of the physique panels. Additionally they characteristic the agency’s new 20-inch ‘Type 9013’ gloss-black alloy wheels wrapped in all-terrain tyres, impressed by the smaller metal wheels accessible elsewhere within the vary. Trophy-branded tread plates, decals and body-coloured sprint inserts add to the bespoke look.

Land Rover additionally gives a curated equipment bundle, which features a roof rack, fold-down ladder, externally mounted ‘gear carriers’, mud flaps and a snorkel. Priced at £4,995, it’s not low-cost, however in all probability pales into insignificance if you’re spending £80k-plus on a go-anywhere household hauler.

In any other case although, that is the Defender we’ve identified and liked since its introduction 5 years in the past. As steered, our drive was restricted to a brief off-road route, which confirmed the Trophy in a very robust mild; no slope is simply too steep, and no ravine too rutted, for instance. Whereas it’s not as tender or managed because the range-topping Land Rover Defender OCTA with its ‘6D’ hydraulic interlinked dampers and height-adjustable air springs, there actually could be very little the Trophy gained’t make mild work of.

The myriad drive modes are easy to entry by way of the now standard-fit and easier-to-reach (in keeping with Land Rover) 13.1-inch touchscreen, with the Mud Ruts setting participating the automobile’s low-range gearbox and mechanically activating the wonderful hill-descent management. Lifting your ft from the pedals and permitting the automobile to soundly traverse a steep slope won’t ever not really feel completely alien, however the precision it shows provides you nice confidence.