It was awarded a Euro NCAP rating of five stars.
It has been just over a year since Land Rover Defender’s global debut. Although it seems like a lifetime ago (thanks to 2020), the world continues to get to know the off-roader. Today we continue our Defender education and test how it protects the occupants in times of disaster. The good news is that the news is good. It’s actually very good.
Euro NCAP has released new data about the Defender’s performance in different crash situations. This includes safety for pedestrians, children and adults. The Defender’s emergency braking and lane-keep assistance systems were also tested. It received a five-star rating in all four categories: Adult Occupant (Child Occupant), Vulnerable Road User (Vulnerable Road Users), and Safety Assist.
Vulnerable road users had the lowest score, but it was still ranked at 71 percent. The testing included pedestrian head impacts on a car’s hood and leg impacts at the front bumper. Safety Assists received a score of 79 percent. There were also a variety of tests that covered automatic braking for pedestrians and cyclists as well as lane tracking.
Occupant protection was the most important feature of an off-roader. The Defender absorbs impacts and is rated 85 percent for both Adult Occupant (and Child Occupant) categories. Only the side pole impact is visible in the greenhouse, but the force also spreads through the doors and roof. The cabin is virtually unaffected by both full and offset frontal impacts.
The right-hand-drive Defender 110 was tested with the 2.0-liter diesel engine. These ratings are applicable to all Defenders according to Euro NCAP. However, it is unclear if tests will be done on two-door Defenders. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have not yet given the new Defender crash ratings for US-market models.