One of the year’s biggest product additions is the 2020 Land Rover Defender. The Defender, which began arriving at U.S. dealerships this summer, returns to North America after a 23-year absence. The Defender 110 four-door starts at $50,925, including shipping. Two engines are available, a 296-hp turbocharged four-cylinder and a gasoline-electric hybrid powered by a 395-hp inline six-cylinder engine. That motor is equipped with a turbocharger and a 48-volt electric supercharger. Both are mated to eight-speed automatic transmissions. Here is a roundup of snippets of Defender reviews from the automotive media.

“Like its famous ancestors, Rover comes in two-door (90) and four-door (110) variants. Unlike Defenders of yore, the brute is built on a unibody which Rover engineers say eclipses the old ladder frame for strength. It felt plenty solid off-road, but the Defender was quite comfy on my drive up Interstate 75. Made to shed its doors, the Wrangler is noisier than Defender, which could pass for a normal SUV. It’s an off-road wolf in sheep’s clothing.

“This being luxury class, the Defender inline-6 is supercharged and turbocharged for gobs more power than Wrangler’s six. The result is 395 horses trampling the grasslands (a 296-horse turbo-4 is also available).”

— Henry Payne, The Detroit News

“The surprise was that the Defender, at least in 395-horsepower guise, feels as capable on-road as off. The forceful acceleration, throaty inline-six sound and high-design cabin make even a loaded Wrangler feel like the relatively crude truck it is. While the Defender may look deceptively mall-friendly compared with the Jeep, its 11.5-inch ground clearance and 35.4-inch wading ability both top even the Wrangler Rubicon’s. And where the Jeep accepts curves grudgingly, the Defender can attack them.”

— Lawrence Ulrich, Autoblog

“Living up to its reputation, the Defender proved completely drama-free in off-road driving through the Vermont woods, tackling steep hills, rocks, mud, and, dirt without breaking a sweat. Just as current supercars use electronics to make high-speed driving easier regardless of skill level, modern Land Rovers make off-roading accessible to novices. All you have to do is steer clear of trees and let the Defender’s driver aids do their thing.

“Off-road capability was a prerequisite, though. What really sets the new Defender apart from its predecessor — and the competition — is its on-road behavior. With its comfortable ride (courtesy of adaptive air suspension) and precise handling, the Defender felt more like a regular car than a mudslinging off-road SUV.

“The P400 powertrain provided more than enough power for passing on the highway, and the vehicle itself felt rock-solid at higher speeds — which isn’t always the case with tall, boxy SUVs. The interior is fairly quiet as well, and the driving position is much more comfortable than the cramped, upright pose the old Defender forced on its drivers. The only blemish was somewhat vague steering.”

— Stephen Edelstein, Digital Trends

“Some of the Defender’s modernization isn’t welcome. The brake pedal is so light and lacking in feel — it’s a brake-by-wire system — that it’s difficult to modulate. The throttle has the opposite problem; its languid response on six-cylinder models is at odds with the engine’s low-speed electric assist. We’ve found other vehicles with this engine similarly sedate, though part of the Defender’s problem is the transmission’s reluctance to downshift. The stability-control system allows for some modest pitching and catching, but even in its most reduced setting, it quickly quells the serious sideways action sometimes needed while off-roading.”

— Dave VanderWerp, Car and Driver

“If you’re accustomed to off-roading a full-size Range Rover, you might find this experience a bit more immediate, more visceral. While the Range Rover soothes with its cushy isolation and surprisingly plush ride over the bumpy stuff, the Land Rover Defender 110 feels a bit firmer and more immediate, sometimes hitting bump stops when you don’t slow down enough for jagged surfaces.

“To its credit, Land Rover engineered the Defender less for comfort than absolute capability. And in that realm, the Defender manages iffy terrain quite capably, aided by underpinnings intended to take a beating. Though the D110’s aluminum D7x chassis is not dissimilar to the Range Rover’s in general shape, they share almost no common parts. Crucially, the Defender claims the stiffest construction of any model in Land Rover’s lineup, delivering triple the torsional rigidity of a body-on-frame design, which enables a wider range of ride heights and a wading depth of 35.4 inches. The important bits are beefed up to aid robustness, including steel subframes where the Range Rover used aluminum. Therefore, it’s not all too surprising that the new Land Rover Defender is less magic carpet, more downhill sled.”

— Basem Wasef, Automobile

“Sure, the Defender doesn’t have the same kind of articulation as a Wrangler Rubicon, but that doesn’t mean it can’t successfully conquer the rough stuff. Full-time four-wheel drive with a two-speed transfer case, plenty of traction control algorithms and locking center and rear differentials mean that even with one or two wheels up in the air, the Defender can keep scooching along. In its highest suspension setting, the Defender 110 has 11.5 inches of ground clearance. Its maximum approach angle is 38 degrees, breakover is 28 degrees and departure is 40 degrees — all of these numbers are very, very good. The shorter-wheelbase Defender 90 has the same approach and departure, but the breakover angle is slightly better, at 31 degrees.

“Even without airing down for better traction, there is enough of a contact patch on the 32-inch Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac tires to maintain grip on the slippery sections of the pass. The Defender has no problem scaling the steepest parts of this trail, and the whole time, the ride quality is excellent. Even with lots of rocks and holes, I’m incredibly relaxed and comfortable.”

— Emme Hall, Roadshow by CNET