Now that the winners of our annual Top 12 Best Buys awards have been revealed (grab a copy of the April 2021 issue of CAR magazine for the full article), we can take a look at the individual categories.
As in years past, the Luxury SUV vote threw up something of an upset. The Land Rover Defender nabbed the crown from the BMW X5, which stole it from the Range Rover Sport. The upset, if you could call it that, isn’t that the capable Brit doesn’t deserve it, but rather that in 2021, a Defender should be classed a Luxury SUV.
But yes, in every way it is a luxury conveyance, from its starting price north of R1 million, to its sheer size, impressive practicality and fantastic array of model derivatives, powertrains and lifestyle-orientated add-ons.
Then there’s the harmonious yet stylish interior and exterior design that will stand the test of time … all capped off with the knowledge there is not a remote corner of the globe to which you cannot drive a Defender. A breath of fresh air from the usual high-performance “faux by fours”.
