The Defender was one of the few vehicles in its class that offered steel wheels. These wheels are often associated with less expensive cars and off-road vehicles. They look great and are cheaper to replace, but Land Rover is moving away from them due to low customer demand.
The new 20-inch Style 9013 Gloss White wheels are made of aluminum and look similar to the old steel ones. They're a lot like what Ford offers on its Bronco and Bronco Sport models. The switch to aluminum will save about 8 pounds (3.6 kilograms) per wheel.
Car & Driver did some digging and weighed two identical Defenders to compare the wheels. The 18-inch steel wheels weighed 39.85 pounds (18.07 kilograms), while the 20-inch aluminum wheels came in at 31.96 pounds (14.5 kilograms). That's a difference of 7.89 pounds (3.57 kilograms) per wheel.
This weight savings probably won't make a big difference in how the car handles, but it could lead to better fuel efficiency over time. On the downside, these aluminum wheels will cost more to fix or replace if they get damaged.
If you want these new wheels, you'll need to shell out $1,800. They're part of a package called the County Exterior Pack, which costs $600. The whole bundle will set you back $5,650. You'll also need to add a few more things:
- A 20-inch full-size spare tire ($100) - Robustec Ebony veneer ($600) - Illuminated metal treadplates ($600) - Tasman Blue paint ($950) - White contrast roof ($1,000)
The wheels only come with Tasman Blue paint, and you can get them on the 110 and 90 body styles, but not on the 130.
Source: Car & Driver