As a platform, the classic Defender needs little explanation. Built on a ladder frame with solid axles and full-time four-wheel drive, it was designed for harsh conditions long before “lifestyle SUV” became a thing. That mechanical honesty is what gives the Defender its lasting cultural pull, even when it’s being used purely as a design object.
That’s the role it plays in SOREL’s latest winter activation. Rather than presenting a new product or a formal concept build, the brand repurposed an older, pre-2016 Defender 110 as a visual anchor for a series of pop-ups across Berlin, Paris, and London. Dubbed the SOREL Arctic Truck, it’s parked outside cafés and surrounded by coffee, giveaways, and frozen installations. The classic SUV isn’t asking to be evaluated; it’s clearly there to set a mood (and maybe help sell a few more winter boots).
The footwear company hasn’t shared build details, and that feels deliberate. The Defender isn’t being positioned as a hero vehicle or a showcase of capability, but as a familiar silhouette that still carries weight. In this context, it works less as an SUV and more as shorthand; a reminder that some vehicles endure not because of what they offer on paper, but because of what they represent.
