Land Rover Defender 5.0 P525 V8 90 3dr Auto Review

Category: Family SUV

Section:

Version review

Fuel type:
petrol
Gearbox:
auto
Doors:
3 doors
Land Rover Defender driving
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  • Land Rover Defender driving
  • Land Rover Defender 110 rear left driving
  • Land Rover Defender interior
  • Land Rover Defender 110 boot
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  • Will Nightingale test driving Land Rover Defender
  • Land Rover Defender 90 right driving
  • Land Rover Defender 110 right driving
  • Land Rover Defender 130 right driving
  • Land Rover Defender 110 front left driving
  • Land Rover Defender 110 rear right driving
  • Land Rover Defender 110 left driving off road
  • Land Rover Defender 110 rear right driving off road
  • Land Rover Defender alloy wheel
  • Land Rover Defender 110 side step
  • Land Rover Defender 110 storage box
  • Land Rover Defender steering wheel
  • Land Rover Defender 110 front seats
  • Land Rover Defender infotainment touchscreen
  • Land Rover Defender air-con controls
  • Land Rover Defender interior
  • Land Rover Defender 110 back seats
  • Land Rover Defender driving
  • Land Rover Defender 110 rear left driving
  • Land Rover Defender interior
  • Land Rover Defender 110 boot
  • Land Rover Defender badge detail
  • Will Nightingale test driving Land Rover Defender
  • Land Rover Defender 90 right driving
  • Land Rover Defender 110 right driving
  • Land Rover Defender 130 right driving
  • Land Rover Defender 110 front left driving
  • Land Rover Defender 110 rear right driving
  • Land Rover Defender 110 left driving off road
  • Land Rover Defender 110 rear right driving off road
  • Land Rover Defender alloy wheel
  • Land Rover Defender 110 side step
  • Land Rover Defender 110 storage box
  • Land Rover Defender steering wheel
  • Land Rover Defender 110 front seats
  • Land Rover Defender infotainment touchscreen
  • Land Rover Defender air-con controls
  • Land Rover Defender interior
  • Land Rover Defender 110 back seats
RRP£113,250
Review

There’s something pleasingly unconventional about the Land Rover Defender. It doesn’t quite fit the mould, being brilliant off-road and good to drive on the black stuff. In three-door 90 form it’s a bit too quirky to recommend, but go for our favourite Defender 110 D250 S, add optional air suspension and seven seats, and you’ll have a car that’s smooth, torquey, comfortable and practical; and, on the weekend, you can tow a huge caravan or climb a mountain in it.

This entry-level model comes well equipped, with LED headlights, heated power-folding door mirrors, 18in steel wheels, four-wheel drive with high and low range, air suspension (on 110 models only; the 90 gets conventional suspension), 8-way part-electric heated front seats, a 360-degree camera system, front and rear parking sensors and cruise control. Infotainment is taken care of with a 10.0in touchscreen with sat-nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while safety is covered by automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assistance and traffic sign recognition. Trouble is, you can only have this trim with a thirsty P300 petrol engine. For more choice, you’ll need to go one trim level up.

This thundering 5.0-litre V8 petrol competes with the likes of the Mercedes-AMG G63. It has 518bhp and does 0-62mph in as little as 5.2sec. Just don't think about the official average fuel economy of less than 20mpg or the list price.


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Key information

Doors3
Seats5
0-62 MPH5.2 seconds
Fuel TypePetrol
GearboxAUTO

Available colours

MPGOfficial overall fuel economy figure

19.9

Boot CapacityHow much space is there?

297

litres

EmissionsOfficial emissions rating

320

g/km

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