Land Rover Defender review

Reinventing an icon like the Land Rover Defender isn’t easy, and it's something Land Rover thought long and hard about before reviving such a famous nameplate.

To keep fans of the old Defender happy, while attracting modern, premium-SUV buyers, the British brand decided to leave no stone unturned. So, this latest model aims to offer exceptional on-road comfort and usability, while being even more capable off-road than its illustrious predecessor.

Land Rover Defender video review

The Defender is available in three body styles. There's the shorter, three-door Defender 90, the five-door Defender 110 – available as a five, six or seven-seater – and the enormous Defender 130 with up to eight seats. There's even a commercial model with no rear seats. That’s called the Defender Hardtop, which we cover in a separate review, and we also have a separate review for the crazy, high-performance Defender Octa, too. 

With so many different versions available, the Defender has many different rivals. The 90 doesn’t really have a natural rival, but, size-wise, it’s similar to premium family SUVs, including the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Volvo XC60. The Defender 110 offers similar practicality to larger seven-seaters, like the Audi Q7 and Volvo XC90, while the massive Defender 130 is as roomy as gargantuan cars like the BMW X7.

The Defender is a proper off-roader, too, so it also competes with true mud-puggers, such as the Ineos Grenadier, Jeep Wrangler and Toyota Land Cruiser.

What’s new?

- January 2026: Land Rover Defender wins What Car? Premium SUV of the Year 2026
- July 2025: Defender Octa Black revealed with gloss and satin black-painted detailing
- June 2025: Trophy Edition launched with Sandglow Yellow body paint and various off-road accessories, such as all-terrain tyres, a rear scuff plate and extra wheel arch protection 
- July 2024: Octa model introduced and billed as the most "dynamic" Defender yet, thanks to 626bhp 4.4-litre hybrid V8, new ‘intelligent’ suspension system and bespoke driving modes
- May 2024: Standard Defender upgraded with more comfort-enhancing features, plus the option of individual ‘captain’s chairs’ for the second row

How fast is it and which motor is best?

If you want a diesel Land Rover Defender it’ll be a 3.0-litre six-cylinder with mild hybrid (MHEV) technology, but there’s a choice of power outputs. The cheaper 246bhp D250 is our pick of the range. It’ll do 0-62mph in around 8.0sec, has plenty of low-rev grunt, and will happily whisk you to motorway speeds with little effort. 

We wouldn’t put you off the more powerful 345bhp D350, though. The only negative is its price premium; the performance is superb (0-62mph takes just over 6.0sec) and it makes the Defender even more effortless to drive – especially if you’re towing heavy loads. 

Another option – and the one to go for if you're a company car driver paying BIK tax – is the P300e plug-in hybrid (PHEV). It’s offered exclusively in the 110 bodystyle, and combines a 2.0-litre petrol engine with an electric motor for official electric range up to 30 miles – real-world, expect around 20 miles. That’s poor next to rivals, including the Range Rover Sport PHEV, which officially can manage nearly 80 miles of electric running. The P330e is brisk, though, hitting 0-62mph in just about seven seconds.  

The pure petrols are a bit niche – mostly they’re all thirsty, 5.0-litre supercharged V8s, so you need to really crave that fruity V8 engine note to be willing to pay the fuel costs. They don’t have the low-end grunt of the diesels, either, but are quick when you rev them out. 

The 419bhp P425 sprints from 0-62mph in under six seconds, as does the 493bhp P500 (exclusive to the massive Defender 130), while the 518bhp P525 (available only with shorter Defender 90) hits 0-62mph in just over five seconds. 

The quickest Defender is the wild Octa, which uses a different 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8. It’s available as a 110 only, and delivers, wait for it… 626bhp, which means a 0-62mph in just 4.0sec. You can read more about that in our Defender Octa review.

Most Defenders can pull up to 3,500kg, but the PHEV is limited to 3,000kg. That’s still an impressive towing weight for a PHEV, mind you. 

Is it agile and is the ride comfortable?

The Defender isn't as plush-riding as the some luxurious SUVs – cars like the Audi Q7 and BMW X7. That said, those are two of the best-riding cars on sale, and the Defender still rides well relative to the wider class. And to maximise its comfort levels, we recommend going for air suspension, which is optional on most 90 and 110 models, and comes as standard on the 130. 

Air suspension is a plus for many reasons, but when it comes to ride, it makes the Defender more supple as well as more controlled (less bouncy) on lumpy roads. It makes life more comfortable in a multi-storey car park, too – but this time ‘more comfortable’ means less embarrassing; you see, air suspension allows you to drop the car’s ride height, so you’re far less likely to get wedged under low-hanging beams. 

There are a couple of other considerations to bear in mind when it comes to ride quality: of the three wheelbases (by which we mean the length between the front and rear wheels), the Defender 110 rides the best (just); and whichever version you go for, it will be smoothest with 19in or 20in alloys – although bigger 22in options don’t ruin the ride completely.

What about handling? Well, again, there are better-handling large SUVs, like the Q7 or BMW X5. Compared with those two, the Defender leans more (less so with air suspension fitted) and has slower steering. But does that mean it handles poorly? No, not at all. The steering might be slow but it’s also accurate and reassuringly weighted, so you can tackle a twisty country road at seven-tenths pace with plenty of confidence.

The short-wheelbase 90 is nimblest, because it’s the lightest and has the tightest turning circle, but every version feels much better to drive on Tarmac than an Ineos Grenadier or Jeep Wrangler.

And speaking of those off-road rivals, what’s the Defender's prowess on the rough stuff? Well, it's not quite as extreme as the Grenadier or Wrangler but it’s still a serious off-roader. It has plenty of ground clearance and wheel articulation, and a host of electronic gizmos, like the Terrain Response system, which gives you default driving modes for different conditions (snow, sand etc). 

Again, we’d recommend the air suspension, and this time because it means you can raise the ride height. With it present, the Defender’s wading depth increases from 850mm to 900mm (the best the Toyota Land Cruiser can manage is a depth of 700mm), and being higher means you’re less likely to scrape the car’s underbelly over rocks. 

Speaking of scraping the underside, the short-wheelbase Defender 90 has the biggest – and best – approach and departure angles (think of those as the angles of a ramp you drive up or down from), and the best breakover angle (that the size of a hump the front and rear wheels can straddle without the middle of the car grounding out). However, even the longer Defender 110 compares favourably to a Land Cruiser when it comes to most of those stats. 

Is it quiet and how easy is it to drive smoothly?

While the Defender looks like it has the aerodynamics of a brick, wind noise at motorway speeds isn't too bad, but there is a bit more gusting around the windscreen and door mirrors than you’ll hear in whisper-quiet cars like the Audi Q7 and BMW X7. There’s very little road noise, though, especially compared with off-roaders like the Ineos Grenadier or Toyota Land Cruiser.

The Defender’s engines are quiet, too. In fact, the straight-six diesels – including our pick, the D250 – are among the smoothest and quietest diesels on sale. Other than a reassuring rumble under hard acceleration you hear very little from them, and barely any annoying vibrations reach the interior. 

On that point, the diesels’ MHEV makes the start-stop system near imperceptible, too. And one thing’s for certain: the Defender’s diesel is a far cry from the rough four-cylinder diesel in the Land Cruiser.  

Any noise a Defender V8 petrol makes is arguably a plus; half the reason people buy them is to hear that off-beat woofle. The four-cylinder petrol in the PHEV doesn’t stir the soul anywhere near as much, but nor does it sound as strained as the Jeep Wrangler’s four-cylinder petrol. It’s also deathly quiet when you’re using the electric range. 

In terms of smoothness, the Defender’s eight-speed automatic gearbox is slippery through the gears and the progressive brakes make it just as easy to stop gently, too. 

"If you plan to take your Defender off-roading you can spec all-terrain tyres. I think most buyers are better off with the regular all-season rubber though." – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

What does the interior look like and is it well made?

What other high-end SUV could get away with leaving exposed screw heads and body-coloured metal showing inside? Not many, we’d wager, but that’s what you see when you step into a Defender. There are some unforgiving materials, too, like the hard plastic strip that runs the width of the dashboard. Despite this, we think it works well in this car.

It gives the Defender a unique look and an air of ruggedness; but, at the same time, none of it feels cheap. What it does feel is solid – as good as any Audi Q7 or BMW X7 – because when you prod and poke the trims they don’t flex.

There’s also a practicality to the design.. While Land Rover isn’t pretending this Defender is as back-to-basics as the original, the door trims and areas of the dashboard that get used a lot are designed to last. 

If you’re keen on a little more luxury, you can spice things up by speccing in soft Windsor leather on the seats, on top of the doors and along the dashboard. You can also get the headlining trimmed in suede. 

Is the driving position comfortable and is it easy to see out?

One of the best things about the Land Rover Defender is its towering driving position, which feels significantly higher than many of its rivals'. It’s also easy to set everything up just how you like it, given that even entry-level S trim has 12-way electrically adjustable front seats, which includes lumbar adjustment, and the steering wheel has lots of rake and reach adjustment. X-Dymanic HSE adds 14-way electric front seat adjustment and an electrically adjustable steering column.

The high-performance Octa version comes with big bucket seats that hold you tightly in place through corners but, in the regular trims, the Defender’s front seats don’t have a huge amount of side support. But that’s fine, because other than the Octa, you don’t tend to drive a Defender hard through corners. It’s more important that the seats feel comfortable to sit on for long journeys, which they do. And it helps that the driver’s seat, steering wheel, and pedals line up, because it makes the seating position feel natural.

The Defender’s high driving position gives you a good view forwards because you can see over the cars in front. And its boxy proportions make it surprisingly easy – bearing in mind the car’s size – to judge where the front corners are when you're threading your way through a car park or a narrow lane. 

It’s less easy to see what’s behind you because the spare wheel is mounted on the tailgate covering the lower half of the rear window. That means you have to rely on the parking assist systems, and thankfully there are many: all models have front and rear parking sensors and a 360-degree camera as standard.

If you pay a bit extra, you can specify the ClearSight rear-view mirror. At the touch of a button it becomes a digital screen that shows a live camera feed from behind the car, allowing you to see what's behind even if the boot is loaded to the roof.

The bright LED headlights offer great vision at night and have auto main beams as standard. Meanwhile, the X-Dynamic HSE trim has Matrix adaptive LED headlights, which can stay on main beams without blinding other road users by creating shadows around the cars in front. 

Are the dashboard and infotainment system easy to use?

The Defender is an exception these days, not only within the Land Rover line-up but next to most of its rivals. Why? Because it comes with loads of chunky physical buttons that are a cinch to use compared with messing around with, say, climate controls on a touchscreen. 

The physical buttons also extend to the steering wheel, and operate a multitude of features like the settings for the digital driver’s display, which is clear and easy to read. 

All versions of the Defender come with a 13.1in infotainment touchscreen. It’s a shame that doesn’t have a physical interface, though – you get a rotary controller to operate the infotainment system in the BMW X5 and X7 – but the screen’s definition is high and the software responds quickly to inputs. 

And while the menus can take a while to get familiar with, we rate the Defender's system as less distracting and easier to use than the infotainment systems in the Toyota Land Cruiser and Volvo XC90.

The infotainment system is well equipped, too. It comes as standard with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, wireless smartphone charging, sat nav, online connectivity, and a Meridian 400-watt stereo with 10 speakers and a subwoofer. The X-Dynamic HSE is upgraded to a Meridian system with 14-speakers and 700 watts.

"The exposed screw heads inside might appear naff to some, but I think they tie in nicely with the Defender's utilitarian-but-still-classy look." – Stuart Milne, Digital Editor

How much space does it have for people?

One of the benefits of designing the Land Rover Defender with a set square is the resulting boxy proportions make it feel airy inside. You’re not hemmed in by sloping rooflines or windscreen pillars that sit too close to you. And it’s a far cry from the cramped interior of the original Defender. 

The current Defender has masses of front head room and leg room is good, too. There is a tad more leg room in a BMW X7 or Volvo XC90, but you’d have to be extremely long in the leg to need that. There’s also plenty of width, with driver and passenger separated by a wide centre console and armrest. 

It’s so wide, in fact, that you can opt to have the centre console swapped for a ‘jump seat’, so you can fit three people side-by-side in the front. Although, for tax reasons, you can’t have the jump seat with the Defender 130, because it would turn it into a nine-seater. 

There’s a huge amount of storage space as well. They include the usual places, like the glove box, door bins, and a big cubby under the centre armrest, which you can option as a mini fridge to keep drinks cool. But there’s also another massive storage area in the front section of the centre console, along with trays that run along the width of the dashboard, which are handy for chucking odds and sods in.

What about the rear seats? Well, the short-wheelbase 90 has a little less second-row rear leg room to stretch out in than the longer 110 and 130, but tall adults will still have plenty of space in the back. Head room is generous in the second row, whichever version you choose, and, again, it’s wide enough to fit three adults abreast with ease. The second-row seats are relatively low to the floor, though, so the seating position isn’t quite as natural as it is in the Audi Q7 and XC90. 

The absence of rear doors makes the 90 a pain to use, though. You have to slide the front seats forward to gain access to the second row, and that makes it a right faff loading kids into child seats.

The five-door 110 is far more family friendly. It comes with five seats as standard, but tick the ‘5 + 2’ option and it’s a seven-seater (or eight-seater with the front jump seat), courtesy of an extra two seats that fold out from the boot floor. On top of the extra seats, it also adds the handy ability to slide and recline the second row seats, so it’s a worthwhile option to have for two reasons. The third-row seats are more suitable for smaller children than adults, though. 

If you’re planning on carrying more than five adults regularly, you’ll need the humungous 130. And the 130 isn’t just better because of its adult-sized, third-row leg room, which is on par with the X7, you also get an extra seat in the middle. That makes the 130 an eight-seater. You can still configure it as a seven-seater if you want, though; doing so drops the middle-row bench seats and replaces them with two individual captain’s chairs instead.  

It’s worth noting that the seven-seater option isn't available with the PHEV.

How much room does it have for luggage?

Steer clear of the three-door Defender 90 unless you like to pack light – the boot’s so short that you’ll find more luggage space in some small cars. 

The 110 is more sensible, with space for seven carry-on suitcases below the load cover. That’s a useful number – more than you’ll cram into a Jeep Wrangler’s boot – but it’s still not great. We got more cases in road-biased rivals, like the Audi Q7 and Volvo XC90, and when it comes to proper off-roaders, the Toyota Land Cruiser fits nine cases and the Ineos Grenadier swallows 10. So if you love the Defender and love to shop, buy the 130, which has a considerably bigger loadbay.

The 130 has a usefully sized boot even when its third-row seats are being used; the 110’s boot, however, is tiny when the third-row seats are in play. All of the seven-seat Defender’s lose the small amount of under-floor boot storage that’s available with the five-seat models. 

The other thing to point out is the practicality of the Defender’s side-hinged tailgate. You need a massive gap between the back of the Defender and what’s behind to be able to swing the tailgate open fully. In fairness, the same problem affects the Mercedes G-Class and, to some extent, the Grenadier, but rivals with top-hinged tailgates, such as the Land Cruiser, are much easier to use. The BMW X5 and X7 have a split tailgate: the top half opens upwards and the lower part drops down, which is even better. 

When it comes to seating flexibility, the Defender comes with 40/20/40 split-folding second-row seats with the five-seat 90 and 110. If you have the seven-seat 110 or 130, then the second-row splits 60/40, but, as we mentioned earlier, the middle row gains the useful ability to slide and recline. 

"It’s great there's no lip at the boot entrance, and the tough anti-slip floor of the load bay should stand up to more abuse than carpet, but thin fabric clip-on load cover is a bit naff." – Dan Jones, Reviewer

How much does it cost and what equipment do you get?

The cheapest Land Rover Defender is the shorter 90, but that doesn’t make it cheap. You see, the most basic 90 will cost you considerably more than an entry-level Audi Q5, BMW X3 or Volvo XC60, which are far more practical cars. 

So if you’re going to buy a Defender, you’re much better off going for the 110. You get the practicality of five doors, a sensible boot, and the 110’s starting price looks far more reasonable compared with the competition. It’ll cost you roughly the same as the equivalent Volvo XC90, and it’s a few thousand pounds cheaper than the entry-level Ineos Grenadier and Audi Q7. It’s a bit cheaper than the Land Rover Discovery, too. 

The Defender 130’s extra space and practicality commands a hefty premium over an equivalent 110, partly because you can only have it in a relatively high spec with the more powerful engines. It’s not far off the price of the more luxurious BMW X7 – although the X7’s nowhere near as capable off road.

While we're on the subject of engines, we ran a Defender 110 D350 over 4,000 miles and averaged around 29mpg, and our preferred engine, the D250, is only marginally more frugal. You won’t average much more from a Q7 diesel, though, and of the Defender range, it’s the diesels that deliver by far the best economy for private buyers. The PHEV can potentially return good fuel economy, but only if you did most of your miles using the battery and recharge it on a cheap tariff. If you’re considering a V8 petrol, the only time you’ll see it return good mpg is when it’s parked in the garage with the engine off.  

But the P300e PHEV is the best option for a company car user, because it offers the cheapest BIK tax. But its mediocre electric range means it's not as tax-friendly as many rival PHEVs, including the BMW X5 and even the in-house Range Rover Sport plug-in.

If you’re buying on PCP finance, check what manufacturer incentives are available when you are ready to purchase. Often 0% finance or a big deposit contribution can swing the balance hugely. The Defender does hold its value well, which helps keep its PCP finance payments competitive.  

Even though the Defender can appear pricier than some of the competition, it’s worth bearing in mind that it comes with a lot of standard kit. Even the entry-level S trim has 19in alloy wheels, power-folding door mirrors, auto-dimming mirrors, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry, heated front seats, and adaptive cruise control. And we’ve already mentioned other bits that are standard, including the visibility and parking aids, infotainment features, and 12-way electrically operated front seats. 

If you want more standard kit and additional styling accoutrements, we wouldn't try to talk you out of buying the X-Dynamic SE or X-Dynamic HSE. However, if you go higher up the trim ladder the Defender becomes decidedly pricey. Once you're paying X7 money it starts to become much less recommendable.

We’d definitely suggest a couple of options to maximise the Defender’s usability: air suspension and the ‘5+2’ third-row seats (if you’re buying the Defender 110).

Is it reliable, and how long is the warranty?

This isn’t traditionally an area of strength for Land Rover. Indeed, the brand came a lowly 26th out of 30 manufacturers in our 2026 What Car? Reliability Survey – well below its main competitors.

However, the Defender (as a model) bucked the trend, proving much more reliable than other Land Rover products – last year it was our second-most-reliable premium SUV. That may be explained by the fact that the Defender is made in a different factory, and in a different country (Slovakia), to most Land Rover products.

All Land Rover models come with a three-year, unlimited mileage warranty – although this can be extended for a cost.

How safe is it, and is it easy to steal?

Euro NCAP awarded the Defender five stars (out of five) for safety. If you drill down into the individual categories, it doesn't score as highly as the Audi Q7 for adult or child protection, but the margins aren't huge.

And at least the Defender has been appraised by Euro NCAP: the Ineos Grenadier and Toyota Land Cruiser haven't been tested yet. 

All trim levels come with plenty of safety aids designed to prevent you from having an accident. They include lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot monitoring, traffic-sign recognition and automatic emergency braking (AEB), which can recognise pedestrians and cyclists. 

And all trims come with a standard alarm and immobiliser as standard, but it’s worthwhile investing in a faraday pouch for the key. That’s because there have been many cases of Land Rovers (and other keyless-entry cars) being stolen from driveways, with thieves picking up the keyless signal from a fob placed near the front door.  

"The Defender will likely prove cheaper to own over three years than either the Ineos Grenadier or Toyota Land Cruiser, mainly because it's predicted to hold on to its value incredibly well." – Darren Moss, Deputy Digital Editor

Buy it if...

– You need to go off the beaten track from time to time

– You need to carry more than five adults (the 130)

– You want a smooth and punchy diesel engine 

Don't buy it if...

– You're looking for sporty handling

– You want the best fuel economy

– You're a company car driver looking save on tax

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