Pros

• Strong off-road capabilities
• Customization options abound.
• Off-road capability and cutting-edge safety features
• An off-road SUV with a smooth ride.

Cons

• Options may be costly.
• The heavy back hatch door swings wide toward the curb.

The driving style of the Defender. Off-road performance is frequently sacrificed at the expense of precision steering and on-road handling. But that is not the case here. The Defender boasts a smooth transmission that generates unnoticeable gear changes regularly and operates just like a high-end SUV should. The brakes are simple to use for controlled stops in and around town.

We measured the Defender 90’s 0-60 mph sprint in 6.2 seconds, and the Defender 110’s in 6.7 seconds when it had an inline six-cylinder engine. That’s quick for an SUV meant for off-roading. With 395 horsepower, you should expect more. The two-door 90 and four-door 110 Defenders we tested weighed 5,207 pounds and 5,571 pounds, respectively.

How comfortable is the Defender? The Defender rides with the refinement you’d expect from a luxury-priced Land Rover. The cabin remains relatively quiet and vibration-free even when equipped with the optional 20-inch wheels and all-terrain tires. The ride quality of our test vehicle felt stiff while handling potholes and other road imperfections, but this was most likely owing to the larger, heavier wheels (18-inch wheels are standard).

The driver’s seat has a plethora of adjustability options. Heating and ventilation are optional. The climate control system can keep things comfortable, but you may need to alter the vents and select a lower target temperature to achieve the necessary airflow.

How is the interior? The Defender’s massive second row and lofty canopy make the cabin feel immensely roomy. It’s worth noting that the passenger capacity is the same whether you choose the 110 or the 90. While there is plenty of headroom, legroom, and shoulder room, some drivers may find that the steering column blocks their knees when they climb inside. The front centre jump seat is not recommended because it is ineffective and consumes a lot of otherwise usable storage space.

The height-adjustable air suspension, several grasp grips, and roomy doors make access easy in the 110, but most people may need help to climb into the back of the two-door car.

There are some interior controls with steep learning curves. The climate control dials, for example, also serve as drive mode selectors and seat heating/ventilation controls. If they were touchscreen controls, they would be much easier to use and understand. Because of the expansive windows and strategically positioned mirrors, outside visibility is never an issue, and the cabin is quieter than we’d expect in an off-road vehicle.

How is technology? The available digital gauge cluster and giant entertainment touchscreen are visually appealing and often respond quickly to inputs. The native voice command method produced mixed results in our experiments. We could easily switch audio channels using natural language, but it couldn’t understand simple navigational requests. Fortunately, both conventional Android Auto and Apple CarPlay offer voice controls from your smartphone. Various connectivity options are available, including several USB ports and wireless charging.

The surround-view camera system provides a comprehensive view of any approaching barrier and is one of the best driving aids for parking lots and off-road driving. Adaptive cruise control is also enjoyable and allows for easy speed adjustments as needed.

What about the storage situation? The four-door Defender has ample storage space (34 cubic feet) when the back seats are up or down for optimal storage capability. Because of their weight, rear seats may be difficult to reinstall. Everything changes if you choose the shorter 90. More than half of the available cargo space is lost, and removing the bottom seat cushion to fold the rear seat backs is a considerable hassle. If you need to transport items, avoid the 90.

The Defender’s air suspension allows you to adjust the ride height from the cargo area, making it significantly easier to load bulky items. Unlike most SUVs, the Defender has a swing-out tailgate rather than a liftgate. The way it swings toward the curb may appeal to some because it may make access more difficult. It is pretty hefty due to the spare tire added.

The Defender has multi level storage in the centre console and long shelving for the front seats. Although there are various places to store little items, they need to be more significant to hold a medium-sized handbag. Because of the vast size of the second row in the 110, installing a car seat is simple, but finding a location by the front pass-through will be challenging in the 90. However, once there, access to the attachment sites is reasonable.

The Defender can tow up to 8,200 pounds with the optional tow package. On the other hand, a trailer brake controller is absent, and you’ll need one to help manage and regulate the brakes on a large trailer.

How efficiently does it consume fuel? The Defender 110 and 90’s 3.0-liter turbo six-cylinder engine produces an EPA-estimated 20 mpg combined. This is more than most off-road SUVs, including the more expensive Mercedes-Benz G-Class, Toyota Land Cruiser, and 4Runner. The Jeep Wrangler boasts higher figures with the majority of its engines.

Is it a decent deal, The Defender? The Defender has a reasonable starting price in the mid-$50,000 area. When properly equipped, it blends off-road capability with on-road comfort in a way that justifies paying a premium over vehicles such as the Jeep Wrangler or Toyota 4Runner. It is less expensive than the Toyota Land Cruiser, even when fully loaded.

Unfortunately, our test vehicle had several misplaced body pieces and some interior sounds. The interior materials already showed signs of wear, scratches, and stains, so they didn’t appear worth the $72,000 as-tested price. A Defender should be able to withstand the kind of abuse that our test vehicle endured due to its early build.

The Defender places a premium on individuality, and the redesign does a good job of keeping the character’s core ideals intact. The front end is still a little soft, and the fake diamond-plated metal in the form of optional plastic pieces on the hood make us chuckle. It looks great from almost any angle. We’d prefer it if it were tougher.

The Defender is a pleasure to drive on and off the pavement. Although the electronic controls are top notch, we still prefer to manually engage the diff locks and low range. It’s hard to argue against how ingenious the Defender’s strategy is.

In order to fully exploit the Land Rover Defender’s competitive edge, we advise putting the X trim level’s off-road prowess to good use. The height-adjustable adaptive air suspension is a superb off-road feature that also improves the vehicle’s ride quality on paved roads.

Forms of the Land Rover Defender

The 2024 Land Rover Defender comes in three different configurations. The Defender 130 has a longer wheelbase, the Defender 110 has four doors and two rows of seating, and the Defender 90 is the smallest two-door type. The new Defender 130 Outbound eliminates the third row to make significant improvements in cargo space. Both the Defender 90 and 110 provide optional third-row seating with two chairs, while the Defender 110 also offers an additional front jump seat.

S, SE (only 110), X-Dynamic SE, X (only 110 and 130), and V8 are the available trim levels. The V8 trim was formerly only offered on the 90 and 110, but now both of those models can be had with a newer, less powerful V8 engine.

There are five different motor options, each optimised for a certain trim level. Standard on both the Defender 90 and 110 is the 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged P300. It has a two-speed transfer case with low-range gearing and an eight-speed automatic transmission that sends power to all four wheels. The engine makes 296 hp and 295 lb-ft. A 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder mild hybrid engine producing 296 hp and 347 lb-ft of torque is designated as the P300 in the Defender 130.

The P400, the middle-range option, utilises a more potent version of this engine (395 hp, 406 lb-ft) and is offered in all body styles. The 110 and 130 now include the P500, a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 (493 hp, 450 lb-ft). The 90 and 110 can be equipped with the top-tier P525 (518 hp, 461 lb-ft). It has, however, been slightly detuned.