2025 Land Rover Defender Review

This year, the new Defender Octa type with the longest range will come out. The saying comes from the idea of a diamond, which it refers to because diamonds are the hardest naturally occurring substance on Earth and have eight sides. The Defender has a twin-turbo V-8 engine and an adjustable air spring suspension system with hydraulically linked dampers. This system is called Rover 6D Dynamics. The company that made it says it is the best Defender ever, with comfortable off-road handling and a luxurious interior that you’d find in a full-size Range Rover.

Pros

• Tough yet sophisticated driving performance.
• A wide range of configurations available.
• Distinctive exterior and interior design.

Cons

• Vestigial third-row seat.
• Fuel economy is lacking.
• Software issues with our tester.

An eight-speed automatic gearbox and a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 296 horsepower make up the Defender’s base powertrain. Of course, all of the types in the catalog come with four-wheel drive and locking differentials. It also comes with a 3.0-liter inline-six engine that makes 395 horsepower. It has an electric supercharger, a turbocharger, and a 48-volt hybrid engine. The 518-hp supercharged V-8 engine is the best choice if you need more speed. In our tests, a Defender 90 with a V-8 engine went from 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds. The twin-turbo V-8 engine that will be in the next Defender Octa flagship is at the top of the powertrain list. Even though we don’t have much information, the Octa will have the same 626-hp twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 engine as the improved Range Rover Sport SV. The modern Defender is built on a unibody base instead of solid axles and has a fully independent suspension system. The original Defender was built with a body on a frame. While air suspension lets you change the ride height, coil springs are what most cars come with. The manufacturer’s “6D Dynamics” hydraulically linked damper arrangement means that the new Octa trim doesn’t need standard anti-roll bars. The Defender is better than the Jeep Wrangler in terms of both the highest ground clearance and wading ability. It has 11.5 inches of ground clearance and can cross 35 inches of water.

Out of all the driver-assistance technologies out there, the Rover has a number of systems that are designed to help with off-roading and towing. Visit the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) webpages to learn more about the Defender’s crash test scores. Some important safety factors are:

• Most automatic emergency brakes detect road users.
• Normal lane exit alarm that helps you stay in your lane.
• You can get adaptive speed control.

The Defender’s interior is both stylish and useful, with just the right amount of styling cues from other Land Rover cars to appeal to brand fans. The door panels look strong because they have visible nails, and the full-width magnesium beam on the dashboard is both structural and aesthetically pleasing. Under the infotainment screen, the climate control system and drive mode buttons and switches are housed in a trapezoidal expansion of the dashboard. This center stack has a shift lever and ignition switch instead of a center panel. The center consoles in some types can be slid back to make a jump seat for the driver and passenger, like a three-across bench in some full-size pickup trucks. The 90 and 110 models only have a little space for bags behind the back seat, but it’s about the same as other off-road cars like the Wrangler. You can fold down the back seats to make the trunk space much bigger, but if you need to move people and things, you should look for a bigger Land Rover Discovery or a roof-top freight truck. In the longer 130 models, the third row can be folded down to make more space for goods, but when it’s not in use, it leaves little room for things. If you don’t need the third row, the 130 Outbound is a good option because it doesn’t have a back seat at all, which makes it easier to carry things.

Interestingly, all Defender models have similar EPA fuel economy numbers, no matter what engine they have. The 90 with four cylinders gets 18 mpg in the city and 21 mpg on the highway. If you switch to the six-cylinder engine, the 90’s speed rating goes up to 23 mpg, but its city rating goes down to 17 mpg. The long-wheelbase 130’s six-cylinder engine gets 17 mpg in the city and 21 mpg on the highway. The 110’s six-cylinder engine gets the same gas mileage as the 90’s. The V-8 version of the 110 gets 14 mpg in the city and 19 mpg on the highway. The V-8 version of the 90 gets 15 mpg in the city and 19 mpg on the highway. On our highway fuel-economy test route going 75 mph, a Defender 110X with the extra six-cylinder engine got a terrible 18 mpg, and the 130 Outbound barely made it to 19 mpg.

For the Defender’s 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a bigger 11.4-inch screen is offered. This system is run by a new Land Rover interface called Pivi Pro. The Defender’s Touch Pro Duo interface has one touchscreen instead of two, responds faster, and can get software patches for new versions over-the-air. This makes it different from the other Land Rovers in the line. Along with an in-dash navigation system, a six-speaker music system, and an onboard Wi-Fi hotspot, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come as standard. High-end Defender buyers can pick between 10 and 14-speaker Meridian sound systems, as well as a digital gauge panel and a head-up display.

We tried a 130 Outbound with a long wheelbase and a 395-horsepower inline-six engine. It took 6.2 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph. We tried a Defender 90 with 518 hp and a supercharged V-8 engine. It went from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.4 seconds. The new 2025 Defender Octa should be even faster because it has a more powerful twin-turbo V-8 engine. Official power numbers are unknown, but Land Rover says it will be the most powerful Defender in the range.

We’re interested in the new Octa trim, but since it’s the top model, its price will almost certainly be as high as a Range Rover, which could hurt the sales of a few other luxury SUV makers. The two-door 90 has its draw, but the 110 ES is the best combination of classic style, elegance, and pure performance. The Defender works best when you don’t make a fuss about it. The SE model has 19-inch metal wheels, a digital gauge display, and front seats that can be adjusted in 12 different ways. The headlights also automatically turn on high beams. Land Rover also lets you customize your Defender in many ways, including with accessory sets that have their themes. This makes it easy to make even the most basic Defender your own.