Land Rover Defender 90 V8 review

Words by:
Tim Barnes-Clay
Featured in:
October 2024

The latest Defender is not just a vehicle, it’s a statement. The Land Rover symbolises strength and excitement with its timeless silhouette and purposeful engineering.

Its fusion of ingenuity, capability, and safety makes the Defender an ideal companion for those passionate about exploration.

The Defender is all about lifestyle. Its stripped-back design pays homage to the original model, offering a user-friendly and technologically advanced space. The vehicle’s innovative features, including ample storage options and user-friendly controls, ensure that the Defender caters to your needs, no matter how unique they may be.

One of the most captivating additions to the Defender lineup is the V8 variant, featuring a powerful 5.0-litre supercharged engine. This model represents hardcore performance, offering speed, muscle, and capability.

The Defender V8’s exterior enhancements exude high-octane charisma, with bespoke badging, quad rear exhausts, and 22-inch alloy wheels. With striking details such as Xenon Blue brake callipers and 20-inch brakes, the V8 provides an exhilarating and secure driving experience. Sure, it’s a heavy lump, but the Defender’s strong structure provides the foundations for its cutting-edge, all-independent chassis.

The inclusion of air suspension transforms the vehicle’s handling on the tarmac and aids its all-terrain competence. The model’s off-the-beaten-track prowess is further underscored by its mechanical underpinnings, including all-wheel drive, a twin-speed automatic gearbox, and an optional active locking rear differential.

The configurable terrain response system allows you to adjust individual vehicle settings, or you can rely on it to select the most appropriate mode automatically. Additionally, Land Rover’s advanced ground view technology provides a comprehensive view of what’s ahead of the front wheels.

So, if you haven’t gathered by now, the V8 offers the ultimate combination of power and capability. It provides blistering performance, making it the fastest-production Land Rover Defender ever made. The Defender 90 V8 boasts impressive acceleration from zero to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds, and on to a top speed of 149mph. All this clout and capability will impress any car connoisseur – it certainly put a grin on my face!

The redesigned Defender excels in its category – and to be fair, you’d expect this for a car costing over £106,000. But, in my mind, Land Rover goes the extra mile because it’s kept the spirit of the original Defender alive, more than meeting expectations in the premium vehicle market.



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