Go away it to Land Rover to maintain the supercharged V8 alive. The place else would you discover a fiery off-roading SUV with the calm and picked up highway manners of a Mercedes? Pair the Defender with an air suspension, two-speed switch case, locking differentials, and a spare tire mounted on the rear, and also you’ve obtained a Landie that stands head and shoulders above the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler. Moreover, our Defender 130 check automobile with mud flaps, black accents, and heavy-duty working boards could possibly be the final word spec for city driving.
The Defender just isn’t as ostentatious as a G-Wagon however not as aged or agricultural as an Ineos Grenadier. There’s geometric muscle in its visible type very similar to the resurrected Toyota Land Cruiser, however its mushy shoulders and bodylines make it seem like a caricature of its former self. Carpathian Gray compliments the elevated silhouette and is a standout paint by itself, however ours was wrapped in a factory-installed matte protecting movie that prices $5,220, cheaper than the precise matte paints that Land Rover usually expenses. The wrap just isn’t as visually sharp and it doesn’t prolong to the sides of the bodywork, however stone chips and scratches might be simpler to repair.
Paired with the driver-side air scoop and a contrasting, non-matte, Narvik Black hood, there’s sinister curb attraction right here. It’s a disgrace that solely three slightly boring paint colors are provided on this V8 mannequin: Fuji White, Carpathian Gray or Santorini Black. Then once more, a shiny yellow Defender doesn’t sound all that interesting and darker colors cheekily disguise the additional 340mm of physique size the 130 is packing within the rear.
In worth, the Defender is slowly creeping up into previous-gen Vary Rover territory. This Defender 130 V8 begins at $143,900 and rings up over $150,000 with choices, of which there are loads. Nevertheless it’s additionally one of many few remaining JLR merchandise that also make the most of the P500 powertrain, and it’s value celebrating.
This unit pairs a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 with an 8-speed automated, and it has been beforehand utilized to every part from the Jaguar F-Kind R to the last-gen Vary Rover Sport SVR. Within the Defender, it produces 493 hp and 461 lb-ft of torque and can dash from 0-100 km/h in 5.7 seconds. The opposite horses within the Land Rover steady just like the Vary Rover and Defender Octa make the most of the BMW-sourced 4.4L twinturbo V8 as a substitute.
The V8 makes quick work of this heavy Defender, permitting it to really feel agile and lightweight on its toes the second you feather the gasoline pedal. You’ll count on it to really feel sluggish and breathless off the road, however that supercharger offers close to immediate energy supply and the thrust is as addictive as it’s loud. In operation, the V8 rips and roars like a basic engine that has been stuffed into a contemporary machine. You’ll be able to’t hear a lot of the supercharger whine from the well-insulated cabin however you may when you roll the home windows down.
We discovered ourselves using the paddle shifters not solely to maintain the revs excessive and the exhaust barking, but additionally for the sake of feeling the metallic clicks they supply. The shifters have interaction and transfer with goal, really feel costly, and make you are feeling such as you’re in a sports activities automotive, as these really feel extra premium than the plastic examples within the BMW M5 and Audi R8. The one shifters that outshine these are from Alfa Romeo and Maserati.
The V8 gives brawn and muscle however at the price of thirst. We averaged a poor 16.9 L/100km with a mixture of metropolis and freeway driving, however that’s anticipated. These involved about effectivity will discover solace with the P400 inline-six engine as a substitute, which is well-suited to this rig and offers greater than sufficient thrust and suggestions to deem a nice highway companion. Having a V8 is simply the cherry on high, isn’t it? In addition to, you gained’t discover one other supercharged V8 outdoors of Land Rover and Jaguar nowadays. They’re a dying breed within the face of tightening emission rules.
Outfitted with a typical four-wheel drive system, a two-speed switch case, locking differentials, and an adaptive air suspension, the 130 just isn’t solely off-road succesful however rides very properly on suburban roads. It articulates with agility at low speeds, wafts with an analogous stage of journey consolation as a Vary Rover Sport, and neutralizes highway oscillations higher than any pick-up truck available on the market due to its impartial suspension and unibody development. Physique roll is successfully stored in verify and whereas there’s apparent leaning and unwieldiness while you enter a nook at velocity, the fast steering rack makes it simple to regulate and navigate by way of tight areas. We didn’t discover it any harder to drive than the 110, although, for an SUV of this dimension, we wouldn’t thoughts some rear-wheel steering to shrink down its maneuverable footprint.
The inside adopts a brand new heart console format for 2025. Gone is the passthrough underneath the middle console, changed by door pockets to slip in paper materials or small objects. There’s now a sliding cowl that exposes the under-storage cubby, making for a tidier and neater format that retains your belongings from flying in regards to the inside. The wi-fi charging pad is slanted now too for simpler entry. It seems Land Rover took buyer suggestions critically.
We tremendously respect the rubber-padded storage areas, just like the areas beside the driving force’s show, behind the touchscreen, and all the passenger-side sprint. The fridge compartment within the heart console is useful for holding drinks chilled in the summertime too, nevertheless it’s not nice at chilling them from a heat or sizzling state. The winged headrests make for a comfy driving place, and the heated seats are the most well liked (actually) available on the market, retaining and persevering with to warmth for hours on finish, and gained’t cut back the warmth after a sure interval like in BMWs or Mercs. The steering wheel buttons aren’t haptic contact sensors both, so the buttons emit a constructive click on and really feel extra constructive and ergonomic to make use of.
Ingress into the third row of seats isn’t troublesome. With the pull of a lever, the second row of seats will slide ahead for a large entry portal, with steps on the ground to stop slipping. As soon as located inside, there’s greater than sufficient leg and headroom for my six-foot determine, although seat width for 3 adults is a decent squeeze. Kids or small adults shouldn’t have an issue, and they’re going to even take pleasure in their very own armrests, cupholders, and USB charging ports.
The one situation we’ve is that when all three rows of seats are up and occupied, there’s little or no trunk house obtainable. Swing open the side-hinged tailgate and you’ll find a restricted compartment – simply sufficient to stow two upright carry-on suitcases. This may be remedied by folding the third row down, nonetheless they gained’t be flush and flat with the ground. Land Rover doesn’t provide an optionally available three-seater front-row bench anymore for any of the Defender fashions.
The Defender is a contemporary remake of an off-roading icon with dust, sand, and gravel baked into each line of code. Checking all of the bins for a cushty, practical, and glitzy highway warrior, you would need to spend much more cash to surpass this stage of consolation. Its off-roading capabilities are listed on the second web page of the resume however its charming V8, supple journey, and inimitable allure are entrance web page information worthy of a subscription.
Specs:
Mannequin: 2025 Land Rover Defender 130 V8
Paint Kind: Carpathian Gray (with manufacturing unit matte safety movie)
Base Worth: $143,900
Worth as Examined: $152,800
Wheelbase(mm): 3,022
Size/Width/Peak (mm): 5,099 (w/out spare wheel) / 2,008 / 1,970
Curb weight (kg): 2,658
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8 (P500)
Horsepower: 493 hp @ 6,000 – 6,500
Torque: 461 lb-ft @ 2,500 – 5,500
Transmission: 8-speed automated
Engine & Drive Configuration: Entrance engine, 4WD
Noticed Gas Consumption (L/100km): 16.9
Tires: Continental CrossContact RX; 275/45R22
