Is 525 horsepower of V8 goodness enough to convince Land Rover fans of the new Defender?
Ever since the Land Rover Defender debuted as a slick and modernised unibody SUV, fans have sort of taken stabs at it. While Land Rover haven’t really (and probably won’t) address the issue of it being a lot more complex and premium than the Classic Defender, they’ve given it a new engine, more trim options and better equipment to increase its appeal anyway.
New Defender V8 Option
Prior to this, the new Land Rover Defender was only available with either 2-litre inline 4 and 3-litre inline 6 motors. These could be either with turbocharged petrol or turbocharged diesel power, with mild hybrid configurations available.
Now they’ve added a 5.0L Supercharged V8 petrol motor in a variant simply called Land Rover Defender V8 that’s available on both the 3-door Defender 90 and the 5-door Defender 110.
The new engine option is tuned to produce 525 horsepower and 625Nm of torque and sends this power through an 8-speed ZF automatic to drive all four wheels. 0-100km/h takes just 5.2 seconds and it has a top speed of 240km/h.
Here’s what else Land Rover have added specifically to the Defender V8 models:
Mechanical Enhancements
- unique suspension (spring and damper rate) with Continuously Variable Damping
- unique transmission tuning with Yaw Controller
- new Electronic Active Rear Differential
- new Dynamic mode within the Terrain Response system
- larger-diameter and solid anti-roll bars
Exterior Enhancements
- bespoke exterior badging
- quad exhausts with distinctive tailpipes
- unique 22-inch alloy wheels with a Satin Dark Grey finish
- Xenon Blue brake callipers in front
- Three colours – Carpathian Grey, Yulong White and Santorini Black
- Contrasting Narvik Black roof for Carpathian Grey and Yulong White body colours
- Shadow Atlas exterior detailing
Interior Enhancements
- Seats trimmed in unique Ebony Windsor Leather with Dinamica® and Robustec accents
- Exposed Cross Car Beam in Satin Black finish
- Four-spoke steering wheel in Alcantara rim
- Satin chrome gearshift paddles
- Leather airbag housing covers
- Leather gear lever cover
- illuminated treadplates with “V8” script
Additionally, Land Rover are bringing the following changes to the Defender:
- Optional 11.4″ touchscreen display
- Optional wireless charger with integrated signal booster
- Carpathian Edition (Flagship variant of Defender)
- XS Edition (replaces First Edition)
- New Exterior packs
Here’s the press release with more on those new Defender editions and packs.
PRESS RELEASE
Defender V8 Carpathian Edition
The exclusive new Defender V8 Carpathian Edition is the ultimate expression of performance, durability and design, and represents the very pinnacle of the Defender range. Finished exclusively in Carpathian Grey, it is distinguished by a Narvik Black contrast roof, bonnet and, for the first time on New Defender, taildoor. Additional visual highlights include Satin Black towing eyes and distinctive Xenon Blue front brake calipers.
The unique exterior is finished with Land Rover’s Satin Protective Film. The PU-based wrap is applied to external bodywork giving the 4×4 a contemporary semi-matte finish that also protects against everything from car park scratches to off-road bramble rash.
Inside, the Defender V8 Carpathian Edition features the same upgrades as the V8, with seats finished in Ebony Windsor leather with Dinamica suedecloth and Robustec accents, an Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel and illuminated treadplates.
Defender XS Edition
The new XS Edition replaces the hugely successful First Edition. Positioned above the SE models, it features a unique exterior and interior treatment and is available in both 90 and 110 body designs.
Externally, the XS Edition is identified by its bespoke body-coloured lower cladding and lower wheel arches, and distinctive 20-inch, contrast Satin Grey with diamond turned wheel. A choice of four exterior colour options is available: Silicon Silver, Hakuba Silver, Gondwana Stone and Santorini Black.
Inside, the XS Edition’s 12-way, heated and electric memory seats are finished in an optional Khaki Grained Leather, while the Cross Car Beam has a Light Grey powder coat brushed finish.
Comprehensive standard specification includes Electronic Air Suspension, Adaptive Dynamics and Configurable Terrain Response. In addition, the XS Edition benefits from Matrix LED headlights with signature DRL, ClearSight interior Rear View camera technology and the state-of-the-art Pivi Pro infotainment system with 11speaker Meridian sound system.
The XS Edition is available with a choice of powerful and efficient powertrains, including the P400 MHEV petrol, P400e Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) and D250 Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle (MHEV) diesel.
Greater personalisation with new Exterior Packs
Customers can now choose from three new exterior design packs. The Bright Pack, Extended Bright Pack and Extended Black Pack further extend the personalisation potential of New Defender. Available on all Defender models, the Bright Pack features a Noble Chrome finish for the front and rear skid plates, plus a Noble Chrome Grille bar and badging. The Extended Bright Pack adds Ceres Silver to the lower body cladding and wheel arches. Defender X, Defender X-Dynamic and Defender V8 customers can select the new Extended Black Pack. It provides a Gloss Black finish for the front and rear skid plates, grille bar, bonnet chequer finisher, mirror caps, badging, lower body cladding and wheel arches for a stealthy and purposeful appearance.
