√2023 Land Rover Defender V8 110 P525 review
This is the prestige performance flagship of Land Rover’s 21st-century Defender range, and it lives up to the hype in every way that matters, as Glenn Butler discovers.
2023 Land Rover Defender 110 P525
Land Rover is a brand forged beyond the bitumen. Since the first Land Rover was produced in 1948 until the late 1990s, Land Rovers were utilitarian beasts designed to drive anywhere across (almost) any terrain.
In fact, this hard-working English icon was instrumental in carving roads from the desert across Australia in the 1950s and ’60s in the hands of Australian Outback legend Len Beadell.
Land Rover’s vehicle range has expanded considerably in the last three decades and moved upmarket. The company’s fundamentals of off-road prowess and prestige have remained a constant.
Land Rover offers three families of vehicles in Australia. The luxury Range Rover family is probably the best known, consisting of the Evoque small SUV, the Velar mid-size SUV, the Sport large SUV, and the eponymous Range Rover upper-large luxury SUV.
Below that, in price if not size, is the Discovery family, which kicks off with the Discovery Sport mid-size SUV and tops out with the Discovery large SUV.
However, it’s the third family that is arguably the ‘true’ Land Rover, tracing its roots back to the 1948 Land Rover Series 1. The Defender family is not as popular with consumers as the Range Rover and Discovery families. It’s usually the hardcore brand fans that gravitate towards this ultra-utilitarian workhorse, drawn by its charm and character.
That is changing since the arrival of the all-new Land Rover Defender in 2020, which promises to stay true to the original’s honest and hardworking origins but has stepped up significantly in all other aspects.
How much does the Land Rover Defender cost in Australia?
The Land Rover Defender large four-wheel-drive SUV is available with a range of petrol and diesel engines, in three-door (called the Defender 90), five-door (called the Defender 110), and extended five-door, eight-seat (Defender 130) wagon body styles. Prices start at just shy of $90,000 on-road and stretch to more than $250K for the most powerful and most luxurious variant.
The Defender’s nearest rivals at the cheaper end are probably a cross-section of vehicles from the ute-based Ford Everest and Isuzu MU-X, to touring 4x4s including the Toyota LandCruiser and Nissan Patrol. At the upper end of its price range, the Defender squares off against the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, another off-road beast with utilitarian origins that has enjoyed a luxury rebirth in recent years.
Drive has tested many Defender variants since it relaunched locally in 2020, all of which you can read here.
The task of reviewing the flagship variant has fallen to me, perhaps as a reward for waiting the longest? In fact, it has been four years since I attended the Defender’s global unveiling at the Frankfurt Auto Show in 2019.
Patience pays off after all!
The Land Rover Defender 110 P525 starts at $254,203 drive-away in Victoria – prices in other states may differ slightly. It is a five-door wagon with a petrol-powered supercharged V8 engine producing 386kW of power, which is 525hp in the metric measurement, which explains the P525 name.
| Key details | 2023 Land Rover Defender 110 P525 |
| Price | $220,530 plus on-road costs |
| Colour of test car | Santorini Black |
| Options | Front undershield – $1037 Intrusion sensor – $1001 WiFi enabled w/ data plan – $600 Loadspace storage rails – $230 |
| Price as tested | $223,398 plus on-road costs |
| Drive-away price | $256,284 |
| Rivals | Mercedes-Benz G-Class |
How much space does the Land Rover Defender have inside?
Back in the old days, the Defender 90 was called ‘90’ because it sat on a 90-inch wheelbase. The Defender 110 sat on a stretched 110-inch wheelbase to accommodate a second row of seats and doors.
These days, the Defender 110 actually sits on a 119-inch wheelbase, so there’s no longer an authentic link to the original. The numerical accuracy may have gone, but the heritage naming has stuck.
Speaking of heritage, the exterior design is something of an homage to the original Land Rover, which wasn’t actually called Defender until the early 1980s. Before then it was simply “The Land Rover”.
The original’s boxy overall shape remains, but designers under the direction of Jaguar Land Rover Design boss Gerry McGovern have reinterpreted it for the modern era.
The Defender P525’s interior is both utilitarian and luxurious, which befits a car with this heritage and at this price.
Our test car came with a combination leather and premium steelcut textile that Land Rover claims is more durable. The front seats and steering wheel all adjust electrically to suit various driving positions and have three memory settings for different drivers.
That steering wheel, by the way, is wrapped in Alcantara instead of leather. This adds a unique ‘feel’ to driving the P525, which is at once race-car-like and a touch off-roady. Sorry, I know off-roady is not a word, but I hope you get my meaning. It’s a nice touch, just don’t drive while eating Macca’s or anything else saucy.
There are some thoughtful touches throughout the cabin like loads of little storage nooks and cubbies, including a chilled centre bin under the armrest to keep your water bottle cool.
There are also some clever touches, like the air-conditioning dial that also functions as a driving mode selector.
The touchpad on the steering wheel has similar versatility, providing control of the audio system or changing the driver’s instrument cluster. On that point, adjusting settings in the otherwise high-quality instrument binnacle is a counter-intuitive and forgettable affair. It’s simply not as easy or as elegant as pretty much every other system inside this vehicle.
Jumping into the back seat, and the rugged luxury theme continues. More climate controls, plenty more USB ports, and room for real humans of pretty much any size.
There are even ISOFIX points and top tethers for baby seats.
And as for the boot, you guessed it. More utilitarian thinking. A durable floor with a wet storage area underneath. Aircraft-style rails for tying loads down, and a cargo cover to keep prying eyes from seeing your crayfish haul.
There are even buttons here for raising and lowering the air suspension so it’s easier to load and unload.
| 2023 Land Rover Defender 110 P525 | |
| Seats | Five |
| Boot volume | 543L seats up 2380L seats folded |
| Length | 4758mm (5018mm with spare tyre) |
| Width | 2008mm |
| Height | 1967mm |
| Wheelbase | 3022mm |
Does the Land Rover Defender have Apple CarPlay?
A high-quality 11.4-inch infotainment screen centralises all the various car systems, including satellite navigation, digital radio, climate control, off-road capabilities, trip computers and more.
Land Rover’s Pivi Pro system has full smartphone connectivity too. Wireless for both Apple and Android. It’s one of the best infotainment systems in any car at any price, in terms of graphics, useability and speed. This is why you’ll find it in a host of Land Rover, Range Rover and Jaguar vehicles.
The Meridian sound system absolutely cranks thanks to a 14-speaker set-up that includes a subwoofer for that body-shaking bass.
The system proved 100 per cent reliable during our test. Never once did it drop the Android Auto wireless connection or freeze up – issues I have had with other six-figure cars.
Land Rover equips the Defender V8 with a dedicated SIM, allowing over-the-air updates and a range of live functions including weather and parking information, plus access to steaming services and email.
Remote smartphone access is also possible, allowing remote vehicle lock/unlock, vehicle status checks, or ‘send to car’ navigation destinations.
Is the Land Rover Defender a safe car?
The Defender scored a five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2020, performing well for adult occupant (85 per cent) and child occupant (88 per cent) protection. It earned a 71 per cent score in vulnerable road users (pedestrians) testing, and Land Rover’s suite of active safety assistance technology was awarded a 76 per cent rating.
If you need any further proof of the Defender’s ability to protect its occupants in a collision, then take a look at this video of a Defender rolling multiple times after being clipped by another vehicle. The occupants got out without a scratch, which is quite impressive.
| 2023 Land Rover Defender 110 P525 | |
| ANCAP rating | Five stars (tested 2020) |
| Safety report | ANCAP report |
What safety technology does the Land Rover Defender have?
There are dual front, side, and curtain airbags inside the Defender 110. Unlike a number of new cars, the Defender does not have a front centre airbag or a driver’s knee airbag. Despite those omissions, it was still declared a five-star car for safety by ANCAP.
In terms of active safety, the Defender has autonomous emergency braking with junction, pedestrian and cyclist detection. It also has lane-keep assistance, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, traffic sign recognition, door-exit warning, driver fatigue monitoring, and a brilliant 360-degree surround-view camera system that can show you the view from any angle, and even give you a third-person view of the car.
The Defender V8 has a ClearSight rear-view mirror that uses a video feed from the roof-mounted antenna to see past big loads in the boot or that annoying person who always insists on sitting in the middle rear seat.
The Defender V8 also has ClearSight Ground View that uses cameras to show you the ground right in front of the car – the terrain that’s usually obscured by the bonnet.
How much does the Land Rover Defender cost to maintain?
Land Rover does not set a mileage or time interval for Defender servicing. Instead, the Defender monitors kilometres covered and driving conditions and will inform the driver when a service is due.
Land Rover offers a five-year service plan (with a 130,000km limit) for $3750, which is more expensive than lesser Defenders.
On top of regular servicing costs, be prepared to pay upwards of $4471 per year for comprehensive insurance, if our estimate from one of Australia’s major insurers is any indication. This is a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.
| At a glance | 2023 Land Rover Defender 110 P525 |
| Warranty | Five years, unlimited km |
| Service intervals | Condition-based |
| Servicing costs | $3750 (5 years) |
Is the Land Rover Defender fuel-efficient?
The Defender V8 uses more than most cars should, but less than expected. And, while we could say that if you can afford a $250K car you’re not too worried about fuel bills, you still want to do your bit for the environment, yes? Reducing emissions and all that.
Land Rover’s fuel-efficiency claim for the 386kW Defender V8 is 12.7L/100km. We never saw anything like that during our 800km week with the car. In fact, even with close to 400km of freeway driving, our average still came in at 15.2L/100km.
I blame my right foot. It’s greedy. But, even had I exercised tighter control over throttle applications, I’d be amazed if we could consistently get into the 13s, let alone 12.7L/100km.
Be warned that the Defender’s supercharged V8 engine likes premium unleaded too.
Fuel Consumption – brought to you by bp
| Fuel Useage | Fuel Stats |
| Fuel cons. (claimed) | 12.7L/100km |
| Fuel cons. (on test) | 15.6L/100km |
| Fuel type | 95-octane premium unleaded |
| Fuel tank size | 90L |
What is the Land Rover Defender like to drive?
The Land Rover Defender P525 is built to handle the toughest off-road tracks. That means it has a proper four-wheel-drive system with a dual-range transfer case.
The Defender P525 also has adjustable air suspension that can raise the ride height to clamber over rocks, or lower the ride for a more stable and fuel-efficient highway cruise.
The core of the Defender P525’s mechanicals is its supercharged 5.0-litre V8 engine and smooth eight-speed automatic transmission. The engine requires premium unleaded fuel, but uses that fancy diet to produce 386kW of power and 625Nm of torque.
That’s near enough to three times what a Toyota Corolla has, and explains how a 2.7-tonne large SUV can blast from rest to 100km/h in just 5.2 seconds.
In the real world, the Defender P525 has more performance than anyone ever needs. It is an effortless vehicle to drive, powering away imperiously from traffic lights, climbing long hills without pause, and eating miles with the ravenous eagerness of a kid scoffing chips.
One-up or five-up, it doesn’t make any difference. The Defender’s powertrain has the muscle to move anything you put inside.
The V8’s baritone growl as the Defender P525 takes off is deliciously evil, accompanied by just a hint of angry supercharger whine. It’s the kind of performance soundtrack that has you pushing the throttle harder than necessary just to hear it again. Or so I’m told.
The Defender’s ride is the epitome of luxury in Comfort mode. If you choose Dynamic mode on the Terrain Selector, the ride firms a little but is still surprisingly comfortable and composed. The ride quality in Dynamic mode (unique to the V8) is a bit busier, but the trade-off in body control and chassis response makes this my preferred daily drive mode.
The Defender’s Terrain Mode has other settings designed to conquer sand, snow, mud, gravel and many other terrain types. This smart powertrain and suspension management system modifies the operating parameters of the engine, transmission, suspension, steering and various active safety systems to maximise tyre traction. It basically does all the hard work so you don’t have to.
I did not have the chance to test this Defender off-road, but I have driven Land Rover’s different Terrain Response systems off-road and know that it can take you places you wouldn’t believe possible.
Now, this raises an interesting point. How many owners of a $250K luxury SUV are going to take it bush-bashing? Very few, I’d suggest. But the Defender can do it, and that is part of its customer appeal, even if those customers wouldn’t dare dirty their Christian Louboutins.
The Defender is a fantastic example of a large, luxury cruiser, but its armour is not impermeable. A 3022mm wheelbase brings with it a large turning circle – 12.8m kerb to kerb – which needs to be considered when manoeuvring in tight spots or throwing a quick U-turn.
Likewise, the transmission selector demands a careful synchronisation of brake pedal and hand action to change quickly from reverse to drive. A couple of times my timing was out and I remained in reverse when I thought I was in drive. Luckily I hit nothing, but that may not always be the case, especially combined with that big spare tyre hanging over the rear that adds 26cm to the vehicle’s overall length.
I also learned that the joystick-style gear selector has a tendency to squash my little finger between it and the dash. That may just be my gripping style, which uses only the top three fingers to wrap around the joystick, leaving the little finger tucked underneath.
| Key details | 2023 Land Rover Defender 110 P525 |
| Engine | 5.0-litre supercharged V8 petrol |
| Power | 386kW @ 6500rpm |
| Torque | 625Nm @ 2500–5500rpm |
| Drive type | Permanent four-wheel drive, low-range transfer case, locking centre and rear differentials |
| Transmission | Eight-speed torque converter automatic |
| Power to weight ratio | 144kW/t |
| Weight (kerb) | 2678kg |
| Spare tyre type | Full-size |
| Tow rating | 3500kg braked 750kg unbraked |
| Turning circle | 12.8m |
Should I buy a Land Rover Defender V8?
I have played Lotto Dream Garage for as long as I’ve had a driver’s licence, and a Range Rover HSE has always been the first car in that garage. It’s the perfect everyday car: luxurious, practical and spacious, and it makes you feel like a king of the road.
The Land Rover Defender 110 P525 has now usurped the Range Rover’s place in my Dream Garage. The Defender’s unique combination of utilitarian versatility and opulence combine with its imperious on-road dynamism and off-road competence to make it the most impressive, comfortable and capable everyday vehicle I know.
There is quite literally nothing I would regularly need a car to do that it cannot handle with ease, and it would make me feel special doing it.
The Defender is not perfect – it’s expensive to buy and to own – but if you can afford this car, then nothing else delivers what it does for the money. The closest you’ll get is a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen, but $250K only gets you a diesel that lacks the visceral performance of the Defender P525.
Actually, there is an alternative that is similar in concept, performance and prestige. And, if you’re already in a Land Rover dealership checking out the Defender, you won’t have far to walk. The Range Rover Sport P510e HSE costs around $220K and has similar straightline performance, but is a touch smaller and cannot match the Defender’s utilitarian ethos. Then there’s the Range Rover P530 HSE, which admittedly is almost $300K on-road. It’s also larger and more luxurious, but it too cannot match the Defender’s unique combination of character traits.
It appears, then, that Land Rover has been very clever in designing, developing and offering three similarly priced luxury SUVs with distinct personalities and unique capabilities.
In a way, it’s sad that so much of the Defender’s capability will probably never be used by owners. But then, I’ve got a smart TV that can do more than I need, and a smartphone whose capabilities I barely scratch the surface of. It’s nice to know that if I ever need to do something more, the potential is there.
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