Living with the Defender 90 V8
Review by Jacob Lerklint.
It’s been a couple of years since the current Land Rover Defender was introduced and by now there are various choices of engines ranging from four cylinders to six cylinders. Though, this is the all new top of the range V8 model. I’ve had some experience with the previous generation Defender and I can confidence say that it was absolutely awful to drive on the road. But that was a 2016 model and it felt like driving a tractor from the 1960s. Off-road it was impressively capable but that’s just about it. Forget the previous generations, this new Defender shares nothing with the old one, no "body on frame" here. The latest Defender is as capable and technologically advanced as the current Range Rovers.
We are driving the top of the range Defender 90 V8, it costs a smidge under 1,5 million SEK which is almost twice the price of a base Defender 90 diesel. So, what do you get for that astronomical price tag? Under the bonnet sits the familiar 5.0 liter supercharged V8 that we have seen in many various configurations of JLR products. In this case it produces 525hp and 625nm of torque. To differentiate the V8 model from the other Defenders you get 22 inch wheels as standard, blue calipers at the front and quad tailpipes. You can get the V8 model with the longer “110” wheelbase but this 4,5m long short wheel base looks so much cooler and is much less practical, we'll get back to that.
In the interior of the new Defender you will be greeted by mostly leather and suede materials with the exception of some plastic. There’s no traces from the old Defender here except maybe that the passenger has a handlebar in front of them like the old one.
You get all the tech and offroad driving aids from the Range Rovers. The 11.4 inch Pivi Pro is the latest JLR infotainment system and it is quick and responsive. There is only one reason to not get the 90 version Defender and that is the practicality side of it, or should I say, the lack of it. With only two doors it gets quite cumbersome to get passengers into the backseat and if you have a full car with passengers don’t bother to stop for groceries as it can only carry a puny 297 liters. Get rid of your passengers and there’s a touch more space, with the seats folded you can fit 1263 liters.
How is it on the road then? First of all, 525hp in a Defender is mad, this thing on snowy and icy Swedish roads is a handful to say the least. You immediately feel that the engine is way over powered for this chassis even though the air springs has been retuned and with much thicker anti roll bars. The V8 also gets an active rear differential and bigger brakes. This is also the first Land Rover Defender with a Dynamic mode setting. The 8 speed ZF gearbox is quick and smooth as always, no complains there. The suspension is compliant and relatively comfortable but it can get a bit crashy. Throw the V8 Defender into a corner and it will handle, barely. There is a lot of lean and you have no idea what the front wheels are doing. A bit too much power into a corner and it will rotate at first but then you will get terrible understeer.
I think we can confidently say that this is not a sports car, if you want your SUV to handle get a Range Rover Sport SVR instead. The character of the supercharged V8 engine is amazing though, you get instant throttle response and the mighty V8 sings behind you. If you accept that this a 2500kg SUV and treat the gas pedal with respect the overall driving experience gets so much better. Don’t forget, this is not a Special vehicle operations (SVO) engineered car so we might even see an even more potent and dynamic capable V8 Defender in the future. Impractical, thirsty and lairy behavior is some of adjectives that comes to mind with this V8 Defender but I still want one more than ever, just look at it!
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