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Land Rover Defender 110 V8 2021 review

The new rapid Land Rover Defender V8 flagship dishes up a supercharged soundtrack

Overall Auto Express Rating

4.0 out of 5

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Verdict

Don’t be fooled into thinking that the Land Rover Defender V8 is a full-bore performance version of the brand’s off-roader, because it isn’t. Instead, it’s an option for those demanding a bit more presence and a small sense of luxury from their Defender, but at a cost. Regardless, it does line up as a decent-value alternative to the Mercedes G-Class, which starts from £100k, but only with a six-cylinder diesel; it’s another £50k for the V8 AMG version.

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At the complete opposite end of the spectrum to the plug-in hybrid Defender P400e lies another new addition to the line-up: the Land Rover Defender V8.

With a six-figure price tag, it’s where the Defender verges into proper luxury vehicle territory, but this isn’t a Special Vehicle Operations Defender; it’s just the top end of the regular line-up. It’s also where price overlap begins with the Mercedes G-Class, given that it starts from around £101,000.

Power is provided by JLR’s familiar 5.0-litre supercharged V8, and drive goes to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox. It still features all the off-road kit the Defender is known for, but with some alterations for on-road performance. These changes include new springs and dampers, a limited-slip differential and a recalibrated traction control setting for the Dynamic drive mode, which allows for a little rear-end slip.

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The engine is the main draw, though, and it’s on a bit of a farewell tour, because JLR is tipped to replace this supercharged motor with a turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 from BMW in the near future.

It’s not quite as raucous in the Defender as it is in SVO cars such as the Jaguar F-Pace SVR, and nor is the level of performance. There’s 518bhp and 625Nm on tap, but with 0-62mph coming up in 5.4 seconds, it’s just 0.2 seconds ahead of the plug-in P400e. The noise is fairly tempered in Comfort mode, too, with the engine only really clearing its throat when you stamp on the throttle in Dynamic mode.

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The suspension tweaks come together with the newfound presence under the bonnet to enhance the on-road driving experience. The Defender is already a surprisingly engaging car on tarmac, and the V8 builds on this with further stability in corners and what feels like slightly sharper turn-in. It’s not into hot SUV territory, but it edges things a little closer.

It achieves this without sacrificing ride quality, too. In fact, the Defender V8 still rides fairly softly in Comfort mode, and it’s a more cossetting machine than the Mercedes G-Class, the AMG versions of which are prone to a choppy ride.

It does all of this with a great deal of subtlety, too. Only a few design tweaks mark this model out from the rest of the family; the V8 badging on the lower part of the front doors and standard 22-inch wheels are the only real giveaways outside. Inside, it’s still very similar to what you’ll find further down the line-up. The most obvious alterations are the appearance of paddleshifters behind the suede-trimmed steering wheel, V8-branded treadplates and the fitment of a drinks cooler compartment in the centre console.

Model:Land Rover Defender 110 V8
Price:£101,220
Engine:5.0-litre supercharged V8 petrol
Power/torque:518bhp/625Nm
Transmission:Eight-speed automatic, four-wheel drive
0-62mph:5.4 seconds
Top speed:149mph
Economy:19.2mpg
CO2:332g/km
On sale:Now
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