By Eric Peters
There are several things that are unusual about the 2026 Land Rover Defender. The first is that it’s available in different wheelbase lengths and two- and four-door body styles — with seats for as few as five and as many as seven. The second is that it’s available with four different engines, including two different V8s (as well as a turbo four and a turbo’d inline six).
Such variety was once pretty common.
Now, it’s almost extraordinary.
What It Is
The Defender, which ranges from compact to full-size, is one of the OG four-by-fours, along with the first Ford Bronco. You have probably seen them on TV nature/exploration shows because they can get to places very few vehicles can go that haven’t got treads like a tank. Today’s Defender is also rugged but ultra-luxurious as well as something the classic/OG Defenders never were: It’s as quick as a Ferrari — if ordered with its available 626 horsepower turbocharged V8.
Prices start at $63,500 for the four-door, two-row Defender 110 P300 S, which comes with a turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired with an eight-speed automatic and full-time four-wheel drive with locking axles and Low range gearing. The $73,000 Defender 130 P300 S is basically the same thing and similarly equipped but rides on a longer wheelbase and comes standard with a two-passenger third row (you can get a third row with the 110, but there’s less room back there due to there being less length overall).
Both the 110 and the 130 are eligible for underhood upgrades.
The 110 P400 Trophy Edition ($87,400) comes with a turbocharged, 3.0-liter inline six plus all-terrain tires, a height-adjustable adaptive suspension, raised air intake (to keep water from getting sucked into the engine) plus a roof rack and unique yellow or green paint.
The same 3.0-liter six is also available with the 130 in the $84,400 P400 X-Dynamic SE and the $86,700 Outbound as well as the $105,000 130 P400 X — which also gets 22-inch wheels, upgraded Drive modes, recovery hooks and upgraded brakes as well as heaters for the second and third rows.
You can also get a two-door/short wheelbase Defender 90 P525, which comes standard with a 5.0-liter supercharged V8. This engine is also optionally available with the 110 and 130.
If you prefer a turbocharged V8, it’s standard in the 110 P635 OCTA ($158,300) and the top-of-the-line 110 P635 OCTA Black ($168,700). Both come with a turbo’d 4.4-liter V8 and wide body fender flares, an upgraded air suspension and special front seats. The Black adds black-themed styling accents and special 20-inch wheels unique to this trim.
What’s New for 2026
There’s a new Adaptive Off Road Cruise Controls system that automatically modulates throttle input over rough terrain and the 130 can be ordered with a built-in air compressor.
Octa Black and Trophy editions are new, and all trims get a larger (13.1-inch) touch screen.
What’s Good
— Multiple body and engine choices.
— Heroic off-road capability.
— Available third row (Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler do not offer this useful feature).
What’s Not So Good
— Huge price uptick to go from a four to a six — and from a six to an eight.
— Cost to fill ‘er up is in the triple digits.
— Similar — and similarly capable — Ford Bronco (base price $40,495) costs tens of thousands less.
Under the Hood
The Defender is available with a plethora of engines, beginning with the standard turbocharged 2.0-liter four. It touts 296 horsepower and 295 foot-pounds of torque and — like all the Defender’s engines — it is paired with an eight-speed automatic and a full-time 4WD system with driver-selectable terrain modes and Low range. Equipped with this engine, the Defender is rated to tow up to 7,716 pounds, which is very impressive given how small this engine is and how heavy the Defender is (5,125 pounds with the four). This combo also manages 18 mpg city, 22 mpg highway — which (again) is impressive given how heavy the Defender is.
A larger, 3.0 liter in-line turbocharged six (augmented with a “mild hybrid” system that cycles the engine off as often as possible, to decrease fuel consumption) is available for those who want more power — and have more cash. This engine touts 395 horsepower and 406 foot-pounds of torque. Impressively, advertised gas mileage remains the same as with the standard four-cylinder engine and in real-world driving, it’s actually a little better, because the size doesn’t have to work as hard to haul the Defender’s weight. The maximum tow rating goes up to 8,200 pounds with this engine too — and it’s probably the one you want anyhow, if you intend to tow more than 5,000 pounds with this vehicle. The four is rated for a ton more than that — but it’s going to be working hard doing that.
Next up — if you can afford them — are two available V8s.
The first is a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 that touts either 493 horsepower (P500) and 450 foot-pounds of torque or 518 horsepower (P525) and the other is a turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 that touts 626 horsepower and 553 foot-pounds of torque. Equipped with the latter V8, a nearly three-ton Defender is capable of accelerating to 60 mph in about 3.7 seconds.
On the Road
The four is fine — and the six more than fine — but what makes this four-by-four something special is the available V8s. If you have the means.
Especially — arguably — the supercharged 5.0-liter V8. It is not the Defender’s top engine. But it is a supercharged engine and that is truly special because turbocharged engines are so common. They are so for several reasons, including the fact that turbos are more efficient. A mechanically driven supercharger takes a considerable amount of power to make power — whereas a turbo generates power almost for free, in the sense that using exhaust gassed to turn the turbo’s impeller wheel doesn’t cost power. But nothing sounds like a supercharger. That fabulous whirring sound of mechanical things happening you hear as the blower compresses the incoming air. Also the absolutely immediate response. There is no lag with a supercharger. It hits like Mike Tyson in his prime — fast and hard.
To maximize the experience, pop the hood and get rid of the black plastic acoustic cover that Land Rover puts on top of the engine to quiet the sound — which is something like turning down the volume when your favorite song comes on the superb Meridian audio system radio. This engine sings beautifully, especially if you put your right foot down about a third of the way and keep it there. That mechanical wail is music to the ears of anyone not deaf to the emotion of motion.
Of course, the main reason for buying a Defender is its indefatigable ability to keep going — on roads (and trails) and in conditions that would stop most anything else. Normally, that’s a boots-and-jeans kind of experience. In a Defender, it’s more gentlemanly experience. The fully independent suspension allows each wheel to articulate with dips and bumps and if you get the Octa, you’ll get to experience Land Rover’s “6D Dynamics” hydraulically linked suspension that does away with sway bars that are normally there to tie the suspension down but at the cost of an almost uncouth rigidity.
With almost a foot (11.5 inches) of clearance, you feel you could almost drive through the English Channel to France from London.
At the Curb
Like a tailored suit, you can buy a Defender that suits.
The two-door 90 rides on a 101.9-inch wheelbase and is 180.5 inches long overall, so about 14 inches longer than the smaller Jeep Wrangler two-door (166.8 inches) and about eight inches longer than the also smaller two-door Bronco (173.7 inches).
The four-door 110 rides on a longer (119-inch) wheelbase and is 197.5 inches long — significantly longer than the still-compact four-door Bronco (189.4 inches) and the four-door Wrangler (188.4 inches). The 110 can also be had with a third row, which you can’t get in the Bronco or the Wrangler. You can also get a third row with more legroom for the people back there in the 130, which, at 211.7 inches long, qualifies it to be rated full-size.
A fun available feature is a flip-up center console up front that converts into a jump seat, allowing three people to ride in the first row.
Inside, it’s both posh and uncluttered. The main instrument panel is analog-looking, but it’s LCD and configurable. The new, larger (13.1-inch) LCD screen has a four-by-four display that shows elevation, incline/decline and which axles are locked or not. There are deep storage shelves built into the dash that are also LED backlit at night. A magnesium bar runs the width of the dash and adds a rugged look as well as handholds.
The Rest
You might think the least expensive Defender would be the two-door 90 since it’s the smallest one. But it’s also the only Defender that comes standard with and only with the supercharged V8 — which is why it’s one of the most expensive Defenders.
Contrariwise, the least expensive Ford Bronco (and Jeep Wrangler) is the two-door version.
The Bottom Line
There are other four-by-fours as capable as the Defender, but few — if any — as gentlemanly as a Defender.
Eric’s latest book, “Doomed: Good Cars Gone Wrong!” will be available soon. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.
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