Land Rover Defender 2023 review: 110 V8

Tough by name, tough by nature, the Defender looks at you through piercing, hooded eyes, the circular LED running lights, cropped at the top, enhancing a menacing expression.

A broad bulge in the centre of the bonnet hints at the power lurking underneath and faux (plastic) chequer plate panels along the top of the guards either side are a cosmetic tip of the hat to the metal pieces applied to previous generations of the Defender.

Our test example’s ‘Santorini Black’ paint, as well as big 22-inch rims, finished in ‘Satin Dark Grey’ also enhance the imposing vibe.

The circular LED running lights enhances a menacing expression. (Image: James Cleary)

A chunky side treatment, defined by pronounced wheel arches, an almost slab-sided lower half, and relatively narrow glass area echo Defenders past.

The upright rear end looks like it’s been cleanly sliced with a giant clever, and a full-sized spare mounted to the side-hinged rear door reinforces this car’s off-road cred.

Individual squarish tail-lights are outlined with slick LED rings, and the car’s performance potential is subtly reinforced by fat, quad exhaust pipes poking out from under the rear bumper.

The full-sized spare mounted to the side-hinged rear door reinforces this car’s off-road cred. (Image: James Cleary)

Inside, the Defender’s macho personality is expressed through cool design details like industrial-style Torx head bolts securing the door trims and other interior pieces, as well multiple grab handles and a mix of durable materials like leather, Robustec (a tough, technical fabric) as well as synthetic suede on the seats, and parts of the dash.

There’s a thin, rubber-like finish on high-touch areas around the gearshift and air conditioning controls, and a dash-wide storage tray runs behind the central media screen, and under the digital instrument cluster.

Again, plenty of hints to remind you of past Defender models, including twin slotted windows at the top of the cargo area on either side. But everything’s been dialled up to a more premium level, with impressive attention to detail and visual interest applied throughout.

This is a sizeable SUV, and there’s plenty of room for five occupants and their ‘stuff’ thanks to a generous cabin, loads of storage, and a big boot.

Lots of breathing space for the driver and front passenger, as well as a spacious rear seat area with tons of head, leg and shoulder room.

Sitting behind the driver’s seat, set to my 183cm position, I had a limo-like experience, and there’s enough width for three adults to sit back there in reasonable comfort, even on longer journeys. A close to flat floor makes the centre rear position even more liveable.

Two child seats or boosters will be a breeze, with a third possible, depending on the type of seats you have.

There’s enough width for three adults to sit back in reasonable comfort, even on longer journeys. (Image: James Cleary)

Cabin storage is hard to fault, with the broad front centre console containing two big cupholders, a wireless device charging tray, and a huge (cooled!) lidded box which doubles as a comfy centre armrest. But the console is a two-tier design with a vast area for bigger things underneath. 

A bookcase-size shelf runs the width of the dash, even continuing behind the central media screen, the glove box is a good size, and the door bins provide even more room, with specific space for bottles. There’s also a sunglasses holder in the roof console.

Move to the rear and there are hard shell map pockets on the front seatbacks, two cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest, and small bins in the doors.

There are also multiple cubbies around the rear of the car with elastic retaining straps to keep odds and ends under control.

Despite its large scale the Defender 110 handles well at slow speeds, although you need to plan ahead when choosing a parking spot because the (12.8m) turning circle is big.

Aside from that, a 5.0-metre long SUV is not to be trifled with, although a hi-res reversing camera, 3D 360-degree view and a multitude of proximity sensors help the process. 

Only snag is the beeping can start to sound like a chorus of cicadas in the mid-summer sun when you get into really close quarters. 

What about cargo space? Even with all seats upright the boot is big, with 972 litres of space on offer, although that’s to the more generous SAE standard, rather than the more commonly applied VDA measure.

Tie-down anchors to help secure loose loads are standard, and extra storage rails, will cost an additional $230. (Image: James Cleary)

Either way, it’s enough to swallow the three-piece CarsGuide suitcase set, or our particularly bulky demo pram, with room to spare.

Lower the 40/20/40 split-folding rear seat and capacity increases to 2277 litres, which is plenty.

The standard air suspension means the rear of the car can be lowered, via buttons in the boot, to make loading heavy or awkward items that little bit easier. Plus, there’s a handy bag hook and yet another 12V outlet back there.

Tie-down anchors to help secure loose loads are standard, and our test car was fitted with extra storage rails, an affordably-priced $230 option.

With all seats upright the boot is big, with 972 litres of space on offer. (Image: James Cleary)

There’s even a large storage tray in the side opening tailgate door, and it’s worth mentioning two things about the door itself.

First, you need to be mindful of the need to leave enough room behind you for the door opening sideways, and second, the handle is on the left and the door opens to the right which is the ‘correct’ and safest way in a right-hand drive country.

Some Euro models open the other way, which can mean when parked nose-to-tail you’re perilously close to passing traffic just getting the door open.

For those keen on hooking up the caravan, boat or a horse float, the 110 V8 is rated to tow a 3.5-tonne braked trailer (750kg unbraked) with ‘Advanced Tow Assist’ standard.

The Defender received a maximum five-star ANCAP rating in 2020, and active, crash-avoidance tech highlights include AEB, operating from 5.0 to 130km/h (with pedestrian and cyclist detection, plus ‘Junction Assist’), blind spot assist, cornering brake control, ‘Evasive Steering Assist’, lane keeping assist, 3D multi-view camera view, rear cross-traffic alert, and tyre pressure monitoring. Not bad, at all.

If a crash is unavoidable, there are front and side airbags for the driver and front seat passenger, as well as side curtain airbags covering both rows. Missing, is the increasingly prevalent front centre airbag designed to minimise head clash injuries in a side impact.

There are three top-tethers for baby capsules/child seats across the second row, with the positions lower at the side than in the centre. There are also ISOFIX anchors in the two outer positions.

The Defender received a maximum five-star ANCAP rating in 2020. (Image: James Cleary)

Cost-of-entry to the Defender 110 V8 club is $220,530, before on-road costs, which puts it in the same price bracket as the BMW X5 M Competition ($227,900), Mercedes-AMG E 63 S ($257,991), and Porsche Cayenne Turbo ($250,500).

All luxurious, macho, five-seat SUVs with huge performance and looks to match. But there’s an outlier in the shape of the crazy Merc-AMG G 63.

Yes, it weighs in at no less than $365K, but I reckon that makes the Defender 110 V8 a relative bargain. The Defender looks and feels cooler, for around $140K less!  

The Defender 110 features a panoramic sunroof. (Image: James Cleary)

As you’d expect for a family SUV costing north of $200K the standard equipment list is lengthy, but the highlights reel includes, adaptive cruise control, the 22-inch alloys, keyless entry and start, 14-way electrically-adjustable front seats, a panoramic sunroof, 15-speaker Meridian ‘Surround’ audio (with digital radio), Matrix LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers, three-zone climate control, the cool upholstery, the screens, the off-road systems, etc, etc, etc. It’s loaded.

Land Rover’s official fuel economy number for the combined (ADR 81/02 - urban, extra-urban) cycle is 12.7L/100km, the 5.0-litre V8 emitting a solid 295g/km of CO2 in the process.

Over a week of city, suburban, and some freeway running we saw a dash-indicated average of 17.6L/100km, without being particularly hard on the accelerator pedal. 

Even in this lofty part of the market that’ll make for sobering visits to the petrol bowser, especially as 95 RON premium unleaded is required, and you’ll need 90 litres of it to fill the tank.

Land Rover covers its Australian line-up with a five-year/unlimited km warranty, with roadside assistance included for the duration. (Image: James Cleary)

Using the official number that translates to a range of 708km, which drops to just over 500km using our real-world figure.

Land Rover covers its Australian line-up with a five-year/unlimited km warranty, with roadside assistance included for the duration. That’s par for the course in the luxury market these days.

Servicing is variable, in that the car will tell you when maintenance is due, although Land Rover offers a five-year/130,000km service package for $3750, which equates to $750 annually, or an average of 26,000km. Not cheap, but not outrageous for a sophisticated vehicle in this price bracket.