Defender is one of the most diverse ecosystems with various body shapes, powertrains, and optional extras. Hopping onto the configurator is like peering into the proverbial box of chocolates. Your build might output a two-door Defender 90 with mudflaps, a side-mounted gear carrier, and a smooth inline-six engine mated to an efficient mild-hybrid system. Or what about a permutation with a conventional four-door layout and a small but stout four-cylinder? Need to carry around more cargo? Why not the largest Defender 130 with its eight-seater capability and monstrous 493 horsepower V8? Believe it or not, overseas markets also have access to diesel variants.

There’s a Defender for everybody as long as you enjoy its boxy styling, rounded headlights, and retro rear lights that may trigger a sense of trypophobia. It may appear overly large from some angles, like a Discovery wearing hockey gear, but from the side and in person, it looks handsome and utilitarian, as if it could swallow up a whole soccer team and spit them out at the top of Mount Everest. In style too, wearing this Gondwana Stone paint colour, a greenish brown that would look right at home on the WRC safari rally in Kenya. Ours was wrapped in a factory-installed matte protective film, which costs $5,220, cheaper than the actual matte paints that Land Rover typically charges. The wrap is not as visually sharp and it does not extend to the edges of the bodywork, meaning you can see the non-matte paint whenever you open the doors, but stone chips and scratches will be easier to fix. It’s available for all the standard paint colours except for Fuji White and Tasman Blue.

The classic front and rear mudflaps are highly recommended not just for their practical use in preventing rocks and dirt from flinging up onto the paint, but they also add a crucial lower-body stance that brings the Defender’s visual sightlines lower, making its silhouette appear more balanced. And the Defender we’re testing is arguably the volume seller, the mid-size, do-it-all spec. The model is one step up from the base S trim and is called X-Dynamic SE ($92,450). It comes with an inline-six engine, 20-inch wheels, optional 19-inch and 22-inch wheels, and a Meridian Surround Sound system. 

Our Defender is equipped with the P400 powertrain, which comprises a 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-six engine and a mild hybrid system featuring a 48-volt motor-generator and an electrically driven supercharger. This setup provides enhanced low-end torque when the turbo is busy spooling and generating boost. Governed by an 8-speed automatic gearbox, this unit produces 395 hp and 406 lb-ft, enough to sprint from 0-100 km/h in 6.1 seconds.

The straight-six engine is a welcome companion, never struggling to get this heavyweight off its feet. It’s strong and inherently smooth under acceleration, and it’s eager to rev to the redline, emitting an appropriate exhaust grunt. We never found ourselves yearning for the thirstier V8 option, despite its clear benefits in acceleration. However, the six-cylinder was more than up to any task we threw at it. Equipped with a standard four-wheel drive system, a two-speed transfer case, locking differentials, and an optional air suspension, the Defender is not only off-road capable but rides very nicely on suburban roads. It articulates with agility at low speeds, wafts with a similar level of ride comfort as a Range Rover Sport, and neutralizes road oscillations better than any pickup truck on the market thanks to its independent suspension and unibody construction.

We did notice slightly more road noise and vertical oscillations from our 19-inch wheels, wrapped in Goodyear Wrangler tires, compared to the standard 20-inch wheels. Still, body roll is effectively kept in check, and while there is obvious leaning and unwieldiness when you enter a corner at speed, the quick steering rack makes it easy to control and navigate through tight spaces.

The interior adopts a new center console layout for 2025. Now, a sliding cover exposes the under-storage cubby, creating a tidier and neater layout that keeps your belongings from cluttering the interior. It also serves as a convenient and discreet trash cubby. Unlike the V8 model we drove recently with the Signature Interior Package that had new side pockets for the center console, there is still a pass-through here, which makes the under storage easier to access, but they are prone to flying about unsecured. The wireless charging pad is now slanted for easier access.

We greatly appreciate the rubber-padded storage spaces, like the areas beside the driver’s display, behind the touchscreen, and the entire passenger-side dash. The fridge compartment in the center console is handy for keeping drinks chilled in the summer, but it’s not great at chilling them from a warm or hot state. The heated seats are the hottest (literally) on the market, retaining and continuing to heat for hours on end, and won’t reduce the heat after a certain period, unlike those in BMWs or Mercs. The steering wheel buttons are not haptic touch sensors, so they emit a positive click and feel more positive and ergonomic to use.

There’s certainly more pomp and circumstance inside the Defender than any Jeep or Toyota could hope for. The powder-coated, ceramic-like accents on the steering wheel and dashboard bar are visual garnishes that only the Defender could pull off properly. The way the shifter and HVAC controls are mounted on an angle below the dashboard reminds me of the Fiat 500, and some of the off-road ruggedness has been brought inside with the exposed screws and the car’s Gondwana Stone paint (non-matte) peeping through the panels just like in Wranglers and Miatas.

More than just a one-trick off-roading pony, the Defender also takes on-road duties with poise, agility, and functionality. The inline-six P400 powertrain is more suitable than the V8 due to its greater efficiency and gradual yet smooth acceleration. The 110’s footprint is more manageable on tight city streets, and the new center console adds mild but ergonomically meaningful updates that amount to a well-rounded and capable companion. While we wish there were more paint colours and factory add-ons available, the bustling aftermarket for Defender parts gives us a fruitful avenue for alternatives, and we’re bound to see more special and customizable variants like the 75th Edition and Trophy Edition from recent years. Here’s to the ever-expanding genus of Defender.

Specifications:

Model: 2025 Land Rover Defender 110 P400 X-Dynamic SE
Paint Type: Gondwana Stone (with factory matte protection film)
Base Price: $87,500
Price as Tested: $109,265
Wheelbase(mm): 3,022
Length/Width/Height (mm): 5,018 (w/spare wheel) / 2,008 (mirrors folded) / 1,967
Curb weight (kg): 2,324
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-six
Horsepower: 395 hp @ 5,500 – 6,500 rpm
Torque: 406 lb-ft @ 2,000 – 5,000 rpm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Engine & Drive Configuration: Front engine, 4WD
Observed Fuel Consumption (L/100km): 13.6
Tires: Goodyear Wrangler; 255/65R19