2026 Land Rover Defender 110 V8 review: Going out with a bang

It’s seldom often that you hear of V8-powered cars these days, much less ones that aren’t sporty in nature or outright supercars. I was trying to remember the last time I had the opportunity to drive a V8 as I stepped up into the cabin of the 2026 Land Rover Defender 110 P425 X-Dynamic SE V8 (to give it its full, ridiculously long name).

It was earlier this year when we had a Chevrolet Corvette Z06 for this comparison – that was a full six months ago. The point being, that it’s hard to imagine the V8 is long for this world, especially under the bonnet of big-bodied SUVs such as the Land Rover Defender.

But, now six years into the new Land Rover Defender and its monocoque underpinnings, its boundary-pushing English engineers have seen fit to introduce the 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine option as one of the mainstays of the range.

It’s not the only powerplant on offer. There are smooth six-cylinder diesels, plug-in hybrids, and even the Defender Octa flagship, which utilises a version of BMW’s twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8.

Our car slots somewhere in the middle as one of the more pedestrian offerings, but the big standout is what’s under the bonnet. It has 313kW and 550Nm sent through an eight-speed automatic transmission to an all-wheel-drive system, powerful enough to propel the car from rest to 100km/h in 5.8 seconds according to the brand.

It’s a lot of performance for something that’s duty-bound to scramble up hills and conquer the grassy hills with skill – something we’ve explored plentifully in the past.

This outing was more about experiencing the Defender 110 V8 for its striking powerplant – and just how cool it is that a brand still offers something so unhinged in 2026.

With a list price of $132,400 before you go adding options and on-road costs, the Defender isn’t a cheap exercise. All totalled up, our car would cost somewhere north of $175,000 drive-away, including the $26,000 worth of options fitted to our tester.

It’s a lot of money for something that feels very utilitarian inside – there are exposed rivets holding the door panels to the door frame, body-coloured inserts, and big grab handles all throughout the interior.

But, while it may be expensive, it effectively sits in a class of its own – what other large off-road vehicles can you buy with V8 power? The Nissan Patrol was one (until its production ended), but there are not many buyers cross-shopping those two.

Then comes the Lexus LX – priced from $164,200 plus on-road costs. It’s substantially more expensive, but then you’re unlikely to add anywhere near as many optional extras as the Defender either.

In reality, the Land Rover Defender buyer is unique and wants for nothing else. They’re drawn to the old-school, boxy styling, the toughened-up drivetrain, and the pragmatic interior that strikes an interesting balance between luxurious and utilitarian.

There’s actually not loads of space in the driver’s seat, despite the external size of the thing. I’m a tall 194cm, but I found it difficult to place my feet in the footwell. Just as well, there’s plenty of electric adjustment between the seats and the steering wheel to get a fair driving position – but there’s not oodles of space to lounge about with.

Otherwise, space and storage are provided through a large centre console with trays, cupholders, bins, and a wireless smartphone charger. It’s easy to change climate and car settings on the go thanks to a dedicated control panel surrounding the gear selector. This means you can change things such as the car’s air suspension height, driving modes, and dual-range gearing settings.

Build quality seemed good in the time I spent with the car. There were no creaks, all the grab handles felt sturdy, and the seats were comfortable enough for long drives – if lacking some bolstering support.

Jaguar Land Rover’s Pivi Pro 13-inch screen delivered bright graphics and quick processing, plus niceties like navigation, digital radio, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Passengers in the second-row space are treated to a nice, airy cabin thanks to light from the expansive panoramic sunroof ($4715 extra) and glass portholes. It’s equally comfortable to the front row, with USB-A ports, air vents, map pockets, and the seat bases flip forwards so that the seat backs fold completely flat.

This is not the most elegant solution to storage, but it does provide a maximum 2380 litres of space with the seats folded flat.

As for what this car will cost to run, Land Rover sells a $3900 five-year service package, which covers owners for five years/130,000km. This is accompanied by five-year roadside assistance and a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty.

The Defender 110 was last tested by ANCAP in 2020 to a five-star standard, though this rating is due to expire by the end of 2026. And, unfortunately it does not apply to V8 variants anyway.

Otherwise, the active safety measures included with the Defender 110 were easy to get along with, and I didn’t find myself having to tweak or turn any of them off during my time with the car. In particular, I was impressed with the 360-degree camera that makes reverse-parallel parking a cinch in tight urban spaces.

Refuelling the Defender 110 is no cheap task – not least because it’s got a 90-litre fuel tank. It also takes 95-octane premium unleaded petrol and guzzles it at an astonishing rate.

The spec sheet mentions 12.7 litres per 100 kilometres, but my testing saw between 14–16L/100km during a week spent primarily in town. This came down as I headed out of suburbia, but it’s still a very expensive car to run – especially these days.

Largely, I doubt its buyers will care all too much when they fire up the 5.0-litre supercharged V8 for the first time. Phwoar – what a noise.

Though it doesn’t achieve the same whip-cracking highs as it did under the bonnet of the Jaguar F-Type sports car, this V8 engine still sounds phenomenal.

It provides ample shove for a car of its size too: 313kW and 550Nm are more than enough to get the 2349kg (unladen) body shifting along smoothly. That said, this is no sporting SUV. Although it’s got a great, big engine under its bonnet, the Defender P425 does not lean into it.

There is no selection of sports modes (only an ‘S’ mode for the transmission) to take advantage of, and its driving-mode settings are more tailored to taking the vehicle off the beaten track. If you’re after a fully-fledged sports SUV, you’ll have to spend even more on a Defender Octa.

The Defender 110 can feel lumbering to drive around streets as the body pitches and rolls under braking and acceleration. The steering leans into this feeling, providing a hefty feel to the way the car rounds bends and is slotted into a car park. As a result, it feels like a heavy car to drive in a variety of scenarios.

Its inherent size isn’t the easiest to navigate around town either. Smaller drivers might have an issue seeing out over the tall bonnet and gauging where the four corners of the car are at any given time. The rear view is blocked by headrests (which can admittedly flip down), and side vision is blocked by the odd square panels of the C-pillar.

Ride control is fantastic and is supported by an air suspension system that can adjust the ride height between three preset levels. Pockmarked road surfaces are smoothed over with little complaint, and the chassis absorbs larger bumps without transmitting impacts to the cabin. This is an area where the current Defender has made great strides in comparison to its archaic predecessor.

An eight-speed automatic transmission is smooth and smart as to when it should be swapping cogs, making for an overall refined experience as the car cycles up and down through traffic and speed changes. Aside from the bellowing V8 powerplant underneath the bonnet, the Defender remains quiet inside the cabin with respect to wind and road noise on the freeway and at higher speeds.

In summarising my time with a car, I tend to first look analytically at the pros and cons. This provides a good basis for judging the value and whether it’s fit for purpose.

Beyond that, there’s a final question I tend to come back to: “Did I want to hand the keys back or not?”.

With that final point, the Defender has become such a cult classic that the end buyer needs to judge it more on the heart than the head. It’s an aspirational purchase for enthusiasts and off-roaders alike.

In that way, it wholeheartedly delivers on cool factor, a well-presented interior, and a useful array of tech that takes this iconic nameplate into today’s arena of high-flying competitors.

If you are a genuine fan of the design and story behind the Defender, it delivers on its promise of a luxurious off-road SUV. Even better if you can nab one with a V8 – while they last.

But, on a personal level, I was happy to hand back the keys to this one. The fuel bill, the pitching body control and the eyewatering price would have me looking elsewhere, at least at this stage of my life.