2025 Land Rover Defender 110 Review

Since its 2019 debut here in North America, the Land Rover Defender has delighted with its unique blend of posh and purpose, melding a luxury driving experience with legitimate off-road ability.

Whether you’re heading to the Four Seasons Hotel or enduring the four seasons in a far flung corner of this country, the Defender will have you arriving in high style. The 2025 Land Rover Defender is available in three configurations and with the choice of three gas engines ranging from a turbocharged four-cylinder to a supercharged V8.

Styling: 9/10

Honouring its heritage while looking to the future, the Land Rover styling team knocked it out of the park with this one. The Defender is upright, blocky, and tough, yet it’s infused with modern design touches that riff on classic details, like the intriguing array of small square taillights. I was surprised by how many second looks the Defender 110 tested here received, considering how long it’s been on our roads. Then again, finished here in matte brown and sporting a “110” hood graphic and side-mounted gear carrier, this one was dressed to impress.

The Defender’s cabin is also a fabulous design exercise that rocks a rugged-chic aesthetic to great effect. It melds rugged functionality (I love those exposed screw heads) with a sense of high style and impeccable appointments. The build quality is impeccable — exactly what’s expected at this price point.

Safety: 8/10

Standard safety features include surround-view cameras, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, road sign recognition, forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, and driver attention monitor. Add to this list intangibles like the high driving position and excellent outward visibility.

Practicality: 8/10

If you measure practicality by the notion that this Defender 110 P400 equipped with all its off-road goodies will go practically anywhere, then it gets top marks. However, the side-hinged tailgate isn’t ideal when loading items from the curb because its hinges are on the right side, effectively blocking easy access to where you want to be. [This, of course, isn’t a problem in Land Rover’s home market of the United Kingdom.–Ed.]

There’s a useful 786 L of storage behind the second-row seats, although the load floor is a long way up, and for a vehicle this size that’s not a whole lot of space. Fold the 60/40 split rear bench and cargo capacity opens up to 2,830 L. 

There’s a ton of useful storage up front, including a large dash tray ahead of the passenger, door pockets with bottle holders, a phone charge cubby and large covered bin on the centre console, plus a generous open space underneath. Max towing capacity for the Defender 110 P400 when properly equipped is 3,700 kg (8,157 lb), and if you’re wondering what the $1,427 side-mounted gear carrier is for, it’s a fine place to put your muddy boots after a pheasant hunt.

User-Friendliness: 7/10

The Land Rover Defender gets a standard 11.4-inch touchscreen that’s quick reacting with good graphics. Overall, it’s easy to negotiate, although voice commands were hit and miss during this test; radio requests were OK, but anything relating to navigation was a bust.

With the multi-tab home screen, one can call up all kinds of cool stuff like interior and exterior air quality, towing and trailer information, the trip computer, and, of course, the requisite off-road pallet showing axle articulation, differential lock info, wade sensing, altitude, compass heading, surface grade, and more. The system also supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The big electronic shift wand and glove-friendly multi-function HVAC dials that control cabin temperature, seat heat/ventilation, and fan speed are appreciated. The digital instrument display is sharp, and the Defender’s high seating position and tall greenhouse make for excellent forward and side visibility. The optional camera-based rearview mirror ($650) displays a rear-facing view that, while a bit strange at first, is better than the conventional mirror that’s obstructed by the spare wheel, not to mention any people or stuff in the back.

Features: 8/10

The Defender X-Dynamic SE trim tested here comes standard with 20-inch wheels, an excellent stereo, faux-leather seating surfaces, a heated steering wheel, wireless phone charger, integrated garage door opener, and more. As is the case with premium vehicles from across the pond, packages and options are all part of the buying experience, and this particular tester had more than $18,000 in upgrades.

Power: 8.5/10

Defender P400 models run with a 3.0L six-cylinder that utilizes an electric supercharger, a turbocharger, and a 48-volt mild hybrid system. With 395 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque, this smooth-running straight-six delivers instant grunt from anywhere in the rev range. It also generates a meaningful but not imposing growl. Yes, V8 power is available, and it adds a level of refinement and effortlessness to the Defender driving experience; but this six-cylinder is no slouch and ensures the heavy SUV never feels flat-footed.

Comfort: 8/10

The Defender 110 carries its passengers in calming comfort, showing refinement and a cabin surprisingly bereft of wind noise when considering this icon’s upright architecture. The ride quality is good, too, here fitted with optional air suspension and riding on high profile 19-inch all-terrain tires. The 12-way power-adjustable front seats are comfortable, and seat heat and ventilation levels are nicely calibrated. A heated steering wheel is standard, although somewhat surprisingly — at this price point, anyway — heat for the second row costs $500. This tester was also upgraded with tri-zone climate control ($400); an air quality sensor ($100); and an air purification system ($450). 

Driving Feel: 8.5/10

Vehicles with legitimate off-road capability are often compromised when it comes to on-road civility and dynamics. That’s not the case here, however. Sure, the Land Rover Defender is no Porsche Cayenne when it comes to road dynamics, but neither is it a crude lumbering oaf. Despite its ability to tackle the Rubicon Trail, the Defender is easily as happy on the highway, showing poise, stability, and good body control. What this tester didn’t like much was stop-and-go city traffic; the touchy throttle tip-in made it a jerky affair. Additionally, the auto stop-start function was abrupt.

Fuel Economy: 6/10

The Defender 110 P400 is tall, heavy, and thirsty for premium fuel — not that this should be any great surprise. Official numbers are 13.8 L/100 km in the city, 11.6 on the highway, and 12.8 combined. My wintry week netted an indicated average of 13.5 L/100 km.

Value: 7/10

No one is splashing out this kind of cash on a Land Rover Defender because it represents good value. Packages, upgrades, hood graphics, and external carriers? Bring ‘em on.

The Verdict

In this time of cookie-cutter SUVs and off-road posing, the 2025 Land Rover Defender is absolutely the real deal. There’s nothing like it — well, almost nothing — and that’s why this boxy Brit is universally loved and respected. But then it’s expensive, especially when layering on the posh upgrades and fitting it for ultimate off-road capability. Amazingly, there’s almost no compromise here. It plays the luxury card as well as the go-anywhere card. And if you need to outfit it to your taste, it’s all there — for a price, of course.