Land Rover Defender 90 review

Driving position 

The word ‘commanding’ comes to mind when we think about the Defender’s driving position. 

Because you sit so high above everyone else, it feels like piloting a ship. You get a great view of what’s ahead of you, but not much else. 

There’s a sizeable blind spot when merging onto roads and not much in the way of rear visibility. Thankfully our test car came fitted with the digital rear-view mirror, which helps. 

While this isn’t ideal, it’s something most off-roaders struggle with, and the big windows of the Defender make it less of an issue than in other cars. 

The seats themselves are very comfy and electronically adjustable, heated, and cooled, because why not? 

The same goes for the steering wheel, which is well-sized, has plenty of adjustment is made of a nice material and has easy-to-use buttons on it. 

Tech and features 

We think Land Rover has nailed the interior. In a world of massive touchscreens and no proper buttons, the new Defender is a breath of fresh air. 

In the centre of the dash is an 11.4-inch touchscreen that runs the latest Pivi Pro software. It’s incredibly crisp and simple to use. Plus, it gets wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, making it easy to jump in and go. 

Below the display the best bit though. There's a series of buttons and dials that control everything from the temperature and heated seats to the off-road modes and automatic start/stop. 

It’s a pleasant change to have physical controls in a modern car, and Land Rover has done this to make it easier for drivers wearing gloves – how thoughtful. 

Other mod-cons include a wireless phone charger, USB-C ports and a superb Meridian sound system. 

Engines and power 

The Defender comes with a few different engine options. You can choose between petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid – most of which are 3.0-litre six-cylinder units. Petrol heads might prefer the V8 or the top-spec Octa, which has a massive 635hp V8 under the bonnet. 

Our test car has the engine we think suits the Defender the most – the D350 3.0-litre, six-cylinder diesel engine. 

This gets, you guessed it, 350hp and a whopping 700Nm of torque, which can handle day-to-day driving and is primed for the occasional off-road stint too. 

Mated to this is a smooth eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox, which is so smooth, you barely even notice a change in gear. Go for one of the plug-in hybrids, and you won’t hear a thing when driving on battery power alone. 

Thanks to these impressive stats, it handles both towns and motorways with ease and joining from slip roads and junctions are a breeze. 

Handling and ride comfort 

Around town, there’s no hiding the fact that the Defender is massive – even the smallest 90 body shape, go for a 110 or 130, and parking gets even tighter. 

We found parking in town, or any car park for that matter, a bit stressful – even with 360-degree cameras. If you’re coming from a much smaller car, it’ll take some getting used to. 

The motorway is a very different story, and we were surprised at how well it drove at high speeds. Because you sit higher than anyone else, your view of the road ahead is crystal clear, and the power was always on tap. There’s quite a lot of wind noise when you go beyond 60mph, and this is because it’s essentially a slightly curved brick on wheels, but that brilliant sound system easily drowns it out. 

Out in the countryside is where the Defender is at its happiest – bumbling along in the Cotswolds is what it was made to do. 

It’s even pretty capable around a twisty road. Not that it matters, mind. We’d much rather pootle along at a steady pace and take in the scenery like Land Rover intended. 

It's one of those experiences that’s hard to top. You can’t help but feel joyful in a Defender. Sunset, countryside, windows down, wind tickling your arm hairs, and a Land Rover is all you really need. 

Off-roading 

Now onto the muddy stuff. 

Because of its long history of off-roading and incredible credentials, a Defender simply gives you confidence off the beaten track. 

To help you is an ‘intelligent Terrain Response System’ with a selection of modes to pick from. We’d recommend leaving it in Auto and let the car figure it out, but there’s: Rock Crawl, General Driving, Grass, Gravel and Snow, Mud and Ruts, Auto, and Sand if you want to choose. 

In our short time on the green lanes, we saw firsthand just how good the Defender is. Across a mixture of grass, gravel and sand, it didn’t bat an eyelid, even with standard road tyres. 

And you can do all of this with the air-con on, your cooled seat cranked up, and an iced coffee to hand. 

Boot space 

Unfortunately, this is where the Defender 90 falls short. It gets 397 litres of narrow boot space when measured to the ceiling, 240 litres to the top of the seats. Fold the rear seats down and this grows to 1,563 litres. 

That’s why we’d recommend upgrading to the Defender 110 with 1,075 litres of boot space or trying one of its five-door rivals, such as the INEOS Grenadier (1,255 litres) or Jeep Wrangler (533 litres), if boot space is your priority. 

Rear seats 

The rear seats of a Defender 90 aren’t exactly spacious for adults either. You sit quite high up, so even headroom isn’t the best, but you do get two cupholders and 40:20:40 folding seats, so it’s not all bad. 

On shorter drives, adults under six foot won’t have too many problems, and children will love it back there because it’s the ultimate adventure car. 

But if you do need more space, go for a 110 or 130. 

Storage solutions 

Boot space might be lacking, but you do get some nifty storage options.  

For starters, there’s a large area above the glovebox to store bottles, etc., and even the glovebox itself is a decent size. 

The door bins are solid, but not the biggest we’ve ever seen, and there’s a handy spot for the driver to store the keys to the right side of the steering wheel.  

Towing 

Land Rovers have some of the best towing capacities in the world. In fact, it’s a rule that every Land Rover should be able to tow at least two tonnes, and the Defender sticks to that and then some. 

It’s rated at up to 3,500kg (750kg for unbraked trailers), so it can tow almost anything you’d need. 

Our car has the optional electronically deployable tow bar that tucks away under the rear bumper. Then, when it’s needed, it clicks into place at the push of a button in just 12 seconds. 

Safety 

Car companies take safety very seriously, and Land Rover is no different. 

The Defender holds a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating thanks to its wide range of onboard safety features. 

Part of this is also thanks to its size, construction and trusty four-wheel drive system, but it also comes from the tech. 

All models have autonomous emergency braking that can detect pedestrians, blind-spot monitoring and a 360-degree camera system. 

It also gets the standard bings and bongs all new cars now come with, but they aren’t too intrusive here. The speed limit alert only sounds once, and lane-keep assist is easily turned off with a button on the steering wheel. 

Fuel economy 

If you’re buying a Defender because you want the best fuel efficiency in your town, you may want to reconsider your options. 

The petrol engines officially get up to 26mpg, while the diesels are rated at around 33mpg. 

In our testing with the D350 on a mixture of road types, we saw an average fuel consumption of 26mpg, which is poor for a diesel engine. 

Reliability 

Land Rover used to have a bit of a shaky past when it comes to reliability, but things are much better nowadays. 

During our time with the car, we saw no issues, and customers overall are satisfied with newer Defenders. 

Every new Land Rover comes with a standard three-year/unlimited-mile warranty, and you can add cinchCover when you buy a used Defender from cinch for some extra protection.