As you’d expect of defenders in a sports game lineup, the Defender is the most rugged and physical player on JLR’s lineup. It is also one of the best in the entire off-road SUV league. Defender is a classic nameplate that the manufacturer discontinued in 2016 and reintroduced in 2019 with a reimagined version. But unlike the workhorse original Defender, the new generation is interested in how the job is done as much as getting it done.
The 2025 Defender caters to all kinds of appetites. There’s enough chops for Defender purists who desire to spin some rocks, and there’s some magic reserved for the pavement. Although the new generation Defender has continued with one of the primary recipes for an offroader—a squared-off profile—the 2025 model has particularly doubled down on luxury and offers key upgrades. Here’s what we think about the 2025 JLR Defender.
Ruthless Bruiser: Options Galore
While the 2025 Defender has many selling points, its storied off-road prowess is the first on the list and probably most important to anyone considering owning one. There are four engine options with different specs depending on the model, and they are all powerful enough to defend the Defender’s reputation. The standard engine is a 296hp 2.0 liter 4-cylinder turbocharged powerplant, while the most potent one is a 626hp 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 exclusive to the Defender 110 Octa. The following are the engine options and their specs.
| Engine | HP | Top Speed (mph) | 0-60 mph (secs) |
| Turbocharged 2.0 Litre 4-cylinder | 296 | 119 | 6.7 |
| Turbocharged 3.0 Litre 6-cylinder MHEV | 395 | 119 | 5.7 |
| Supercharged 5.0 Litre V8 | 518 | 149 | 4.9 |
| Twin Turbo 4.4 Litre V8 MHEV | 626 | 155 | 3.8 |
All engine options pair with an 8-speed automatic transmission, and AWD is standard across all trims.
Beyond the powertrain, the Defender has some performance-focused features, mostly available in packs. The Off-Road pack, for example, adds electronic active differential, all-terrain tires, and wade sensing to your SUV for an extra $1,735. Also, all models ride on a fully independent suspension, but electronic air suspension with adaptive dynamics is available for an extra $1600. The Octa is the most powerful and capable of all Defenders to date. It comes standard with the new 6D Dynamics air suspension and an exclusive OCTA driving mode for improved performance off-road. Usually, gearheads expect pedestrian steering precision and on-road performance from a dedicated offroader but be ready for a Defender surprise because it drives like a luxury SUV.
A Statement of Splendor
The Defender Cabin is a statement that JLR is more interested now than ever in delivering a plush ride with the offroader. JLR achieves this by taking the Defender’s interior as close as possible to the rest of its lineup. But it has enough features to remind you it’s an unreserved bruiser. For example, the height-adjusting suspension and numerous grab handles promise to keep you in place on the trails.
The touchscreen display rests on the dashboard at the center. Below it sits the leather gearshift and a few controls. Positioning the gearshift away from the center console creates more storage space and a fit for twin cupholders around the center console. All trims come standard with heated steering, but the entry trims feature leather-wrapped steering, while some higher trims have suede cloth steering. The seats are finished in high-quality leather, except for trims combining leather and suede cloth. Determined to put you in a good mood, the Defender features impressive cabin lighting and footwell lights. Also, the 2-door and 4-door models offer generous space for sufficient legroom and headroom on all rows. What’s more? A standard sliding panoramic sunroof oversees the entire cabin.
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Connectivity & Tech
The 2025 Defender comes standard with a 12.3-inch interactive driver display, and we expect all models to sport an 11.4-inch touchscreen display that runs JLR’s new Pivi Pro interface. A head-up Display projecting key information to the windshield is available, as is a digital rearview for a live video feed. The infotainment system is compatible with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
Standard driver-assist technology includes wade sensing, emergency braking, a 3D surround camera, adaptive cruise control, and a driver condition monitor. Depending on the selected model and configuration, many additional driver-assist features are available.
Models, Trims, And What to Get
There are three body size options: Defender 90, 110, and 130. The Defender 90 is the most purist of them. It has two doors and can accommodate 5, but you can include a front jump seat for six passengers. The Defender 110 also has two rows but with four doors. However, a third-row configuration is available to accommodate seven passengers. The Defender 130 is the big guy on the block with an extended wheelbase and three rows to accommodate up to 8 passengers. Captain chair configuration is available on the second row (7 passengers), and you can go for the Defender 130 Outbound trim that takes out the third row for a bigger cargo space.
The following are the body styles, their trims, and starting prices.
- Defender 90: Defender S ($56,900), Defender X-Dynamix SE (68,500), Defender V8 (109,800).
- Defender 110: Defender S (60,800), Defender X-Dynamic SE (72,100), Defender X (91,800), Defender V8 (113,500).
- Defender 130: Defender S (69,700), Defender X-Dynamic SE (81,400), Defender X (100,900), Defender V8 (118,900), Defender Outbound (85,500)
Note: We omitted the Defender 110 Octa (152,000) because it is yet to be available.
Most Defender trims are tempting, making it difficult to pick one above the rest. However, intending buyers with an unnegotiable taste for 2-door offroad purism only have Defender 90 on their list. If the criteria is unbridled power, just about any of the V8 options would do the trick. However, while we like the idea of an offroader being a complete bruiser, we want to take advantage of the luxury and some of the high-end offerings of the Defender. Therefore, we will go for one of the Defender 110 trims—preferably the Defender 110 X to keep things under $100,000.
Off-Road Competition
The Defender easily competes in different market sectors. For example, its refined interior makes it creep into the Luxury SUV sector. Also, the Defender 130’s extended wheelbase and space put it in the Full-Size and Family SUV categories. However, we view the Defender as a dedicated offroader before anything else. Also, considering it offers both 2-door and 4-door varieties, its competition is mainly the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler.
Regarding powertrain potency, the Ford Bronco falls a bit short because it does not have a V8 option. Even the 2024 Wrangler’s most powerful engine, the 470-hp V8, falls short of the Defender’s 518-hp V8. However, the Defender’s base trim starts at least $20,000 more than the Bronco and Wrangler. The highest trims on the Bronco and Wrangler start at around $90,000, while the Defender’s is at $118,900 (Not considering the OCTA). The wide gap in pricing between the Defender and the rest of the competition is arguably because the former offers more in terms of luxury and on the pavement (the others are more into offroad duty). Still, the Defender’s pricing would be a reason for few people to consider other options as intending buyers may not see a justification for the $20k difference in the starting price. Also, people considering the high-end Defenders for more luxury may consider other Land Rovers like the Range Rover since they fall in the same price category. But none of this matters to the Defender faithful, who, rightly so, view the SUV as a cult classic with a reputation for retaining value.
Gabriel Olakunori
Gabriel likes to argue (blindly) that SUVs are a part of nature, but he seems to have a point whenever you walk in the snow, through the bone-dry desert, splendid park-like boulevard, plains, and rocky roads. He has over five years of experience writing across a broad spectrum of topics, with quite a number in the automotive industry. If he is not at the desk w̶r̶i̶t̶i̶n̶g̶ having fun, he is at the wheel d̶r̶i̶v̶i̶n̶g̶ having fun. Both activities take him to the same destination: Utopia. He loves SUVs simply because they are all-inclusive, but he cannot turn down an offer to drive or write about any vehicle.
