What is it? The Defender 130 V8 is a Land Rover to you and me. To parent company JLR, it’s now a separate brand alongside Discovery (which is the other current “Land Rover”, also declared its own brand in 2023). The Defender is the toughest machine in the modern JLR fleet, the direct descendent of the original bare-as-bones Landie, though now a lot sleeker and more luxurious. The 130 is the longest version, available with up to eight seats. Like all Defenders, it has all-wheel-drive.
What does it cost? From $129,365 plus on-road costs in 3-litre turbodiesel form, but $216,197 (plus on-road costs) as the top-spec V8 we sampled. Our car had two captain’s chairs in the centre row, reducing it to a seven-seater though providing easier access to the rear seats (a $1930 option). It also had a very attractive Carpathian Exterior Pack, with a combination of matte grey paint and high-gloss black panels ($2400).
