Land Rover has finally revealed the all-new Defender with a V8 engine. Meanwhile, this 5.0-litre Supercharged ‘AJ’ V8 engine is capable of producing a massive 525HP which makes it the most powerful offering on a Defender till now. It will be available on both two-door 90 and four-door 110 models. Also, there will be several additional cosmetic tweaks and features that the British carmaker has introduced on the Land Rover Defender V8.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Land Rover has finally revealed the Defender series with a V8 engine.
- It will be powered by a 5.0-litre supercharged ‘AJ’ V8 petrol motor.
- This powerful engine is capable of churning a massive 518HP.
Design & Exterior
Both the Defender 90 V8 and 110 V8 now feature a sportier bonnet hood, quad exhausts, 22-inch alloy wheels and LED headlamps with DRLs for an upmarket look. Also, there are these Xenon Blue brake calipers and 20-inch disc brakes that amplify braking performance to another level. The 2022 Land Rover Defender V8 will also get multiple color schemes to choose from including Yulong White, Santorini Black and Carpathian Grey. Further, there are two new exterior packs available on the V8 trim. The list includes Bright Pack, Extended Bright Pack and Extended Black Pack for some minor cosmetic updates.
Land Rover has also introduced a special Carpathian Edition which will now act as the top-end variant. It comes finished with Carpathian Grey while the tailgate, bonnet and roof get a Narvik Black finishing.
Interior
Inside the cabin, it is available with an 11.4-inch Pivi Pro touchscreen infotainment system, wireless charging pad, chrome paddle shifters, 4-spoke steering wheel with Alcantara finishing and Ebony Windson leather upholstery among others. Also, safety features such as multiple airbags, terrain response system, ESC and rearview camera will come as standard across the entire trim. Apart from these changes, the all-new Defender V8 remains similar to what the company offers on the regular one.
Engine & Performance
The engine that powers the all-new SUV is a 5.0-litre Supercharged ‘AJ’ V8 petrol unit. It is capable of producing a massive 518HP and 625Nm of peak torque while being mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox. However, in terms of performance, the powerful Defender V8 can do a 0-100kmph sprint in just 5.2 seconds. Also, the top speed of the all-new SUV is electronically limited to 240kmph.
Apart from all this, the SUV is now mechanically tuned in such a way that has resulted in a sharpened throttle response massively. Further, it will also feature bigger anti-roll bars with a yaw controller for better cornering.
Price & Alternatives
Land Rover has priced the 2022 Defender V8 at £98,505 onwards in the UK. However, the British carmaker has not made any official announcement regarding its launch in India yet. Currently, there are no direct rivals of the Land Rover Defender V8 in India. However, Jaguar F-Pace SVR comes with the same 5.0-litre Supercharged ‘AJ’ V8 motor. Therefore, it will be competing against the likes of the all-new Defender globally. The engine on the F-Pace SVR is tuned in such a way that it produces a massive 550HP alongside a peak torque of 700Nm. Also, it can also do a 0-100kmph sprint in just 4 seconds.