Land Rover Defender 2023: lineup enhanced for rugged off-roader, pricing starts at $90k

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Land Rover has announced its 2024 Defender lineup, offering buyers more options with a grand total of 21 variants to choose from. 

Pricing starts from $90,400 before on-road costs for the Defender 90 P300 and pushes out to as much as $237,900 before on-road costs for the flagship Defender 130 V8. 

Land Rover has introduced a V8-powered Defender 130 for the very first time, along with a new Outbound edition and a new plug-in hybrid Defender 110. 

A hard-working commercial Defender will also be available – called the Defender 110 Hard Top – that will cost buyers $110,000 before on-road costs. 

Australian deliveries of the 2024 Defender are expected to commence in November 2023. 

What is standard across the range of Defender variants for Australia?

There is a lot to understand when it comes to the range of Defender products that will be available in Australia.

Across all variants, the following feature highlights are standard:

• Eight-speed automatic transmission 
• All-wheel drive 
• Hill launch assist
• Hill descent control
• Emergency braking assist 
• Side-hinged tailgate
• Automatic headlights and rain-sensing wipers 
• Rubber flooring (for 90 and 110)
• Carpet flooring (130)
• Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity 
• Wireless phone charging 
• DAB radio 
• Tyre pressure monitoring 
• Push button start and keyless entry 

Key standard safety equipment across the range includes:

• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
• Lane keep assist 
• 360-degree camera
• Drive fatigue monitor 
• Blind-spot assist 
• Adaptive cruise control
• Rear collision monitor 
• Rear traffic monitor 

Which powertrains are offered with the 2023 Defender?

Several powertrains are available for the Land Rover Defender for 2024, with the newest addition being a plug-in hybrid drivetrain that produces combined power and torque outputs of 297kW/640Nm. 

This powertrain is available only for the 110 bodystyle of Defender and will allow owners to travel up to 52km in electric-only mode. Fuel economy is claimed to be as low as 3.4L/100km. 

But if a plug-in hybrid isn’t to your liking, there are several other engines available across the range of Defenders. 

The ‘entry’ engine in the Defender lineup is a 2.0-litre turbocharged Si4 four-cylinder petrol engine that produces outputs of 221kW/400Nm. 

Stepping up from the turbo-four is a 3.0-litre turbocharged petrol straight-six engine that produces 294kW/550Nm. A 3.0-litre turbo-diesel straight-six engine is also available with two different states of tune: either 183kW/570Nm or 221kW/650Nm. 

A 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine headlines the Defender range and is available in two slightly different states of tune: 368kW/610Nm or 386kW/625Nm. 

Hard Top, Outbound and 130 V8 join the range 

Land Rover will bring a suite of new variants to the table for the 2024 model year. 

The first new variant will be the Defender Hard Top, a more rugged, commercial-style version of the 110 that has been confirmed for Australia. 

Key features of this variant include independent coil-sprung suspension, lockable underfloor storage, optional three-person front seating, a towing capacity of up to 3500kg and Land Rover’s 3.0-litre turbo-diesel straight-six engine. The Hard Top is priced from $110,000 before on-road costs. 

The Defender 130 Outbound, meanwhile, is “an unprecedented combination of luxurious interior space and all-terrain capability”. 

Key features include Shadow Atlas Matt bumpers and grille insert, gloss black 20-inch alloy wheels, ‘Windsor’ leather interior, electronic air suspension and adaptive dynamics, a 900mm wading depth and towing for up to 3000kg. 

The Outbound can only be specced with a P400 Ingenium turbocharged petrol straight-six engine. 

Lastly, Land Rover has brought its iconic 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine to the Defender 130. Producing 368kW/610Nm, the Defender can sprint to 100km/h in a claimed 5.7 seconds. 

Standard equipment on the Defender 130 V8 includes a quad exhaust system, a sliding panoramic sunroof, matrix LED headlights, darkened tail lights and large 22-inch alloy wheels. 

Inside, the 130 V8 features 14-way heated and cooled driver seat, Windsor leather upholstery, a heated steering wheel, four-zone climate control, a Meridian sound system and a head-up display. Also included for the V8 is a 11.4-inch touchscreen, wireless phone charging and both wireless Apple Carplay and wireless Android Auto. 

Land Rover Defender 2023: prices in Australia

All prices listed are before on-road costs.

Defender 90:

• S P300: $90,400
• S D250: $97,700
• X-Dynamic SE P400: $112,400
• X P400: $148,450
• V8 P525: $221,550

Defender 110:

• S P300: $92,800
• S P400: $99,500
• Hard Top S D250: $110,000
• X-Dynamic SE D300: $108,250
• X-Dynamic P400: $115,650
• X-Dynamic P400e: $127,600
• X-Dynamic HSE D300: $123,050
• X-Dynamic HSE P400: $129,900
• X-Dynamic HSE P400e: $139,300
• X D300: $149,950
• X P400: $152,150
• V8 P525: $226,500

Defender 130:

• X-Dynamic SE D300: $128,200
• X-Dynamic SE P400: $138,400
• Outbound P400: $138,400
• V8 P500: $237,900