Land Rover Defender 90 2026 review

Despite being dubbed the Defender 90, this vehicle measures in at 101.9-inches (2587mm) of wheelbase. As it sits in this article, with a suite of factory options and accessories fitted, Land Rover’s list price for this Pangea Green example of the Defender 90 D250 S hits $121,000.

That means you are paying $1,187 per inch for this niche machine as tested. And that’s before you add on-road costs.

With that annoying fact out of the way, we still believe the Defender 90 is the one to get for serious off-roading, general appearance, and day-to-day living over the larger 110 and 130 Defender models.

The key to this vehicle is that it achieves a balance between operating as a civilised wagon to tootle around in daily, but like all Land Rovers it’s also incredibly capable when the going gets tough.

This is quite unlike vehicles such as Toyota’s 79 Series LandCruiser, Ineos Grenadier and even dare we say Jeep Wrangler, which are more or less one trick ponies. Instead, the Defender 90 is a bit of a Swiss army knife in comparison, one aiming for big off-road capability in a package that’s properly luxury laden on road.

For this review however, there will be more of a focus primarily on how the smallest (new) Defender handles off-road duties. We’ll dive deeper with the on-road characteristics a little further down the track.

How does the Defender 90 D250 S drive?

Powering the Defender 90 D250 S is a 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight six-cylinder diesel, with two intercoolers mounted in the front bumper for optimum airflow.

Performance wise, there’s a claimed figure of 183kW (at 4000rpm) and 570Nm (between 1250-2500rpm). These are solid numbers for a vehicle that, despite its short length, weighs in at a smidge over 2300kg.

The Defender has more than enough grunt for almost any situation we’ve found ourselves in, with a nice amount of torque from down low in their rev range. It’s not going to pin you back in your seat hard, but do you really want or need that?

An eight-speed automatic transmission has been included, which shifts smoothly on- and off-road. Further down stream is a traditional(ish) transfer case that sends drive to all four wheels.

The driveline also boasts low-range reduction, which can be selected via a simple push button on the centre console.

Those front mounted intercoolers, might appear a restriction for fitment of a solid bull bar for remote travel, though some aftermarket companies in Australia have caught up with strong and good looking bull bar options now available.

A key concern regarding the Defender platform’s Aussie touring credentials is a lack of a high-flow diesel filler. While this seems a minor point, you can use high-flow diesel pumps to refill the likes of a LandCruiser…

Not that you’ll need to fill up that often. On test, we saw fuel consumption as low as 6.9L/100 while highway cruising unladen – Land Rover quotes a combined claim of 8.1L/100km. Fuel capacity is listed as 90L, giving a potential range of around 1000km, or a real touring sweet spot.

Off-road, this vehicle is straight up let down by the highway terrain tyres and ludicrously large, optional 22-inch alloy wheels, though the standard-fit 19-inch wheels and tyre are vastly better suited for this task. On road, though, the big wheels don’t impact ride comfort much and provide plenty of grip, especially in the dry.

Suspension travel is limited due to all-wheel independent suspension as well as height adjustable air suspension. And on road it brings a nice polish around town or on the open road.

But while having height adjustable suspension is terrific if you need more ground clearance, unfortunately the end result is a potentially harsher ride and less articulation in the raised settings off-road. You can’t rob Peter to pay Paul, after all.

Traction control is first class, as is the low range reduction offered by the transfer case, which is simple to operate and quick to engage.

With some chunky rubber on proper smaller-diameter wheels, the Defender 90’s off-road capabilities would undoubtedly only be limited by your driving abilities and how much respect you have for your bank account.

How is the Defender 90 D250 S’s interior?

Modern, sleek yet simple in operation, this interior is a nice place to be, as well as being a rather functional space.

The centre mounted console houses all the switch gear, such as four-wheel-drive activation, and controls to lower or raise the air suspension. Everything is logical, intuitive and uncomplicated.

One oversight from the Land Rover team is the fact the rear seat doesn’t fold flat. This would make the cargo space far more usable.

There is some dubious advice out there online showing the removal of the lower seat cushion to allow the seat to fold down flatter, but why should (or would) you have to effectively disassemble the vehicle to make it fundamentally practical?

If the rear section did have a flat floor, the Defender 90 would be a far more suitable touring vehicle for a couple or very small family.

Thanks to the high ceiling, the Defender is essentially panel van shaped, giving you the ability to stack gear and luggage higher with a cargo barrier in place.

Storage behind the rear seat is also rather limited when the seat is in the upright position. We managed to fit a set of recovery boards, a full recovery kit and some UHF radios. That’s about it.

Forget about fitting a fridge and carrying five passengers at the same time for long touring adventures, basically.

A simple solution, if you want that sweet short-wheel-base life, would be to invest in a box trailer or even a camper trailer, and load that up with your adventure goodies.

The honest verdict

Do you really need a larger Defender 110? Or the even bigger brother Defender 130? Is perhaps the Defender 90 the one to get for smaller families, couples or solo adventurers?

For your reviewer’s tastes, the 90 is the one to grab. It looks the best in my opinion, and is the most fun to drive in technical terrain, though I don’t have kids, which makes the decision simpler in terms of practicality limitations.

What’s not so simple is coming to terms with the fact there’s $30,000 worth of optional extras on this vehicle, bringing the price tag up to an eye-watering $121,000 and counting.

Of the long list of available optional extras, it’s really the lovely Pangea Green in a satin finish that you can easily spot, which is a stunning colour choice on this retro inspired off-roader.

This is a vehicle that bridges the gap between tech and luxury, as well as off-road ability without sacrificing the experience on-road while getting to the tracks. Without real compromise, too.

In SWB guise, this is such a fun four-wheel drive to cruise around in, and is effortless on the highway too, with no wind noise to speak of.

If you have the money and don’t need the space of the longer versions, and want to hit the tracks in comfort, the Defender 90 has to be on your off-roading short list, with options fitted to your own tastes.