Competence and Capability: The 2025 Land Rover Defender 110 X-Dynamic SE

The press fleet works in mysterious ways. A quick explainer for the uninitiated:

Vehicle manufacturers keep fleets of test vehicles for automotive journalists, from independents like this site to the major magazines (Car and Driver, Motor Trend, Road & Track) and online outlets (U.S. News & World Report Cars* and Edmunds) in major cities around the country. (*Full disclosure: I have been a paid freelance review contributor to U.S. News & World Report Cars for almost two years.)

Mine come from the San Francisco fleets, managed by two top-tier companies, Page One Automotive and DriveShop. They maintain the vehicles, schedule journalists in them (usually a week at a time, sometimes longer, sometimes shorter), and deliver and retrieve them.

Press fleet vehicles are usually this year's model and sometimes we'll even get vehicles before they start showing up at dealers.

But, every now and then, when there are no meaningful changes from one year of a vehicle to the next (that's what's called a "carryover" year), last year's model will remain in the fleet.

And so, midway through calendar year 2026, that's why we have a 2025 Land Rover Discovery. The '26 is fundamentally unchanged, and I'll update pricing when we get to the end of the review.

I've been a big fan of the "new" Defender, which is now (incredibly) in its seventh model year. I was marveling at how right they got the design the last time I drove a Defender 110 more than two years ago. I've also reviewed the two-door Defender 90 and the long-wheelbase Defender 130 and I'm not tired or bored yet. Far from it, the Defender still elicits a big grin when it shows up on my calendar, a larger one when it shows up in my driveway, and a massive one during the week I'm at the wheel.

The Defender 110 X-Dynamic SE's standard engine is a 395-horsepower 3.0-liter V6, but for a fairly significant upcharge ($23,900), you can have one with a 493-horsepower supercharged V8. Top speed leaps from 119 miles per hour to 149, while 0-60 times dip from 6.2 seconds to 5.0.

There is a fuel economy penalty to be paid---the V6's EPA-estimated 18 mpg city/22 highway drops to 14 city/18 highway with the V8.

In a family built on a heritage of go-anywhere adventure, the Defender is perhaps the brand's most capable, with 11.5 inches of ground clearance, configurable terrain response with dynamic programming, a rear electronic active differential, all-terrain progress control, adaptive dynamics air suspension, and one of the best 360-degree camera systems I've ever seen so that you know exactly what is or isn't at any corner or edge of the vehicle:

In everyday use, the Defender 110, regardless of trim level, offers a just-right blend of practicality and luxury.

There's 34 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second-row seats and 78.8 cubic feet with that row folded down.

Rear seat legroom is a generous 38.4 inches, headroom is maximized by the upright sides of the body and the quality of materials is top-notch.

The base price of the 2026 Land Rover Defender 110 X-Dynamic SE with the V8 engine is $99,100---$101,050 including destination. That money buys a long list of standard equipment (see the window sticker at the end of this review).

Our test vehicle did have a pretty lengthy list of extra-cost options as well, including the Towing Pack (tow hitch receiver and advanced tow assist) for $1,300, three-zone climate control with rear cooling assist for $1,100, a head-up display for $1,000, the Gondwana Stone exterior paint for $950, Ebony Windsor leather seats with ebony interior and the Premium Upgrade Interior Pack (leather steering wheel, extended leather upgrade, 14-way heated and cooled memory front seats and leather gearshift) for $2,400, Wi-Fi enabled with data plan for $360, 20-inch 5-spoke Satin Dark Grey wheels for $200, an air quality sensor for $100, an emergency pack for $75, the Extended Black Exterior Pack for $1,310, the Premium Interior Protection and Storage Pack for $720, the Black Wheel Protection Pack for $575, a body-colored spare wheel cover for $400, Cabin Air Purification Plus for $450 and the Handover Pack (your keys in a box) for $28.

That brings the total as-tested price to $112,018.

And yeah, that's a chunk of money. But the Land Rover Defender is a premium product, and a supremely capable one at that. There are other similarly-sized off-road machines on the market, but there is no exact, direct competitor.

NOTE: Our test vehicle was a 2025. 2026 pricing changes for an identical vehicle include the base price (now $99,100), Towing Pack (now $1,300), the Ebony Windsor Leather seats with Ebony Interior combined with the Premium Upgrade Interior Pack (now $2,400), and Cabin Air Purification Plus (now $450). 2026 total, including destination: $112,018.

2026 Land Rover Defender 110 X-Dynamic SE V8 at a glance:

Price: $99,100 base/$112,018 as tested

Engine: 5.0-liter V8

Horsepower: 493

Torque: 450 lb-ft

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Curb Weight: 5,700 lbs (approx.)

0-60 Acceleration (Motor Trend estimate): 5.0 seconds

EPA Fuel Economy Estimate: 14 mpg city/18 mpg highway

Fuel tank capacity: 23.8 gallons

EPA Range Estimate: N/A