2022 Land Rover Defender 90 V8 AWD Review
Small efficient cars are great, electric ones are even better. But even so, big muscular cars will always have a special charm to them, especially if they have an equally big roaring engine under the hood. And the new Land Rover Defender 90 V8 represents that exactly. An SUV with an imposing personality and great power.
This V8 is a 5.0-liter monster, capable of producing 518 horsepower and 625 pound-feet of torque, adding 123 hp and 219 lb.-ft. to the well-known 3.0-liter mild-hybrid I6 found in previous models.
So, despite the weight increase in this new defender model, which weighs around 400-pound more than the Defender 90 X, we find that the power increase resulted in an impressive improvement in speed and acceleration, bring it down to 4.9 seconds, a whole second less than the D90’s.
Those may seem like just abstract numbers, but in reality, you can truly feel them just by nailing down that gas pedal on a straight road, the acceleration and the engine noise will get the adrenalin pumping in your veins, especially when you remember that you’re pushing the same engine under the hood of a Jaguar the F-Type sports car.
Land rover added a Dynamic mode to this new defender’s Terrain Response system, which improves immensely the throttle response. It has also an electronic limited-slip rear differential and larger antiroll bars which has a decent effect on the car’s ability to cut corners, an aspect considered as one of the defenders flaws especially when you take in consideration the car’s tall proportions and short wheelbase.
The Land Rover Defender 90 runs on 22-inch wheels, wearing standard Continental CrossContact all-season tires which offer a decent grip on the road. Behind those, your brake pedal commands 14.9-inch front and 14.3-inch rear brake rotors. This combination is just enough for the main roads, not well suited for off-road adventures which the defender is usually known for.
But, if off-road exploration is part of your plans, land rover won’t let you down, for $350 more, it offers a smaller 20-inch wheel option with off-road tires. Giving you the absolute liberty to conquer any rough train ahead of you, especially with the improved suspension that gives you 11.4 inches clearing.
In term of modification, land rover doesn’t offer much, besides the tires option mentioned previously, costumers also have Country Pack ($2,200) option which gets you mud flaps and underbody protection, and the Extended Black Exterior Pack ($1,200) darkens much of the outside trim. but The car is still sadly limited to 3 colors only, White, Black and Grey.
You don’t have much of a choice when it comes to the interior too, maybe because land rover thinks that it has delivered all that’s necessary already. So, they only offer you the choice between black or tan upholstery, the seats are extremely comfortable, with more than enough space and legroom for both front and back seats, with a decent number of storage compartments. The Pivi Pro infotainment system is completely new, and it runs on a 10-inch touchscreen.
The Defender 90 technology is completely focused on the V8 engine, it has a Full-speed adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, a 3D surround-view camera system, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assist and traffic sign recognition, a full set of drive assistance technologies to make your trip as smooth as possible.
The limited customization options can be a bit disappointing for some, especially when you compare it to some rival all-terrain SUVs, but the Defender’s capabilities especially boosted by the V8 engine more than compensate for the downsides. The price is set to $105,750 for the base trim, including $1,350 for destination which is fairly reasonable for a similar car.
If you’re familiar with Coverking than you will know that factory customization options don’t matter that much. Because you have Coverking to cover that aspect, with an extremely varied line of car care products, you can find all what you need to customize your car’s interior looks and keep it safe and protected from all dangers that can ruin it.
A muscular car like the Defender needs equally strong looking car covers, you can find that and more in Coverking’s inventory, we have custom-made, perfect fit car covers, designed specifically to fit your car’s make and model, you can protect your car’s exterior, seats, dashboard and even floors, while still having the freedom to choose from many color and pattern options.
