Auto NSider | 2022 Land Rover Defender 90 V8

Yes…what if you had the power to take a solid block of granite and shape it into the body of a classic SUV…give it over 500 HP…enough to bash through brick walls…or climb over them if you’d prefer...and then soften up the inside with suede, sound and safety features.

If you could, you’d have something similar to our test Land Rover Defender.

It might seem like Land Rover has more models than The Cheescake Factory has entrees, so let me simplify.    They’re all rugged, but the Defender is their Toughest Tough Guy.   This is the one that most clearly shows its roots.

From the extremely short front and real overhangs…giving the Defender mountain goat climbing angles…to its classic sidelights in the roof, this is the Land Rover that pokes you in the ribs and says “Let’s Go!”

The mid $50’s 3.0 liter Defender 90 is one of the world’s better adventure vehicles for the price.

From there it just becomes a matter of how fast do you want to go and how much do you need to tow?   Oh…and how comfy do you want to be…and do you need two rows or three?

Again, the 90 is the two-door Defender.   They also offer a 110 with four doors and two rows…and a 130 with four doors and three rows.

We got to test one of the toughest of the Tough Guys…the V-8 Defender 90 with a just-over-six-figure window sticker.   What did that get us?   Just about everything that anyone would need to saddle up…face the most challenging terrain that they’ve ever encountered…and say “OK…I got this”.

Let’s start with a 518 HP 5.0 V-8 with 461 ft-lbs of torque.   That’s enough to tow 8,200 lbs.   What’ll it do?   Oh…just the usual stuff…like climb mountains…ford running rivers up to 35” deep…go 0-60 in less than 5 seconds…and go 149 MPH.   Stuff like that.

You’ll have a twin-speed transfer case, of course, plus Land Rover’s configurable Terrain Response that sets your air-suspension to give you the best combination of grip and “go” for just about any condition.

Another feature that a loaded Defender brings to the game is a “see-through hood”…and a see-through rear if your load area is stacked to the roof.    It’s a series of cameras…front / back / roof-mounted…that give you a real up-close and personal look at what you’re about to try to climb over…and what’s behind you as well.

But the Defender is not all about mud.   You’ll have heated and ventilated “suede” cloth, 700-watt Meridian Sound, nav, rear privacy glass, and a panoramic sunroof.

Again, this is a serious machine.   If you take it out clubbin’ on Saturday night, you’re likely to roll up with a bit of mud on the side, but if the valet knows their stuff, you’ll probably still get front-row parking