A Week With: 2026 Land Rover Defender 110 P500 X-Dynamic SE

With a legacy going back to 1948, the Land Rover Defender serves as the marque’s most utilitarian offering. Constructed using World War II surplus military materials, the vehicle that eventually came to be known as the Defender is recognized as being the world’s first civilian 4×4.

Sold in more than 150 countries, it has been said the contemporary Defender’s forebears were often the first automobiles many people ever saw. So does this version of the Defender live up to its heritage? We spent a week with the Land Rover Defender 110 P500 X-Dynamic SE to find out.

Referred to as the L663, the current Defender was introduced at the 2019 Frankfurt Auto Show as a 2020 model, the Defender is currently offered in three basic model designations — 90, 110 and 130. The two-door Defender 90 is the short wheelbase version. The 110 is the standard iteration, while the 130 is the three-row extended length model. Styled with crisp lines that pay homage to its past; while looking thoroughly modern, Land Rover’s Defender is functional, capable and bristling with upmarket features.

Powertrains and Fuel Economy

“My” Defender was also fitted with the P500 powertrain, which consists of a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 tuned to produce 493 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm and 450 lb-ft of torque @ 2,500. The four-wheel drive system uses an eight-speed automatic transmission with overdrive and locking differentials.

The people at the EPA, whose job it is to come up with these figures, estimate the Defender 110 P500 X-Dynamic SE to be capable of delivering 14 mpg in the city, 18 on the highway and 16 overall. This proved reasonably accurate, as I averaged 15.7 mpg in a mix of highway, city and trail excursions.

Interior Accommodations

Outfitted with what Land Rover refers to as its Premium Upgrade Interior pack — a $1,615 option —my Defender featured a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a leather wrapped shift knob and extended leather upholstery (which included the dash and door panels). Heat and ventilation for the front seats — along with memory function — completed the package.

Little has changed since the L663 Defender’s introduction back in 2019. Which is fine because the interior architecture remains at once robust and classy. Details such as exposed rivets and a dash-spanning magnesium structural beam telegraph the L663’s ruggedness.

The HVAC controls, ignition switch, drive mode selector and transmission shift lever are mounted on a trapezoidal peninsula, which serves as the center stack. The optional 11.4-inch infotainment digital display, offset nicely by the Defender logo embossed in the dash to its right, serve as the focal point of the dash.

At once plush and robust, the seats are supportive with just the right degree of firmness. Legroom, shoulder room and headroom are good at all four primary seating positions. In typical Land Rover fashion, the seats are mounted on a raised platform, which ensures exceptional outward visibility. However, the Defender’s 20.5-inch step-in height proved challenging for the lovely, talented and good humored 5’4” Mrs. Me.

Fitted with Land Rover’s adaptive air suspension system, the Defender could be lowered to its 18.5” access height. However, it was still a bit of a struggle for her. So I picked up a lightweight collapsible stepstool at Home Goods to resolve that concern. Mildly resentful of it at first, she eventually came to appreciate the convenience it afforded her. The good news is Land Rover does offer deployable sidesteps as an option.

Comfort, Convenience & Safety Tech

Land Rover’s Pivi Pro infotainment operating system offers handsome graphics, ready decipherability and fast responses. Pivi Pro also accepts over the air software updates. CarPlay and Android compatibility are standard, as is navigation. The Meridian surround sound audio system offers 700 watts of power for crisp clean sound, even at elevated volume.

Standard driver assistance tech includes automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection as well as lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist and adaptive cruise control with stop and go capability. A 3D surround camera system and a 360-degree parking aid, along with blind-spot assist are also standard.

Rear-traffic monitoring, traffic-sign recognition and driver-condition monitoring are standard as well. Optional features include a head-up display and cabin air purification.

Driving Impressions

As mentioned previously, the P500 Defender is powered by a 493-hp supercharged V8. Nailing the throttle from a standing start, the second hand on my Omega Speedmaster swept past the five second mark just as the Defender hit 60. This was a remarkable occurrence, considering the Defender weighs 5,735 pounds.

The fully independent suspension system gave the Defender a comfortable ride on the highway with significant agility on challenging roads. Steering was responsive, braking was reassuring and the Rover exhibited minimal body roll in turns. In other words, the L663 Defender proved more than competent on the road.

Off road, the Land Rover mastered every type of terrain I encountered. It crawled over rocks, slogged through mud and forded steams with determined proficiency. According to Land Rover’s specifications, the Defender is capable of fording streams up to three feet deep. While I didn’t encounter anything that extreme, the Land Rover gave me every reason to believe it capable of doing so with ease.

In Summary

The Land Rover Defender offers handsome styling, outstanding offroad capability, and competence on pavement. What’s more, its interior treatment proves utility and elegance can co-exist. These traits give the Defender a unique selling proposition.

Of course, as you might imagine, all of this does bring an elevated price tag. With a base price of $95,000, the Land Rover Defender 110 P500 X-Dynamic SE’s base price is $95,000. Price as tested was $107,478.