The Defender range in Australia is more expansive than ever, with new variants and powertrains for the 2024 model year
- What is standard across the range of Defender variants for Australia?
- Which powertrains are offered with the 2023 Defender?
- Hard Top, Outbound and 130 V8 join the range
- Land Rover Defender 2023: prices in Australia
Land Rover has announced its 2024 Defender lineup, offering buyers more options with a grand total of 21 variants to choose from.
Pricing starts from $90,400 before on-road costs for the Defender 90 P300 and pushes out to as much as $237,900 before on-road costs for the flagship Defender 130 V8.
Land Rover has introduced a V8-powered Defender 130 for the very first time, along with a new Outbound edition and a new plug-in hybrid Defender 110.
The new Land Rover Defender 110 Hard Top
A hard-working commercial Defender will also be available – called the Defender 110 Hard Top – that will cost buyers $110,000 before on-road costs.
Australian deliveries of the 2024 Defender are expected to commence in November 2023.
What is standard across the range of Defender variants for Australia?
There is a lot to understand when it comes to the range of Defender products that will be available in Australia.
The new Land Rover Defender P400e plug-in hybrid
Across all variants, the following feature highlights are standard:
- Eight-speed automatic transmission
- All-wheel drive
- Hill launch assist
- Hill descent control
- Emergency braking assist
- Side-hinged tailgate
- Automatic headlights and rain-sensing wipers
- Rubber flooring (for 90 and 110)
- Carpet flooring (130)
- Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity
- Wireless phone charging
- DAB radio
- Tyre pressure monitoring
- Push button start and keyless entry
The Land Rover Defender 130 Outbound looks pretty tough!
Key standard safety equipment across the range includes:
- Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
- Lane keep assist
- 360-degree camera
- Drive fatigue monitor
- Blind-spot assist
- Adaptive cruise control
- Rear collision monitor
- Rear traffic monitor
Which powertrains are offered with the 2023 Defender?
The Defender is available with a supercharged 5.0-litre V8 engine
Several powertrains are available for the Land Rover Defender for 2024, with the newest addition being a plug-in hybrid drivetrain that produces combined power and torque outputs of 297kW/640Nm.
This powertrain is available only for the 110 bodystyle of Defender and will allow owners to travel up to 52km in electric-only mode. Fuel economy is claimed to be as low as 3.4L/100km.
But if a plug-in hybrid isn’t to your liking, there are several other engines available across the range of Defenders.
Plug-in hybrid can travel 50km in electric-only mode
The ‘entry’ engine in the Defender lineup is a 2.0-litre turbocharged Si4 four-cylinder petrol engine that produces outputs of 221kW/400Nm.
Stepping up from the turbo-four is a 3.0-litre turbocharged petrol straight-six engine that produces 294kW/550Nm. A 3.0-litre turbo-diesel straight-six engine is also available with two different states of tune: either 183kW/570Nm or 221kW/650Nm.
A 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine headlines the Defender range and is available in two slightly different states of tune: 368kW/610Nm or 386kW/625Nm.
The Defender Outbound is new to the range for 2024
Hard Top, Outbound and 130 V8 join the range
Land Rover will bring a suite of new variants to the table for the 2024 model year.
The first new variant will be the Defender Hard Top, a more rugged, commercial-style version of the 110 that has been confirmed for Australia.
Key features of this variant include independent coil-sprung suspension, lockable underfloor storage, optional three-person front seating, a towing capacity of up to 3500kg and Land Rover’s 3.0-litre turbo-diesel straight-six engine. The Hard Top is priced from $110,000 before on-road costs.
Hard Top Defender is more commercial focused
The Defender 130 Outbound, meanwhile, is “an unprecedented combination of luxurious interior space and all-terrain capability”.
Key features include Shadow Atlas Matt bumpers and grille insert, gloss black 20-inch alloy wheels, ‘Windsor’ leather interior, electronic air suspension and adaptive dynamics, a 900mm wading depth and towing for up to 3000kg.
The Outbound can only be specced with a P400 Ingenium turbocharged petrol straight-six engine.
The Defender Outbound’s bonnet detail
Lastly, Land Rover has brought its iconic 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine to the Defender 130. Producing 368kW/610Nm, the Defender can sprint to 100km/h in a claimed 5.7 seconds.
Standard equipment on the Defender 130 V8 includes a quad exhaust system, a sliding panoramic sunroof, matrix LED headlights, darkened tail lights and large 22-inch alloy wheels.
Inside, the 130 V8 features 14-way heated and cooled driver seat, Windsor leather upholstery, a heated steering wheel, four-zone climate control, a Meridian sound system and a head-up display. Also included for the V8 is a 11.4-inch touchscreen, wireless phone charging and both wireless Apple Carplay and wireless Android Auto.
Defender V8 scores quad-exhaust setup
Land Rover Defender 2023: prices in Australia
All prices listed are before on-road costs.
Defender 90:
- S P300: $90,400
- S D250: $97,700
- X-Dynamic SE P400: $112,400
- X P400: $148,450
- V8 P525: $221,550
Defender 110:
- S P300: $92,800
- S P400: $99,500
- Hard Top S D250: $110,000
- X-Dynamic SE D300: $108,250
- X-Dynamic P400: $115,650
- X-Dynamic P400e: $127,600
- X-Dynamic HSE D300: $123,050
- X-Dynamic HSE P400: $129,900
- X-Dynamic HSE P400e: $139,300
- X D300: $149,950
- X P400: $152,150
- V8 P525: $226,500
Defender 130:
- X-Dynamic SE D300: $128,200
- X-Dynamic SE P400: $138,400
- Outbound P400: $138,400
- V8 P500: $237,900
Keyword: Land Rover Defender 2023: lineup enhanced for rugged off-roader, pricing starts at $90k