Land Rover Defender 90 touts supercharged V8

The 2022 Land Rover Defender 90 and its supercharged V8 combine one big – with one small – to create one immense experience. The big is the crazy-quick V8 that is typically in much larger vehicles; the small is the body of the Defender 2-door, just 184 inches long.

My tester was dressed in a gorgeous Santorini Black treatment from the wheels up to the roof. It’s an aggressive look that still manages to be refined and sophisticated. OK, that will be the last time I use the word “sophisticated” because the week-long test period was anything but with so much horsepower on demand. My wife explained it simply: boys will be boys.

Start up the Defender and experience the rattle and hum as the V8 emerges from its slumber. It’s a feeling that immerses anyone in the cabin with a feeling of instant power at hand and most likely a little smile in anticipation of the fun that awaits.

Power increase

In place of the standard 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder or turbocharged-6, which are fine powerplants in the Defender, Land Rover shoehorned in a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 under the hood. At every moment it is running, it feels like it wants to explode forward – in a very fun way, of course.

So, you want the fuel mileage? Really? Look for 15 city and 19 highway. Yep, it’s not impressive, but the tradeoff sure is – so, accept that there’s a price for this much fun in such an upscale cabin with the off-road capability Defender offers.

The massive step-up delivers 518 horsepower and 461 lb-ft of torque. Full-time four-wheel drive is standard as is a 2-speed transfer case. All of this flows through an 8-speed automatic transmission that is more than capable of keeping up with the slightly frenetic beast under the hood. This Land Rover will go from 0-60 mph in 4.9 seconds. With the more diminutive body of the 2-door Defender, this just feels even faster.

Exterior

The Defender 90 V8 is a handsome SUV. It manages to look very capable for off-roading adventures while the monochrome black hue adds refinement. The Defender sits on 22-inch rims with capable rubber that grabs the pavement every second. A full-size spare mounted on the back is convenient and visually adds plenty of go-anywhere attitude.

The quad exhaust tips extend just slightly from beneath the rear overhang. The V8 model’s tips are tucked up close to the bumper to avoid being damaged off-road. How many of these are going off-road? Probably not many.

Interior space

The interior is small, but not cramped. Up front, there is a high seating position offering a great view for driver and passenger. In the back, it is smaller seating but still capable of accommodating two adults. My tester was equipped with leather and suede seats. Land Rover offers full leather at no cost, but you should consider whether you want durability or a more cozy feel.

What’s the Achille’s heel for the Defender? Cargo space, or a lack of it. There’s very little cargo room behind the second row, but if you fold the second row down it expands to a much better 58.3 cubic feet.

My Defender featured soft-touch materials and rubberized trim throughout the cabin. It creates a refined feeling with just a touch of rugged Land Rover attitude. Maybe the biggest surprise was the 11.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Not only is it large and easy to read, it is Land Rover’s best in my experience driving them. Look for instant wireless Apple CarPlay pairing and an easy interface with the tile-based functionality.

At the end of the day, the 2022 Land Rover Defender 90 V8 manages to impress with power, capability on and off the road, as well as overall refinement. It doesn’t look or feel like anything else and for the final price out the door ($106,700) it should do all of those things.

• John Stein is a freelance journalist based in Chicago. He has more than 25 years of experience driving, testing, and writing about the automotive industry, its latest innovations, and vehicles.