New 2022 Land Rover Defender V8 Lands With 518 HP

The Land Rover Defender has a new flagship and it is fitted with a supercharged V8.

We’ve known about the development of the new Defender V8 for several months now and it looks to be everything we had hoped for. At the heart of the beast is a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 that pumps out 518 hp and 461 lb-ft (625 Nm) of torque. That is enough to send the Defender 90 model to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 5.2 seconds and through to a 149 mph (240 km/h) top speed. The Defender V8 will also be available in 110 guise.

Coupled to the thumping great engine is an eight-speed automatic transmission driving all four wheels. Land Rover has also tuned the Defender V8’s spring and damper rates while also equipping it with larger anti-roll bars. The company’s usually-optional Electronic Active Rear Differential comes standard and also features a new Yaw Controller that fine tune’s the vehicle’s cornering prowess.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender V8’s Terrain Response system also includes a Dynamic program exclusive to the vehicle, allowing drivers to “exploit the more dynamic character and handling balance” and the model. The carmaker says this mode provides a sharper throttle response and bespoke tuning for the Continuously Variable Damping.

From a visual standpoint, the V8 model can be differentiated from others thanks to bespoke badging, quad exhausts, 22-inch alloy wheels with a Satin Dark Grey finish and Xenon Blue painted brake calipers up front. Just three color options are available; Carpathian Grey, Yulong White, and Santorini Black, all of which have a Narvik Black roof.

Found within the cabin of the Defender V8 is bespoke Ebony Windsor leather on the seats and various suedecloth and Robustec accents. The four-spoke steering wheel also includes Alcantara trimmings and sports a pair of satin chrome gearshift paddles.

“The 5.0-litre V8 supercharged engine further enhances the unique character of the Defender,” senior manager of Powertrain Advanced Engineering at Jaguar Land Rover, Iain Gray said. “It sounds fantastic and delivers incredible performance – providing new levels of driver appeal. Our engineering focus has been to optimize powertrain calibration for Defender to deliver both responsive on-road performance and fine control off-road – all without compromising Defender’s unstoppable all-terrain capability and wading ability.”

U.S. pricing for the 2022 Land Rover Defender V8 has yet to be announced but the 90 will probably start at $85,000 while the 110 will set back customers about $90,000.