Short and stubby can win many a battle – think Mike Tyson knocking over his taller opponents.  It can play out much the same in an off-road situation.  When I did a stint in forestry, I drove a Nissan Safari/Patrol short-wheel-base (SWB) for my work vehicle when I needed to head off-road and up some incredibly steep forestry tracks checking on the quality of various silvicultural operations being carried out.  The SWB of my 4×4 enabled me to turn on a dime where others couldn’t and drive over obstacles and land formations that might otherwise belly out a long-wheel-base (LWB) 4×4.  So, it’s with true admiration when I review an off-road beast like the brand new 2024 Land Rover Defender 90, the SWB of the latest Defender models and the Big Daddy of 4x4s.

If you’ve been around long enough and have spent a bit of time around Land Rovers, then you’ll probably be aware of what the numbers after the Defender name mean.  But for those who aren’t sure, then let’s just take some time to explain.  The Defender 90 and Defender 110 are not just mere model names.  These numbers represent a lot more than that. What we know as the Land Rover Defender today was initially launched as the Land Rover 110 (spoken “One Ten”) in 1983, and the Land Rover 90 in 1984.  Initially, the most significant difference between the Land Rover 90 and Land Rover 110 was that the “110” model represented the LWB model with a 110-inch wheelbase, and the 90 represented the 93-inch wheelbase of the smaller SWB model.  However, the Defender has grown in size over the years, with the latest Land Rover Defender 90 sporting a 101.90-inch wheelbase, and the 2022 Defender 110 boasts a 118.90-inch wheelbase.  With the longer wheelbase, the Defender 110 can offer an extra row of seating over the 90’s five-seat 2-row configuration.  Thus the 2024 Land Rover Defender 110 is the full-size Defender SUV with three-rows and four doors.  The 2024 Land Rover Defender 90 is a smaller two-door model with two rows of seats.  And while the Defender 90 offers seating for up to five adults, the Defender 110 can seat up to seven adults in its 5+2 seating configuration.  But then, that’s not all: in 2024, you can also buy the longer LWB version of the Defender: the Land Rover 130, which is larger again and has even more luggage-carrying capacity along with its three rows or two rows with the third row folded and masses of luggage space. 

To sum up my blithering over the models, the boot space in the Defender 90 is 397 litres with all seats up, and then grows to 1563 litres with the second row folded.  In five-seat form, the 110 offers 972 litres with all seats up and 2277 litres with the second row folded.  In eight-seat form, the lengthy 130 boasts 388 litres with all the seats up, 1232 litres with the third row folded, and a whopping 2517 litres with all the rear seats down.

I love the look of the stubbier Land Rover 90.  It still offers great seating space for five adults, although the rear seat passengers have to climb through the two doors and behind the front seats to get through to the rear seats.  But that’s not too difficult, because the doors open nice and wide, and the seats slide forward to create plenty of access space to the rear seats.  Taking the 90 off-road is nothing short of superb, with truly first class traction being available for all terrain and weather conditions.  By the way, any of the Defenders can tow a braked trailer up to 3500 kg, which is a hefty weight for any vehicle. 

The new Land Rover Defender 90 is a super vehicle to drive on-road too, with solid and composed road-holding and decent levels of grip through the twisty mountain roads.  At a minimum, all new Land Rover Defenders feature dual-zone climate control, wireless device charging, adaptive cruise control, keyless entry and start, LED headlights and tail-lights, a large-format infotainment touchscreen, 5-star safety, a 360-degree camera view of the world outside the vehicle, rain-sensing wipers, a comprehensive list of active safety systems, and a full-size spare wheel.  You feel safe in this well-built vehicle, and the ride and refinement is really very good for what is an immensely talented and serious off-road 4×4 SUV.

The Land Rover Defender line-up currently starts with the standard Defender 90 P300 S, which is a model boasting a healthy 221 kW from its 2.0-litre Turbo ULP motor, and this is currently all for just shy of $100k.  Then there are many other models to choose from, running from this Land Rover 90 through to the range-topping Land Rover Defender 130 P500 V8 with 368 kW and costing around $270k at the time of writing. 

But let’s concentrate on the other Land Rover Defender 90 models that are available in Australia. The Defender 90 D250 S runs with a lovely twin-turbo diesel motor that delivers over 180 kW of power and a lusty and flexible 570 Nm of torque from a low 2500 rpm.  The smooth combination of supreme torque and a slick 8-speed automatic make this truly awesome for off-road adventures.  This would probably be my pick of the bunch.  Next comes the even larger 3.0-litre twin-turbo diesel variant with a sweet 221 kW and a whopping 650 Nm of torque available from 2500 rpm.  Land Rover Defender 90 models offer their flagship P525 V8 with 386 kW of power and 625 Nm of torque on tap. 

So, want/need a new offroad toy-cum-workhorse?  The Land Rover Defender 90 is a legendary beast that will meet your requirements.

The current 2024 Land Rover Defender 90 models include the:

• Defender 90 P300 S
• Defender 90 D250 S
• Defender 90 D300 X
• Defender 90 P525 V8

For any more information on the new 2024 Land Rover Defender or, for that matter, any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181.  If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quote requests out to our national network of Land Rover dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours. Private Fleet – car buying made easy!