2023 Land Rover Defender Owner’s Manual

The Land Rover Defender represents one of the few rivals that can hold its own against the legendary Jeeps that act as poster children for the driving experience you get on the most rugged terrains in the great outdoors.

However, as is typical with the latest offerings from this UK automaker, you can expect a piece from Land Rover to achieve the same goal but with much more finesse and a more luxurious feel.
With the latest iteration of the Defender, Land Rover continues to up the ante on their trusty off-road champion, adding more tiny refining touches (while keeping the formula mostly the same) to continue to move it towards an even more enhanced state of comfort and luxury whether you are on a trail or driving within the city.

However, the big news for this year’s release is the introduction of a new Defender 130 variant, which brings an elongated frame and optional third row of seats, increasing the total seat capacity to support eight people.

This new model is also positioned as a top-level trim, bringing standard features like a larger 11.4-inch infotainment display unit and exclusive exterior colors available only as paid upgrades on the regular Defender 90 and 110 models.

Also new is the introduction of two extremely limited one-time offerings: a “75th Limited Edition” to celebrate Land Rover’s 75th anniversary and a two-door Trophy Edition with only 250 models to be produced.

Elsewhere, the Defender remains essentially the same, offering a base turbocharged four-cylinder, larger 3-liter inline-six-cylinder options (including a hybrid,) and the range-topping 518-horsepower V-8 engine.

Irrespective of the powertrain you pick, you get treated to the full Land Rover off-road experience, complete with an eight-speed automatic transmission, four-wheel drive, locking differentials for enhanced control on the worst terrains, and an ample 11.5 inches of ground clearance.

The base suspension is a coil-spring variant that can also be upgraded to an air suspension.