The 2021 Land Rover Defender V8
The Land Rover Defender is an iconic vehicle, it’s unrivalled off-road capability, rugged build quality and durability has given it the reputation it now holds. The earlier Land Rover Defenders were fairly simple; they were best known for their off-road performance.
The old Defender’s main goal was to get the job assigned to it done, it was a vehicle to get you from point A to B. For starters it’s interior wasn’t a great place to be in, the trim would wear off over time and the ride was really harsh despite which the Defender has gained itself the legendary title. Though the original Defender did not offer a comfortable and luxurious ride you ought to realise that they were built for a completely different purpose, they performed incredibly well off-road, unlike any other vehicle out there. They’re still considered as the best off-road vehicles ever created, they can deal with pretty much anything that comes their way.
However, in 2016 Land Rover stopped production of the Defender. In 2020, Land Rover was back with the all-new and updated Defender in the original 90 and 110 sizes. The new Defender is much better than its predecessors and blends utmost luxury with the latest technology and extreme off-road ability. Although it is the new Defender, it looks similar to the original in more than one way and that’s how it should be. The interior of the new Defender is simply beautiful, yet functional. Back in 2020, there were two engines to choose from, both really capable and economical. Earlier this year, Land Rover announced that the Defender will now get an optional V8 and I have to say, a Defender without a V8 is somewhat incomplete. The V8 is the most powerful Defender to hit series production, it’ll do 0-100 km/h in just 5.2 seconds, yes this behemoth will go absolutely crazy when you mash the accelerator pedal. Oh and it’s not the most economical engine but it’s a V8, it bigger it’s more brutal and you don’t care about the fuel economy when you opt for the V8. With the hike in fuel prices, your mind will say get the 2.0-litre turbo diesel or the 3.0-litre petrol but your heart will push you to get the V8. So what’s new with the Defender V8 you might ask? For starters, a quad exit exhaust with grey 22″ alloy wheels and blue brake callipers in the front differentiate the V8 from its 4 and 6-cylinder mates visually. You could also tell the V8 apart by just listening to the rumbling V8. It’s just not about being economical sometimes, besides if you’ve got the money to purchase a Defender, you will enjoy it to the fullest without being bothered about the fuel consumption.
Under the hood you’ll find a 5.0-litre Supercharged ‘AJ’ V8 producing a whopping 525 hp, this particular engine is seen on JLR’s performance vehicles such as the F-type and Range Rover Sport. The Defender is a particularly large vehicle and Land Rover couldn’t just stuff a huge V8 under the hood and call it a day, hence the chassis and suspension have been tweaked to handle the power put down. Since the Defender now houses a bigger engine, it can use the extra power to get through those rough bits off-road quite effortlessly. For better cornering, the Defender V8 gets thicker anti-roll bars over the 4 and 6-cylinder variants. Also unique to the V8 variants is a new Dynamic setting, which improves the throttle response and firms up the continuously variable dampers for a more spirited driving experience both on and off-road. Stiffer suspension bushes and yaw control in the rear differential that varies torque across the rear axle for better grip. These upgrades enhance the driving experience by a huge margin. India is ready to experience the hard-core version of the 2021 Land Rover Defender V8.