Land Rover has launched the diesel line-up of its popular Defender in India starting at INR 94.36 lakhs (ex-showroom). The Defender is available as a 3-door version ( Defender 90 ) and a 5-door version ( Defender 110 ), with 4 trim levels – SE, HSE, X-Dynamic HSE and X under both those versions. The Defender 90 SE diesel retails for the aforementioned INR 94.36 lakhs while the range tops at a whopping INR 1.08 crore ( all prices, ex-showroom ) for the Defender 110 X, while the prices for its corresponding petrol counterparts starts at IN$ 79.94 lakhs and goes up to INR 93.36 lakhs. Note – X trim is a diesel-only trim.
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Another noteworthy aspect here is the insane difference between petrol and diesel-powered Defenders. The minimum difference is as much as INR 10.42 lakhs while the max difference totals out to INR 14.46 lakhs which can indeed make one rethink their decision of buying a diesel.
That apart, The Defender comes with a lot of technologies to ensure off-road and on-road driving convenience and all-time connectivity. The New Land Rover Defender is extremely personalisable with more than 170 accessories offered along with it. Further, Lifestyle Packs such as the Explorer Pack, the Adventure Pack, the Country Pack, and the Urban Pack have been curated to suit the requirements of different types of customers.
The diesel-powered Defender gets a 3.0L, inline 6 engine that puts out 300PS of peak power and 650Nm of peak torque. The power output is similar to its petrol counterpart but the diesel is naturally miles ahead in terms of the peak torque output. The engine is mated to an 8-speed transmission which allows the Defender 90 to sprint from 0-100 in an impressive 6.7 seconds and the Defender 110 in 7 seconds dead. The top speed for the diesel Defender is 191 kmph.
The SUV also gets connected car tech, a Meridian audio system, electrically adjustable and heated front seats, 360 degrees surround camera and LED headlights. The Defender also comes with grained leather and woven textile seats and rubber mats for an easy washing experience after a dirty off-road trip. It also gets a blind-spot assist, adaptive cruise control, rear pre-collision warning etc.
Apart from the diesel and the 2.0L, 4 cyl petrol, the Defender also gets a new supercharged 5.0-litre V8 motor, which pumps out 525 PS and 625 Nm of peak power and torque, respectively. There’s only one transmission on offer, an 8-speed automatic gearbox, which sends power to all four wheels. As far as performance goes, the V8 Defender will hit 100kph from rest in just 5.2sec and top out at 240kph in short-wheelbase, three-door 90 guise. Which one of these will you buy?