Land Rover Defender melds expected off-road prowess with smooth ride

I have always appreciated the boxy stylings of the Land Rover SUVs, and you cannot overstate the impressive capabilities if you decide to get off the pavement. I have found that my feelings while driving Land Rovers have changed while operating behind the wheel on the pavement.

My impressions of the 2024 Defender 110 S, which is the entry-level 4-door variant, remain consistent with previous experiences with one glaring exception, this Defender is a joy to drive on the pavement. Off-roading leadership is what you expect from the brand, what you get is a distinct-looking SUV with luxury and a very nice ride where it often falls short.

Retro looks

With the signature round headlights, side vents in front of the doors, and squared-off body stylings, the Defender 110 S is unmistakable as a Land Rover. It is between the 3-row 4-door Defender 130 and the 2-door Defender 90, my tester had an athletic stance with a level of refinement due to a luxury SUV.

The retro look of Land Rover feels modern. I like the sleek, small touches up top on the roof and the customary rear-opening back hatch with the off-road tire hanging on the hinged tailgate. The white retro wheels may be the biggest question mark, most people I met didn’t like the extreme contrast with the Santorini Black ($950).

Performance

My Base S tester with a 296-horsepower 4-cylinder turbo engine starts at $62,075. The highlight of my Defender was the addition of a supercharged 3.0-liter 6-cylinder with 396 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. If you like, Land Rover offers a mild 48-volt hybrid system to assist startup and mildly improve fuel economy.

Coupled with a smooth-shifting 8-speed automatic transmission paired with the supercharged 6-cylinder, my tester surprised me with its smooth linear power and delightful acceleration.

Getting up to highway speeds was easy for what is a heavier-than-normal SUV. My Defender can tow more than 7,700 pounds, which may or may not fit the average owner’s profile – but it’s nice to know you can if you want to. The fuel economy was decent at 18/17/20.

Handling was tight and nimble. One of the biggest issues with these tall SUVs is wind and I had plenty during my test period. Overall, I’d give it high marks for holding up against side winds and not getting too tippy.

This Defender S has a number of options that enhance the ride, including the $1,550 Off-Road Pack with an electronic active differential, a $750 Advanced Off-Road Capability Pack upgrades the electronic terrain features with All-Terrain Progress Control, Terrain Response 2, and Configurable Terrain Response, and Air Suspension Pack ($1,800) that adds an adaptive air suspension system. Defender offers 8.9 inches of ground clearance to complement its 4WD system.

Cabin

The Defender’s cabin is comfortable and quiet. There are plenty of high-quality materials and soft-touch surfaces. Front seats are perforated-grained leather with a heat/cool option. Head and legroom are great, with room for five adults. The second row is heated with a 40-20-40 split ($950 extra).

With 34 cubic feet of cargo space when the rear seats are up and 78.8 when they are down, this is a selling point for sure. Another plus is that all the floor and cargo mats are made of heavy rubber for easy cleaning after off-road duty.

The dash is utilitarian with a nice ledge running the length to hold miscellaneous items at arm’s reach. It also serves as a grip point when making an aggressive maneuver. I found the touchscreen to be the biggest disappointment. Not only is it too small for a luxury SUV at this price point (10 inches), but it also was irritatingly unresponsive when trying to adjust audio settings and to operate in general.

The dual skylight-style windows over the second row and cargo area let light in and open up the cabin even more. While the rear spare anchor partially blocks the driver’s view, there is a 360-camera to help when backing up.

With an entry price of $67,900, this Defender 110 S is very approachable at the price point of comparable SUVs. The addition of 20 option items escalated things to a final price of $82K, which seemed to take the “approachable” selling point out of play. To be fair, you can indulge yourself if money is no option with four more Defender 110 models above this that get to $120K.

• John Stein is a freelance journalist based in Chicago. He has more than 25 years of experience driving, testing, and writing about the automotive industry, its latest innovations, and new vehicles.