Ultimate Land Rover Defender V8 – Starting at R2.3 million

Land Rover has listed the South African pricing for the new V8 Defender – starting at just under R2.3 million.

Along with the V8 engine option comes a new flagship spec, the Carpathian Edition.

The company said the V8 variant improves upon the already impressive Defender off-road capabilities through the fitment of a bespoke chassis, and is available in both the 90 and 110 body styles.

What’s new

The new V8 derivatives will deliver higher performance and drive engagement, according to Land Rover, as they receive a unique suspension system and transmission tunneling.

This is paired with bespoke spring and damper rates connected to a new electronic active rear differential, as well as a new dynamics programme that helps the V8 tackle any terrain.

Additionally, these models come with larger-diameter anti-roll bars to increase rigidity, and a “Yaw Controller” introduced by the electronic differential provides finer control over handling characteristics.

The star of the show is under the hood, however, in the form of a 5.0-litre, V8 supercharged engine that generates 386kW of power and 625Nm of torque.

An eight-speed automatic transmission puts power down through all four wheels, allowing a 5.2-second 0-100km/h time in this 2.5-tonne SUV.

Combined fuel consumption comes in at 12.8l/100km, and top speed is limited to 240km/h.

Features

On the outside, the V8 trim is easily identifiable by bespoke exterior badging, a quad exhaust, and 22-inch alloy wheels.

Customers also have a choice of three colours – Carpathian Grey, Yulong White, and Santorini Black – with a contrast roof in Narvik Black.

The Carpathian Edition adds a semi-matte exterior finishing as standard, along with Narvik Black finishing on the roof, bonnet, and tail door.

Inside, the standard V8 comes with Ebony Windsor leather seats – whereas the Carpathian sees Miko Suede Cloth and Robustec accents. Both are then treated to an Alcantara multifunction steering wheel.

The latest generation of the Pivi Pro infotainment system is standard, too, which enables Apple CarPlay and Apple Auto, navigation, and over-the-air software updates.