2024 Land Rover Defender 110 X-Dynamic Review

This week I am taking a look at the 2024 Land Rover Defender 110 X-Dynamic, a popular SUV that has been around since 1983, but was introduced in the U.S. in 2019 and has been a very good seller in America. The 110 sits between the 2-door 90, and the 4-door, 3-row extended version of the 110. 

Exterior  

Outside the Defender is square and boxy like the original, but with beautiful 20” 5-spoke wheels, a bulging hood with decorative grills, and a big full-sized spare with matching wheel on the tailgate. 

The tall roof has safari windows at the top on the sides. There are plates on the rear side windows, so if you choose some of the optional side accessory packs, they attach there.  The X-Dynamic designation is some upgrades in both the exterior and interior to give it a more sporty appeal, and I will admit, this SUV is quite attractive.

Powertrain 

This Defender 110 has the optional 3.0-liter six cylinder mild-hybrid engine that is putting out 395-horses, and 406-pound feet of torque.  It is mated to an 8-speed automatic with paddle shifters.  As always, Rovers only come all-wheel drive, and they have one of the best systems on the road.  You have other engine options as well, including a 4-cylinder turbocharged engine, and there is also 5.0-liter V8 that is supercharged.

Interior

Moving to the interior, it is very cleanly laid out but not the luxury interior I’ve come to know as a long-time Range Rover owner myself.  The screws that hold the door panels and the center console are exposed and I have to say, it is cool.  Everything inside looks nice, clean, and is soft to the touch.  

Center dash is an 11.4” touchscreen that operates the 400-watt Meridian surround sound system, navigation, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, HD radio, SiriusXM, and Alexa.

There is a page of apps with some pretty cool stuff including the dimensions of the Defender, a page to show you how much water you are driving through, and a trailer towing app.

The gearshift handle is just below the screen, not on the center console, and to the right are all the air conditioning controls, the heated and cooled seats, height control, and the button to turn off the start/stop.

There are a couple of cup holders on the center console, a wireless charger, a couple of USBs and a power port.  There is a large area under the console for storage that passes through to the passenger side.

The gauge cluster is 12.3” and is configurable from the steering wheel.  You can change many of vehicle settings there along with trip summaries.  Everything is easy to read and see.

The back seat leg and headroom are spacious, and passengers get A/C temperature controls, air vents, rear heated and cooled seats, a fold down armrest, USB-C ports and a power port.

Utility

The cargo area is large and particularly tall. You open the rear tailgate to the side from the left (for U.S. use it should be from the right but oh well), and it has a matching wheel and tire mounted to it.

You can lower the Defender from the cargo area for ease of loading, and there is storage underneath. 

Standard Features  

My tester is well-equipped with leather seating and a heated, power adjusting steering wheel, adaptive cruise control, LED headlights, panoramic moon roof with a power sliding cover, power seats on both sides with memory settings, keyless entry system, a rearview mirror camera, and USB and USB-C ports.

Safety

On the safety front, you get emergency braking, 360-degree surround view camera, blind spot monitoring, lane keep assist, 360-degree camera, traffic sign recognition, and rear cross traffic alert.

Options

My test vehicle has a slew of options on it that total up to $8,300, most notable are: Cold Climate Pack, Off-Road Pack, Air Suspension Pack, the Pangea Green paint, trailer hitch, heated rear seats, the upgraded sound system, the 20” wheels, and a few other small options.

Ride and Drive

The Defender drives fantastic, acceleration is strong, and it feels substantial and heavy, which it is. The ride quality is great thanks to the terrific air suspension system for which Rovers are known, and make no mistake, this is one of the safest and most capable SUVs you can drive off or on the pavement.

Verdict 

Fuel economy is rated at 17 in town, 20 on the highway, and overall, 18.  MSRP as this one is equipped is $81,923 which is a lot of money for a two row SUV, but it will tow 8,200 pounds, and like all Rovers, it drives and feels solid and is super-quiet inside.  All things considered, it is a joy to drive.