Yahoo Autos The 2022 Land Rover Defender Gets a 518-HP Supercharged V-8
A year into its life, the new Land Rover Defender is getting some updates for 2022. To improve customization and convenience, Land Rover will offer three new accessory packs, a new XS Edition trim to replace the launch-year-only First Edition, and an upgraded Pivi Pro infotainment system with a larger display.
Who cares. The big news is, the Defender is finally getting a V-8.
The Defender V8 (yes, that's the model name) will be available for the 2022 model year, featuring JLR's familiar supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 that has impressed us with smooth power and incredible sounds in many other models. Power output will be sizable, with 518 hp and a meaty 461 lb-ft of torque to keep the Defender plodding along on steep trails. Like the four- and six-cylinder Defender models, the V8 will be available only with an eight-speed automatic with paddle shifters. JLR says the V8 will do 0-60 in 4.9 seconds on its way to a top speed of 149 mph.
Land Rover has also been hard at work at the Nürburgring tweaking the off-roader to better handle the speed and weight of the V-8-powered model. Tweaks include higher spring rates, tuned dampers, and a stiffer anti-roll bar. Ride height is unchanged, meaning the Defender V8 keeps the stellar approach, breakover, and departure angles of the standard truck.
The 'Ring tuning comes with one key tradeoff. "With a stiffer anti-roll bar, you do lose a little bit of articulation," Land Rover chassis and motion control systems senior manager Adam Southgate told Road & Track. "The total articulation is only if you've got a completely free wheel. However, we recover that that using the traction control and the active rear differential on this car."
That differential is the next generation from what's offered on four- and six-cylinder Defenders, now capable of torque vectoring to send power to the wheel with more grip. Thanks to that differential and the healthy increase in torque, Southgate says the Defender V8 is the best version of the model for tackling tricky rock-crawling situations. Water fording shouldn't be an issue, either, as the maximum wade depth of 35.4 inches is unchanged from the rest of the Defender lineup.
The Defender V8 offer a new Dynamic driving mode in the terrain response system. It does all the stuff you'd typically expect—including stiffening the suspension, switching to a more aggressive throttle map, holding gears for longer, and tightening the steering—but also influences the new Yaw Control subsystem. That system ties together the active electronic differential, brake-based torque vectoring system, and adaptive suspension.
In the real world, that means the Defender V8 is designed to easily transition from natural understeer to on-power oversteer. The Yaw Control system will use torque vectoring to increase rotation, soften the dampers to allow for more predictable slides, and manage power between the rear wheels to control your overall drift angle. Traction control will cut in when needed to make sure you don't transition from a slide to a spin. Then, when you're through the corner and unwind the wheel, the Defender will stiffen back up, allow more power, and nip individual wheels with the brakes to get you back in a straight line. Put simply: this is a 5000-lb SUV with a drift mode.
Visually, the V-8 has quad exists, and unique 22-inch wheels over Defender V8-exclusive Xenon Blue brake calipers and 15-inch front brake discs. Just don't expect to get yours in a daring color. Defender V8s will only be offered in three hues: Carpathian Grey, Yulong White, and Santorini Black. The range-topping Carpathian Edition wears the titular shade of gray with a satin-finish wrap and contrasting black paint on the hood, roof, and tailgate. Unique badging reminds everyone that you got the spendy one.
The Defender V8 will be available as both a two-door "90" and a four-door "110." The company has not confirmed when it will go on sale or what it'll cost, but we expect those answers to be "later this year" and "a lot," respectively. The current range-topping Defender X starts at $81,850 for a two-door model, so we expect a loaded four-door V-8 version will surpass $90,000.
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