2024 Land Rover Defender V8 starts at PHP 16.99M

Land Rover Philippines has had a busy 2023 for a premium car manufacturer. Apart from launching new models such as the Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Velar, they also hosted the first-ever Defender Experience event a few months ago.

Speaking of the Defender, the limited edition 75th anniversary model has also been brought to the country earlier this year. And now that we're about to close out the year, IC Land Automotive has decided to add another exciting addition to the Defender lineup.

The Land Rover Defender 90 and 110 are now being offered with V8 power – Yes, the iconic off-road SUV is now available with a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 under the hood. The engine puts out 525 PS and 650 Nm of torque, and is paired to an 8-speed automatic transmission that delivers power to all four wheels.

Reaching 0 to 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds for the 90 body style and 5.4 seconds for the 110, the Defender V8 is the fastest and most powerful production Defender yet. Along with V8 power, the Defender's chassis settings and transmission tuning have also been retuned to handle the bump in horsepower and torque, whether on or off-road.

Land Rover announced the arrival of the Defender V8 by showcasing the flagship Carpathian Edition, which they say represents the ultimate expression of Defender design, performance, and capability. The Defender V8 joins the range of plug-in hybrids and the Ingenium petrol and diesel powertrains being offered in the country.

On the outside, the Land Rover Defender V8 appears the same as the rest of the Defender lineup. But for the Carpathian Edition, it gets a special matte Carpathian Gray wrap with black contrasts on the hood, roof, and tailgate.

Inside, the Defender V8 Carpathian Edition gets ebony Windsor leather upholstery on the seats with dinamica suedecloth inserts. This pairs up with the likewise ebony-colored interior and ebony morzine headliner.

In terms of its standard cabin features, the V8 Carpathian Edition gets a bigger 11.4-inch Pivi Pro touchscreen display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Connectivity. The front seats are also 14-way adjustable with memory, heating, and cooling functions. The rear seats, on the other hand, also feature a heating function to keep the occupants comfortable and warm.

Along with the new engine option, Land Rover Philippines is also offering greater choices when it comes to personalization for the Defender lineup. Aside from the new Bright Pack, Extended Pack and Extended Black Pack, the V8 variants are also available with the V8 Bespoke Accessory Pack. Those include plate protection kits, an A-frame protection bar, front and rear mud flaps, a front under shield, and fixed side steps for the exterior, while the cabin gets deep dish rubber mats and a rubber tray mat for the cargo area.