Review of the Land Rover Defender P400e

This doesn’t appear to be brand new, does it?

Correct. The new Defender P400e appears almost identical to its combustion-engined brothers from the exterior. The recently developed charging flap on the left rear flank is the only indication of its electric nature…

In every other aspect, this is the current Defender design, which we originally saw in 2019. You’ll have certainly had some *opinions* about the style, but it hits the mark flawlessly both inside and out in our opinion. The PHEV is only available in the long-wheelbase 110 configuration for obvious reasons.

What’s the difference underneath?

So, let’s get to the technical stuff. The P400e is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder Ingenium petrol engine, which generates 296bhp under its own power.It’s paired with a 105kW electric motor, which delivers 398bhp and 472lb ft of torque when the two operate together. Very good for you.

The Defender’s smooth and usual eight-speed ZF automatic transmission is present and proper, and the P400e is always in four-wheel drive mode, whether you’re driving just on electric power, a combination of both, or exclusively on petrol power. It’s also unusual in that it can combine all-electric propulsion with low-range ratios, ensuring that off-road capabilities are never compromised.

The battery is a 19.2kWh lithium-ion pack with a range of up to 27 miles (or little over 20 in real-world conditions). In EV mode, you can go up to 85 mph, but at that point, aero – or the lack thereof – becomes the arch enemy of range. Then it’s best to stick to electricity in town.

Because of the high combined power output, it only takes 5.6 seconds to accelerate from zero to sixty miles per hour, and 50kW quick charging allows you to reach 80 percent charge in 30 minutes. In two hours, a 7kW wall box will provide the same amount of charge.

It’s a large old bus, a 110 with batteries added. Its total weight is 2,525kg, however it has a towing capacity of 3,000kg (500kg less than other Defenders).

Land Rover claims up to 85.3mpg and CO2 emissions of under 76g/km. Obviously, those figures should be taken with a grain of salt — we got 36.8mpg on a quick 60-mile cross-country drive – but you’ll perform considerably better if the most of your trips are local. For comparison, the Defender merely offered us a ‘Driving Score’ of 56% and advised us to check out its environmental advice.

In the actual world, how does the powertrain perform?

It’s really remarkable. Things start off in HYBRID mode, but you can convert to EV or SAVE mode with a new button on the center console. Both of them are quite self-explanatory. It gets up and runs when the two power sources are combined, albeit the four-cylinder is a touch less polished than its higher capacity brothers when pushed hard.

Despite its regenerative capabilities, the transition between electric and gasoline driving is very smooth, and the brake pedal has a great feel. The added weight appears to have had no effect on the Defender’s progressive steering or general on-road characteristics.

Is there a difference in the interior!?

Almost certainly not. On the center screen, you get a handful of additional display options for things like charge and energy use, but otherwise it’s business as usual in the ‘constructivist cabin,’ as Land Rover puts it. No, neither do we.

Is it practical?

Because the P400e’s battery is located beneath the boot floor, the third-row/seven-seat option is not available. However, there’s still 853 litres of cargo capacity in the back, and the front-row jump-seat may be specified if you need more child-carrying room.