The Land Rover Defender Now Comes With A 345bhp Diesel

Diesel is rapidly disappearing from new car ranges everywhere, but one place it still lives on is in the big SUV, as displayed by the Land Rover Defender. For its upcoming model year, a new D350 engine choice is being introduced, and it’s the most powerful oil-burning Defender ever.

The new powertrain replaces the D300 model, with an extra 49bhp being coaxed from its 3.0-litre turbodiesel straight-six for a new total of 345bhp. Torque, meanwhile, is up from 479lb ft to a mighty 516lb ft. It continues to use ZF’s trusty eight-speed gearbox.

Other new features on the Defender include the option of a pair of central captain’s chairs in the extra-lengthy 130 version in place of the standard three-seat bench. With a reduction from eight to seven seats, and the individual middle chairs getting both heating and ventilation, it’s an option that’s being pitched as a more upmarket take on the 130’s people-carrying capacity.

More interior upgrades come in the form of the Signature Interior Pack, standard on the X and V8 Defender trim levels and optional on the Dynamic HSE. This brings all-round heated and cooled seats, made from a blend of leather and Kvadrat fabric, in the first and second rows, while the third row of the 110 and 130 gets bum warmers. This pack also gives the exposed metal beam that runs across the dash a powder-coated metallic grey finish.

Finally, a new limited edition Defender arrives in the form of the 110 Sedona Edition. Available for a year only, it comes exclusively in Sedona Red, with an optional bonnet decal showing the topography of Sedona, Arizona, the desert town from which it takes its name.

All of this is, of course, just a warmup for the Defender we’re really excited about seeing in 2024: the twin-turbo V8-powered OCTA range-topper. This should tide us over while we wait for that to be revealed, though.