2025 Land Rover Defender Configurations: Body Styles, Trims, and Powertrains Explained

The 2025 Land Rover Defender is one of the more layered vehicles on the market when it comes to configuration options. Between three distinct body styles, multiple trim levels, several powertrain choices, and an extensive list of available packages, understanding what you're actually comparing — and why the differences matter — takes some sorting out.

Three Body Styles, Three Different Vehicles

Land Rover offers the Defender in three body configurations for 2025, and they're genuinely different vehicles, not just cosmetic variations.

Defender 90 — The two-door, short-wheelbase version. It seats up to six passengers in a 2+4 layout, though rear-seat access is more constrained than the larger models. It's the shortest and most maneuverable of the three, which appeals to buyers prioritizing off-road capability and a compact footprint.

Defender 110 — The four-door, standard-wheelbase model. This is the volume seller. It seats up to seven passengers and strikes a balance between daily usability and off-road capability. Most trim levels and powertrain options are available here first.

Defender 130 — The long-wheelbase, eight-passenger version. It was added to the lineup in 2023 and expands third-row seating significantly compared to the 110. The trade-off is reduced departure angle and a longer turning radius, which affects technical off-roading.

Trim Levels Across the Lineup

The trim structure for 2025 follows a tiered approach, though not all trims are available on all body styles. 🧭

The X-Dynamic designation adds darkened exterior elements — gloss black trim, contrast stitching, and sport-tuned elements — without necessarily upgrading the powertrain. Buyers sometimes confuse X-Dynamic with a performance package; it's more of a visual and interior package.

Powertrain Options: Mild Hybrid, Plug-In Hybrid, and V8

Land Rover uses a mix of turbocharged four-cylinder and straight-six engines across the 2025 Defender lineup, most paired with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. There's also a plug-in hybrid and a supercharged V8.

Mild Hybrid (MHEV) — The base engines are turbocharged four-cylinders with mild-hybrid assist. The mild-hybrid system recovers energy under braking and helps reduce fuel consumption, but it cannot power the vehicle on electricity alone. These are the most widely available engines across the trim range.

Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) — The P400e combines a turbocharged four-cylinder with an electric motor and a battery large enough for a meaningful all-electric range. This configuration is EPA-rated for around 19 miles of electric-only range (figures vary by driving conditions and trim). PHEV buyers may be eligible for federal or state tax incentives depending on their tax situation and jurisdiction — that's worth verifying separately.

Straight-Six (P300 / P400) — The inline-six options include a turbocharged variant and a twin-turbocharged version. The P400 uses a 3.0-liter straight-six producing 395 horsepower and includes mild-hybrid assist. These engines represent the upper-middle of the powertrain range.

V8 (P525) — The supercharged 5.0-liter V8 produces 518 horsepower. It's reserved for specific high-trim configurations and the V8-specific editions. Performance numbers are notably different from the four- and six-cylinder variants: 0–60 mph times drop into the low-four-second range. Fuel economy decreases substantially compared to smaller engines.

All configurations pair with an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive.

Off-Road Packages and Capability Tiers 🏔️

Land Rover offers the Explorer Pack and Adventure Pack as optional equipment groups that add features like all-terrain tires, roof rails, exterior accessories, and in some cases upgraded air suspension settings. The air suspension system itself — which allows adjustable ride height for different terrain modes — is available across a range of trims rather than being exclusive to the top of the lineup.

The Defender's Terrain Response 2 system comes standard and manages throttle, transmission, and stability control settings across terrain modes including mud, sand, rocks, and snow. The Wade Sensing feature, which monitors water depth during fording, is available on equipped models.

What Actually Varies by Configuration

A few distinctions that matter when comparing builds:

• Towing capacity differs meaningfully across powertrains and body styles, ranging from roughly 7,700 to 8,200 pounds depending on configuration — confirm the specific figure for any combination you're evaluating.
• Payload ratings also vary. The 130, despite being larger, has different weight distribution considerations than the 110.
• Interior seating arrangements are not interchangeable between body styles.
• EPA fuel economy estimates vary significantly by engine — a PHEV 110 and a V8 90 are not in the same conversation.

The Part That Depends on Your Situation

The 2025 Defender lineup is wide enough that two buyers can end up in very different vehicles wearing the same badge. Which body style fits your household, which powertrain aligns with your driving patterns, whether the PHEV's electric range is useful given your commute, whether the V8's fuel cost is acceptable, and how each configuration is priced in your market — those aren't questions the spec sheet answers on its own.