The Defender nameplate made its return in 2020, and Land Rover is now offering a hulking V-8 with over 500 horsepower to give its off-roader/urban cruiser a serious shot of power. I spent a week behind the wheel of the Defender V-8 in its two-door guise, the 90, and present the following 10 takeaways from the refined beast.

Though my time with the Defender was minimal off the beaten path, it dismissed a damp and craggy trail with complete ease, making quick and effortless work of the obstacles I threw its way.

The Defender has off-road prowess ingrained into all aspects of its engineering, including 11.5 inches of ground clearance and the ability to traverse up to 35 inches of water, and Land Rover offers a plethora of options and off-road features to tackle any path less traveled.

SUVs and trucks purpose-built for tackling the great outdoors typically feel as if they have suspensions made of Jell-O and cinder blocks when used on standard roads, but not so in the Defender.

The Defender is updated for 2022 with a unibody construction and a fully independent suspension, and the difference is palpable. Ride quality is supple, with the suspension neither being so hard as to loosen dental fillings nor so springy a speed bump can cause your vision to wobble for the better part of a mile.

The cabin also does well to mute outside noises, including the rumble typically associated with my tester’s all-terrain tires.

The Defender 90’s smaller footprint certainly lends itself to agility in both urban and off-road environments, but it comes with the sacrifice of passenger and cargo practicality.

The rear seats are quite accommodating for adults, even offering room to stretch. There are no concerns about headroom either. However, a high step-in height and a narrow passage behind the front seats require adults to have limber joints and a skinny gut, neither of which I have. Buttons to electrically slide the front seats forward or backward are conveniently placed on the door-side shoulder of the front seats, but a tight squeeze into the rear is inevitable.

And, if you’re considering hauling a few passengers, the 90’s cargo area behind the second row is paltry at best.

The rear seats in the four-door (110) version offer more legroom, headroom, and shoulder room in the third row, which is a boon, but perhaps more importantly, it makes for a much easier prospect getting into the back. The 110 also offers more than double the cargo space.

I am admittedly not much of a fan of rugged exterior designs that look to have been styled with nothing more than an Etch-A-Sketch, but the Defender’s blocky, butch good looks are endearing. The menacing growl of the front fascia, blocked-off greenhouse, bulging wheel arches, and square taillights not only allow the Defender to stand out from the crowd, but also delivers a sturdy look that isn’t overly utilitarian.

Now, that’s not to say there aren’t some faults. For instance, the available, diamond-plated styled plastic pieces fixed to the hood of my tester are gaudy and laughable, and from profile, the rounded front fascia looks like a “Sling Blade” underbite. But, overall, the Defender still has a rugged charm that can sway even those who aren’t typically a fan of “tough” styling.

As an off-road specialty, there is no doubt my Defender tester has been rung through the wringer for all its 5,000 miles. But, as an SUV built for such abuse and with an as-tested price of over $106,000, there is no excuse for build quality issues to be present so early in its life.

My tester did not have any serious issues, but there was a persistent whistle at highway speeds from the driver’s side rear window, and an audible rattle from the passenger door. Again, not major, but these are problems that shouldn’t exist given its limited mileage and high price point.

The Defender has plenty of standard knobs and buttons, a welcome treat as more models rely on touchscreen controls, but several of them lack intuitiveness. For instance, if you want to turn down the climate control fan setting, you have to press a button in the center stack and then rotate the knob that otherwise controls the climate control temperature. Of course, that is not difficult to do, but it just seems to be an unnecessary extra step for common input.

The Defender has a rear door that opens toward the passenger side rather than a liftgate. With a large, 20-inch wheel and all-terrain tire fitted to it, the rear door is quite heavy, and opening toward the side of the Defender can create some annoyances when parking curbside — not taking out a passerby with the bulky door, for instance.

The Defender’s butch looks and a bit of exclusivity (at least in the Atlanta area) will cause more than a few turned heads in parking lots and on the road. Or, for some to ask about it while you fill its tank at a gas station, something done quite often with the V-8. If you are introverted, prepare to meet a host of new people or their gaze if you decide to put a Defender in your driveway.

The Defender stands out from the crowd in a parking lot, but not for its color. There are only three colors — Santorini Black, Yulong White, and Carpathian Grey — offered for the V-8 90 model, and only Yulong White comes with no additional charge. Black or grey models will run an additional $1,050.

The Defender offers three engines — a turbocharged four- or six-cylinder or the big-boy V-8.

The V-8 model starts at $104,200, more than twice the entry price of a base model, and with an EPA rating of 16 mpg combined, opting for the most powerful of the Defender engines will cost more at the pump, as well.

However, with 518 horsepower on tap, a 0-60 time of 4.5 seconds, and the assurance of always having plenty of grunt off-road, the V-8 is certainly worth the price of admission for those who want or need serious power.