The Land Rover Defender — a SUV explained

What the Defender is

The Land Rover Defender is a SUV that Land Rover built from 1993 to 2026 — 34 model years. Our measurements put it at 4 generations, the current one starting in 2020. It has been offered with 4-cyl, Hybrid, V8 power. Its closest siblings in the Land Rover range: Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Discovery.

Where the Defender is built

A badge says where the company is registered; the VIN says where the car was bolted together. We counted the first three characters — the manufacturer identifier — across 57 Defenders on record.

Check your own: the first three characters of a Land Rover VIN decide which of these 4 lines your Defender belongs to. What every character in a Defender VIN means →

Got the full 17 characters? A free VIN check on a Land Rover Defender adds what the decoder can't see: open recalls, theft and total-loss records, and the safety ratings for that exact build.

Defender generations, and what changed

These boundaries are not copied from a brochure — they fall out of the measurements. Where the Defender's length or wheelbase jumps between consecutive model years the platform changed: a facelift moves a bumper by centimetres, a new generation moves the whole car — for the Defender that gives 4 distinct generations below.

Between 1993 and 2026 the Defender gained 16 cm in length (+3.5%) and -7 kg in weight (-0.3%). Cars did not so much grow as thicken — crash structures, airbags and equipment weigh more than the metal they replaced, and on the Defender that is -7 kg against 16 cm. Full dimensions by year →

Land Rover Defender tire size, oil type & owner specs

The fitment Defender owners look up most — tires, wheels, oil and batteries. Exact wheel and tire sizes decode from your VIN or the driver's door-jamb placard; the universal items are listed below.

Exact tire, wheel, oil grade, capacity and battery group are added per trim and model year — decode your VIN above for the factory fitment. Universal items shown as-is.

What engines does the Land Rover Defender have? Power & range

The Land Rover Defender is offered with 3 powertrains — 5L 8-cyl, 2L 4-cyl, 3L 6-cyl Hybrid. Here's the lineup by engine, transmission and drivetrain — 3 for the Land Rover Defender, against one or two on most rivals.

Horsepower, torque and fuel-tank size decode from your VIN — exact figures vary by engine and trim.

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov (engines, drivetrain, range, charge time). Horsepower & torque from NHTSA vPIC on VIN decode.

Can a Land Rover Defender tow? Towing & payload

As an SUV, the Land Rover Defender is built to tow and haul. The exact maximum towing capacity and payload depend on the engine, drivetrain and whether it has the factory tow package.

What sets your Defender's tow & payload rating:

• Engine — a larger or turbocharged engine tows more than the base unit.
• Drivetrain & axle — 4WD/AWD and the axle ratio shift the rating.
• Tow package — the factory towing package (hitch, wiring, transmission cooler) raises the max.
• Payload & GVWR — GVWR caps the combined load; more passengers and cargo lower how much you can tow.

Exact towing capacity, payload and GVWR are added per engine, drivetrain and trim — decode your VIN above, or check the driver's door-jamb and hitch labels. Curb weight from vehicle specifications.

The Defender by the numbers

What the federal and market records say about the Land Rover Defender. Each line opens the full breakdown by year.