Fans of the new Land Rover Defender in Europe have a few new engine options available to them as the company broadens the lineup. That includes a new diesel power plant and a plug-in hybrid variant. Let’s talk about the PHEV.
Available only on the 110 model — that’s the 4-door for us Americans — the PHEV offers 404 PS of total system power and 640 total Nm of torque. That converts to about 400 hp, which is why the PHEV model is called the P400e. That’s also 472 lb-ft of torque, which is 2 lb-ft more than the new Jeep Wrangler 4xe PHEV. A 2.0-liter Ingenium turbocharged gas engine making 300 hp is the basis for the plug-in hybrid powertrain.
Continuing the comparison to the Jeep, the Defender P400e gets 2 more miles of electric range — 27 miles total — and it is rated at 85.3 mpg on the WLTP scale. When the PHEV Defender makes its way to the United States we’ll get more accurate EPA testing numbers.
And it will come to the United States. Land Rover’s current plug-in lineup is available in the States and with Defender demand as strong as it is, it’d be silly to not send it across the pond.
An on-board 7 kw Level 2 charger can charge the Defender to 80% in 2 hours. In Europe at least, there is also a DC fast charging port that can get the battery to 80% in 30 minutes. The on-board lithium-ion battery pack has a capacity of 19.2 kWh.
Electronic air suspension and 20-inch alloy wheels are standard on the P400e. Buyers will be able to spec their Defender PHEV with either 5 or 6 seats, just like they can on other 110 models.
We expect the new Defender PHEV to be as capable off-road as the rest of the Defender lineup. It should provide some interesting competition for the Jeep Wrangler 4xe, and the rest of the 4xe lineup in Europe. It’ll be even more exciting when Land Rover decides to bring the new Defender P400e PHEV here to the United States.
