New Land Rover Defender goes out on a test drive, may get 500+ HP

Land Rover took the top spec of its new Defender SUV out for a series of pre-production tests. Simultaneously, rumors emerged that it would ship with the same five-liter, supercharged V8 engine as the Range Rover series.

Currently, the maxed-out Defender spec ships with an inline-six engine paired with a small-yield electric motor. Their total output amounts to approximately 400 hp (300 kW) and 550 Nm (405 lb-ft) of torque. The next generation should prove much stronger than that if it indeed switches to the new powertrain. Other JLR vehicles get up to 575 hp (430 kW) and 700 Nm (516 lb-ft) out of the V8.

The performance-laden Land Rover Defender may enter the market late next year, although this is not official yet. The Mercedes-AMG G 63 will likely provide most of the competition in its market segment.