- Delivered across Sydney
- Bond and fees shown before you pay
- Never swapped to a lesser car
Most large SUVs are shaped like off-roaders and built for school runs. The Defender is the rare one that would genuinely rather be somewhere difficult, and has been made civilised enough that you can spend three hours on a motorway getting there without resenting it.
Check Defender availability
Seven seats and high clearance. Tell us your dates and where you are heading.
Specifications
| Model | Land Rover Defender 110 |
|---|---|
| Year | 2023 |
| Engine | 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol |
| Power | 221kW |
| 0-100km/h | 7.1 seconds |
| Drivetrain | All-wheel drive |
| Seats | 7 |
| Tier | Lifestyle |
A two-litre engine in a car this size sounds optimistic until you drive it. 221kW is
substantial, the turbo fills in low down, and 7.1 seconds is quicker than almost anyone expects
from something shaped like a shipping container.
What It Is Actually Like in Sydney
You sit up, and it changes the drive
The driving position is genuinely commanding rather than marketing-commanding. Big upright
glass, a flat bonnet you can see the end of, and squared corners. In heavy traffic on the M4 you
can see over most of what is around you, and in a car park you know exactly where the car
finishes.
That squared-off shape is also why it is easier to place than its dimensions suggest. Most
modern SUVs taper and slope until you are guessing; this one does not.
It is far more refined than the name implies
Anyone whose reference point is the old Defender will be startled. It is quiet at highway
speed, the ride is composed, and the cabin is a genuinely pleasant place to spend three hours.
The old car was an endurance event. This one is a comfortable long-distance vehicle that happens
to be extremely capable.
Capability you will probably never need, and will be glad of once
Ground clearance, proper all-wheel drive and approach angles that make steep driveways and
rutted access roads non-events. Most guests never use a fraction of it.
The once it matters is the difference. A wet grass paddock at a wedding, an unsealed kilometre
to a rental property, a boat ramp, a farm gate. Every year we get the message afterwards saying
the road turned to dirt and the car simply did not care.
Seven seats that fold flat
The third row goes down properly and leaves a genuinely large flat load space. For two people
with a lot of gear it is one of the most useful cars we run, and considerably more practical than
the boot figures suggest.
Things You Should Know Before You Book
Height limits are the real constraint
Not width, not length. It is tall, and some older Sydney car parks are marked lower than it
stands, particularly in the inner city and around the older hotels. Check the clearance where you
are staying before the day; it is the single most common practical problem with this car.
Fuel is respectable, not frugal
The two-litre petrol is more economical than the size implies but it is still moving a heavy,
square vehicle through the air. Highway consumption is reasonable. Around town it is not
remarkable either way.
Off-road is capability, not permission
Worth restating because it is the most misunderstood thing about hiring this car. It will do
far more than our terms allow. Formed dirt roads are fine; genuine off-roading, beach driving and
water crossings are not permitted. If your trip involves any of those, tell us first so nobody
discovers the line after the fact.
Loading It, Which Is Half the Reason People Book It
The square shape is the feature
Boot figures are misleading in most SUVs because the space is a wedge. Here it is very nearly a
box: vertical sides, a flat floor and a high roof. Things that theoretically fit in a
larger-on-paper boot but practically do not will fit in this one.
The tailgate is side-hinged
Worth knowing before you park. It swings out rather than up, which is excellent in a low garage
and briefly annoying if you have reversed up close to a wall. Leave a metre behind you and it is
more convenient than a conventional tailgate.
Third row down is the configuration most people use
Five seats and an enormous flat load bay covers the majority of bookings. Bikes go in with
front wheels off, boards fit inside rather than on the roof, and a full weekend of camping gear for
four disappears without needing the rails at all.
Roof rails need arranging, not improvising
The capacity is there and the rails are fitted, but anything mounted to them has to be sorted
with us in advance rather than strapped on at handover. Tell us what you are carrying when you
book and it is straightforward.
How It Compares to the Rest of the Fleet
Against the Range Rover Sport
The comparison most people are actually making. The Range Rover is quieter, smoother and more
comfortable on the motorway; the Defender is more capable, more distinctive and more fun. If the
trip is a hundred per cent sealed roads, take the Range Rover. If any of it is not, or if you
simply prefer the character, take this.
Against the G-Wagon
Both are squared-off icons and they attract completely different people. The G-Wagon is a
luxury statement with genuine ability underneath. The Defender is a capable vehicle with genuine
comfort layered on. The G is faster and more of an occasion; the Defender is more practical and
seats seven.
Against the LandCruiser Prado
The Prado is the more proven long-distance tourer and the more sensible choice for a genuine
outback trip. The Defender is more comfortable, more modern inside and considerably more
interesting to look at. For two weeks crossing the country, the Prado. For a fortnight of good
roads with dirt at the ends, the Defender.
The Trips Worth Booking It For
The Blue Mountains beyond the highway
Anything past Blackheath where the sealed road stops being the point. Megalong Valley and the
access roads off the ridge are exactly this car's territory, and the ride quality means the
highway run there is not a penance.
Coastal properties with unsealed access
Most of the good places on the South Coast and up past the Central Coast involve a stretch of
dirt at the end. This is the car that makes that irrelevant instead of a consideration.
Big group weekends
Seven seats, a large boot with the third row down, and roof rails for what does not fit. For a
group heading somewhere for three days it does the job of two smaller cars, which is usually
cheaper than hiring two and always simpler than coordinating them.
It is also the easiest car in the fleet to share. The driving position suits almost everybody,
there is nothing intimidating about the way it drives, and swapping drivers halfway through a long
leg takes about a minute.
Who Actually Books This One
Families going somewhere with a dirt driveway. Groups of friends heading out of the city for a
long weekend. Photographers and production crews, who like the shape and love the load space. And
a consistent number of people who simply wanted this car specifically, which is not something you
can say about many seven-seat SUVs.
The one group we redirect: anyone whose entire trip is city driving and motorway. The Range
Rover Sport does that job better and more quietly for similar money, and we would rather say so
before you book than have you notice it on the second day.
If the Land Rover Defender 110 is booked
We never move you down a tier. If your dates are taken, these are the lifestyle cars we will offer instead, and we will tell you plainly if none of them is free rather than substituting something lesser on the day.
Range Rover Sport
- Up to 294kW
- AWD
- 5 or 7 seats
- Air suspension
Three of them in the fleet, which means it is the prestige car most likely to actually be free on your dates.
Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon
- 430kW
- 4.5s
- AWD
- 5 seats
The most recognised shape on the road, and the one people book when arriving is part of the occasion.
Staying on the tarmac?
If the trip is all sealed roads, the Range Rover Sport is quieter and smoother for the same money. Tell us the itinerary and we will say which one you actually want.
Guide rates, weekday winter pricing. Longer hires taper; the exact total for your dates is shown before you pay.
The bond held on your card equals the excess of the cover you choose. It is a pre-authorisation, released after return.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I collect it?
Mascot or Parramatta, or we deliver it. Because this car often goes on longer trips, we usually deliver the evening before so you can leave early without a detour.
Where can I actually take it?
Sealed roads and formed dirt roads, including most national park access roads and rural properties. What is not permitted is genuine off-roading, beach driving, water crossings and rock work. The car would manage far more than that; the cover does not.
Does it really seat seven?
Yes, with the usual caveat that the third row suits children and teenagers for long trips and adults for short ones. With all seven seats up the boot is small, so seven people plus seven people's luggage needs a conversation before you book.
Is it hard to park?
It is tall and boxy rather than wide, which makes it easier than it looks. The upright windows and squared-off corners mean you can actually see where the car ends, which is more than can be said for most modern SUVs. Height limits in older car parks are the real constraint.
What licence and age do I need?
A full licence held for the required period, checked in person at handover. Additional drivers must be listed on the booking and meet the same requirements.
Is there a security bond?
Yes, stated on your booking before you pay, held as a pre-authorisation rather than charged, and released after the car comes back.
Is there a kilometre limit?
Yes, on the booking before payment. This is a car people take on long trips, so tell us the itinerary and we will set the allowance to match rather than let you find an overage later.
Can I fit a roof box or bikes?
It has roof rails and the capacity for it, but any accessory needs to be arranged with us beforehand rather than fitted on the day. Tell us what you are carrying when you book.
Can I take it interstate?
With prior written approval noted on the booking so the kilometre allowance and roadside cover are correct. Alongside the Range Rover, this is the car we approve for interstate trips most often.
Can I bring a dog?
Yes, with a cover and a conversation first. This is the car people most often ask about it for, and the flat load bay suits it well. What we ask is that the boot is covered, the dog is restrained while moving, and the car comes back clean. Hair is the single most common reason a cleaning charge gets raised, and it is entirely avoidable.
Is it any good in cold weather up in the mountains?
Very. All-wheel drive, high clearance and proper ground contact make frost and the occasional snow above Blackheath a non-event, where a low car would be picking its way. Winter is when this car most obviously earns its keep over the sportier vehicles in the fleet.
Can I sleep in it or fit a roof tent?
The load bay is long enough that people do sleep in it with the third row folded, and that is fine. A roof tent is not, because it needs mounting hardware and changes the height and load rating of a vehicle we have to hand to somebody else next week. Camping gear inside, yes. Anything bolted to the roof, arrange with us first.