The new Land Rover Defender Hybrid P400e Plug-in

On the outside at least, the new Defender P400e looks almost identical to its combustion-engined siblings. The only giveaway to its electrified nature is the newly-sprouted charging flap on the left rear flank…

In all other ways, this is the modern-day Defender design as we first saw it back in 2019. No doubt you’ll have some opinions on the styling, but in our humble one it hits the mark perfectly both inside and out. For obvious reasons, though, the PHEV does only come in long-wheelbase 110 form.
So it looks the same. How is it different underneath?

Right, let’s get into the techy bits. The P400e gets a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder Ingenium petrol engine that’s built in Britain and produces 296bhp under its own steam. Here though, it’s paired with a 105kW electric motor and when both work together there’s a maximum of 398bhp and 472lb ft of torque. Very healthy.

The Defender’s smooth and standard eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox is present and correct, and the P400e is permanently in four-wheel drive mode whether you’re running on electric power alone, a bit of both or purely petrol power. It’s also unique in that all-electric drive can be combined with the low-range ratios, so off-road abilities should never be compromised.

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