2022 Land Rover Defender vs 2023 Genesis GV80

Over seven decades in the car business, Land Rover has shifted from making utilitarian vehicles prized by farmers, explorers, and soldiers to making luxury vehicles prized by wealthy suburbanites. The 2022 Land Rover Defender aims to bridge the gap between Land Rover’s past and present.

As other Land Rover models got more luxurious, the original Defender carried on as a rugged, basic off-roader. While Land Rover stopped selling the old school Defender in North America during the 1990s, it remained in production for other markets until 2016. By that time, Land Rover was already planning a clean-sheet redesign that brought the Defender back to North America for the 2020 model year.

The new Land Rover Defender contrasts the automaker’s other models, like the Discovery and Range Rover, with an emphasis on ruggedness. It’s still bigger and cushier than the original Defender, but less fancy than its sibling models. And like the original Defender, the new model is available in two-door 90 and four-door 110 body styles. A three-row, eight-seat Land Rover Defender 130 body style is also on the way for the 2023 model year.

Meanwhile, changes for the 2022 model year include a new optional 11.4-inch touchscreen, standard wireless phone charging, and an expansion of trim levels. The Defender 90 gets a new X-Dynamic SE trim, and a new V8 powertrain option debuts for both the 90 and Defender 110. Shared with other Jaguar Land Rover products, the supercharged 5.0-litre V8 provides a serious boost in performance. We sampled it in a Defender 90 for this review.

We first got an idea of the GV80 in 2017 at the New York Auto Show when the company debuted a concept. Fast forward to 2021 when we saw the first production model and we knew it would be a hit. Over the past two years, our admiration has only grown. Available in Canada with Advanced or Prestige packages, the GV80 is a midsize luxury SUV with plenty of features, offering stellar value for those who recognize a good deal when they see it.

Verdict: With great styling inside and out, plus a healthy choice of potent powertrains, the Genesis GV80 is an attractive and capable option in the midsize luxury SUV segment. Its technology can require a bit of a learning curve, but there are few true faults with this vehicle.