Land Rover Defender 110 D300 X-Dynamic HSE (2024) Review

Introduction

Look - if you’re after a 4x4 that’ll actually get you up a Lesotho pass and still feel at home doing the local school run, the Land Rover Defender 110 D300 X-Dynamic HSE is tough to beat. You do need to be realistic about long-term electronics and whether your closest JLR dealer isn’t further than the nearest Wimpy on the N1. By 2026, the L663 Defender feels more like the ideal South African overlander than I imagined at launch. The 3.0-litre inline-six diesel is the pick of the range - simple as that. So, does it really deserve a place alongside the Land Cruiser on your Sani Pass shortlist, or is that just clever marketing?

Key takeaway: The D300 110 is the most capable and refined Defender you can buy in South Africa - the dream overlander, if you’re willing to take a chance on electronics over the long haul.

Design & Exterior

The shape that resets the segment

Watch the reaction at a parking lot - a Prado never gets this much attention. That emotional pull is huge for Defender. The 110’s silhouette, with its upright tail and stubby overhangs, is unmistakable even from across a gravel lot in the Karoo. X-Dynamic HSE trim means gloss-black grille, body-coloured cladding, 20-inch alloys. If it were mine, I’d swap those wheels for 19s and proper all-terrains before the first tank of diesel was empty.

X-Dynamic HSE detailing

Khaki-and-Ebony is the one to get. It looks like a working bakkie but with enough polish to pass for a school run. The side-hinged tailgate, exposed door hinges, bonnet vents - all reminders that Land Rover understands what this car’s meant to be, even if most get used on tar. Most owners won’t ever select low range, but knowing it’s there counts for something.

Cabin & Practicality

Materials and ergonomics

This interior does its own thing compared to the Germans. Exposed cross-beam, magnesium-look finishes, optional rubber floors - it feels built to work, not just to impress visitors, and that’s a breath of fresh air. Pivi Pro now works properly: the old lag and surprise reboots are gone, and over-the-air updates have sorted it out. I’m a fan of software patches that redeem first-gen tech. Meridian sound? Excellent. And those physical climate dials - chunky, glove-friendly, and crucial when you’re tearing down a rutted road at speed. One afternoon on a corrugated gravel stretch, never once did I have to poke at a touchscreen.

Space and the 5+2 question

The 110 will swallow a family plus gear. Rear legroom is generous, ISOFIX is easy, and the optional third row is really just for short trips - not a true seven-seater like a Fortuner. The Land Rover Defender's boot space is decent with all seats up, but that side-hinged tailgate is a pain in tight parking garages. You learn to nose-in - after one awkward shuffle blocking X5s in Sandton City, you won’t forget. Still, if you pack smart, a 110 will carry four people, a rooftop tent, a recovery kit, and a fridge slide to Mozambique without fuss.

• Side-hinged tailgate: awkward in town, brilliant for brewing coffee in the bush
• 5+2 seating: for kids or short stints, not a Prado alternative
• Pivi Pro: now quick and reliable after several OTA updates
• Physical HVAC dials: still here, and vital for SA touring

On the Road

The D300 inline-six

This engine completes the Defender. The 3.0 D300 mild-hybrid straight-six is smooth, torquey, and at 120 km/h on the highway, you’d never guess it’s a diesel. The mild hybrid system shaves a bit off fuel use and makes stop-start less annoying, but it’s so unobtrusive you forget it’s there. The 8-speed ZF auto is sharp, never hunting for the right gear, and throttle response feels just right.

Ride, gravel and air suspension

Air suspension is the showstopper. Drop it for easy mall parking, lift it 75 mm for deep ruts - the ride on rough gravel is a generation ahead of any ladder-frame rival. Last winter, I drove a press car from Joburg to Dullstroom, and it shrugged off battered tar at 130 km/h without breaking a sweat. On dirt, Terrain Response 2 and All-Terrain Progress Control do what they promise. They’re not gimmicks. They work.

Real-world consumption

Figure on about 10 L/100km at a steady cruise, even though Land Rover claims 7.9 L/100km. With an 89-litre tank, you’re good for 800 km between stops. That sort of range matters when you’re running between remote areas without a filling station in sight.

Data & Comparison

Numbers that matter

Core specs for the Defender 110 D300 X-Dynamic HSE:

• Engine: 3.0-litre inline-six twin-turbo diesel MHEV, 221 kW and 650 Nm
• Gearbox: 8-speed automatic
• Drivetrain: full-time all-wheel drive with twin-speed transfer case
• Doors: 5
• Body: off-road vehicle, Defender 110 (L663) generation

Defender vs the rivals

Let’s not kid ourselves: most Land Rover Defender vs arguments in South Africa centre on the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, the Land Cruiser 300, and the Ineos Grenadier. Each has its own strengths on paper, at least.

Ownership, residuals and SA reality

Five years with this Defender will set you back around R230,000 in running costs - before tyres, which are eye-watering on 20s. The Land Rover Defender service plan in South Africa covers 5 years/100,000 km, stacking up well against the Prado’s plan, but you won’t match Toyota for rural dealer reach. Trend data up to November 2025 shows SUVs dominating South African sales (mid-70s index), while bakkies hover in the low-40s - buyers haven’t lost appetite, even as prices keep climbing.

As for the Land Rover Defender price in South Africa, the D300 X-Dynamic HSE is up at R1.7m new, with 2022s fetching R1.1m–R1.3m used. That’s 30–35% depreciation in three years, which is less than I’d thought, and suggests the L663 is building real loyalty. Search Land Rover Defender Land Rover Defender 110 D300 X-Dynamic HSE price in South Africa, and you’ll see: treat the options list as negotiation, but Advanced Off-Road and the rear locker aren’t just nice-to-haves for the proper brief.

Editorial Focus

The Dream SA Off-Roader - does it actually qualify?

I’ll be straight. The Defender 110 D300 is the most genuinely capable luxury off-roader for your driveway, and the numbers back it. As for the Land Rover Defender's ground clearance. It's 291 mm on air, wading depth 900 mm with the snorkelled intake, approach 38°, departure 40°. Those are real figures, not marketing fluff, and they leave the new Prado behind.

But the dream badge isn’t just about specs. It’s about knowing you’ll get home from Pofadder when a warning light pings at midnight. That’s where the Defender still has to prove itself. Forums are full of tales about water in the sills or the odd ECU tantrum. The 2026s are mostly improved - issues are software, not mechanical - but the doubt remains. The Land Cruiser? It’ll get you home. The Defender might have you phoning for help.

My take? If you’re doing Kgalagadi, Cederberg, or Namibia via Vioolsdrif, the D300 is your best bet. If you’re heading far off-grid - Skeleton Coast, Caprivi - Toyota’s dealer network still rules. The Defender is the heart choice, but now you can justify it with your head.

Verdict

Who shouldn't

If you want two decades of go-anywhere reliability, stick to a Land Cruiser. If you can’t stomach the odd tech gremlin or plan to hold on for a decade far from the cities, look elsewhere.