Land Rover

Land Rovers’ most important model. Defends an iconic reptation with formidable ability.

New Defender is one of the most capable monocoque SUVs you can buy. With a brilliant interior architecture that is comfortable, luxurious, tech-integrated, but also has lots of clever non-slip storage spaces.

The 90s look amazing, although accessing the rear seats is a nightmare for anyone with hip issues or limited flexibility. The 130 looks a bit awkward with its huge rear overhang, but it offers more cargo space than a Land Cruiser 300. Defender 130 is targeted at adventurous luxury SUV buyers who like spending a month exploring Botswana or Namibia on their own.

Ride quality is fantastic on the optional air suspension, but it’s also very good on the standard steel coil springs.

Lots of accessories and trims to choose from – and none of them come cheap. The Trophy Edition 110s looks terrific and comes with all-terrain tyres and all the exploration accessories you need, bundled into a single package.

Hybrid Defenders aren’t really worth the price, and the P400 V8s are way too heavy on fuel and come with silly 22-inch wheels and vulnerable low-profile tyres.

Don’t be fooled by the D250 smaller nomenclature: it's the best engine. A 3-litre in-line six turbodiesel, good for 183kW and 570Nm, delivering an outstanding balance of performance and economy. If you have the budget, the D350 takes that engine to 257kW and 700Nm, and it's all the luxury all-terrain SUV you’d ever need.

The forgotten luxury SUV with actual off-road ability.

Discovery 5’s awkward design has done it no favours, but this remains one of the most formidable 7-seater all-terrain vehicles.

Unlike previous generations of Discovery, there is no coil-spring suspension option; all Discovery 5 models ride on air suspension. That means outstanding highway-speed handling, stability, and ride quality. Discovery 5’s air suspension also gives it much more ground clearance than a Toyota Prado, with the Disco rated at 283mm.

Cabin is typically modern Land Rover, with better digital UX than most German luxury cars. And many functional storage spaces, exactly where you need them. You also get third-row seating, which is very useful when the Discovery 5 is being used as a daily driver on the school run.

Land Rover’s inline-6 turbodiesel engines have an outstanding balance between power and economy. And Discovery 5 has all the proven towing stability that makes these models so popular with South Africans with boats or horse trailers.

There’s very little to rival a Discovery 5 for all-round ability, from an urban highway commute to crawling up expert grade 4x4 trails in Lesotho.

Defender is a better vehicle in nearly every way. Still, if you want to be an outlier and more of an individual and prefer a subtle design and presence with your luxury all-terrain 4x4, Discovery 5 is a discerning choice.

The urban Land Rover, designed to be easier in traffic and less stressful to park.

Discovery Sport is the only Land Rover to offer an entry-level front-wheel-drive model, which irks Land Rover traditionalists.

Like all Land Rovers, the design is striking and ages very well. Cabin packing is a bit tight, and tall rear-seat passengers don't have much head or elbow room. But it does have third-row seats, so you can up the passenger count to 7 when needed.

Some cabin trim materials feel a touch cheap, but the Pivi Pro infotainment system is excellent and more intuitive than those of German premium brands.

The Discovery Sport turbopetrol hybrids are very expensive and challenging to justify compared to German and Chinese crossover rivals, which offer more powertrain tech for less money.

If you want the Land Rover design and heritage status but know you aren’t ever going off-road, the Discovery Sport is a good, if expensive, alternative to the X3 or GLC.

The best buy Discovery Sport is a D180 turbodiesel with standard 18-inch wheels, configured as all-wheel drive – as true Land Rovers should be.

The budget Range Rover. That is actually a Freelander 3, rebadged as a Range Rover for people who want the badge and a dramatic design, without the cost and all the heavy-duty 4x4 hardware of a proper Range Rover.

Like everything from Land Rover, the Evoque’s design is gorgeous without having any silly surface detailing. Cabin quality isn’t exceptional, but the Pivi Pro infotainment and digital UX systems are great. Rear legroom and luggage space are less than what you’d expect.

As a ‘pseudo’ Range Rover, the all-wheel-drive Evoques don’t have low-range gearing for demanding off-road trails. This is very much a Land Rover for dirt roads and light sand tracks.

Engine options aren’t brilliant. The turbopetrol engines are very heavy on fuel. The diesels don’t make class-leading power compared to German rivals. And the petrol hybrids are wildly expensive compared to a more powerful, much cheaper Chinese crossover of similar size.

Best buy Evoque is probably a D200 S on the standard 18-inch wheels. The SE and Autobiography trim levels are overkill for something that isn’t a genuine Range Rover.

Range Rover is still unrivalled as the ultimate luxury status-SUV. With real all-terrain ability.

Design matches elegance with presence like no other. Unlike many other luxury SUVs, Range Rovers never seem to age or go out of style. A testament to their excellence of design.

Like a true British luxury car marque, there's a wide range of cosmetic customisation available. Be careful about going for 22- or 23-inch wheels, which are popular on the Autobiography and SV models and degrade ride quality badly on South African roads.

Cabin is the best blend of luxury trims, finishes and design. Feels more special inside than any of the German premium brand SUVs. Great infotainment syncing, too.

With standard air suspension, all Range Rovers have exemplary ride quality, even over the worst terrain.

At high cruising speeds, Range Rovers are wonderfully stable and feel like true limousines, with no body roll.

When you need to go off-road, the air suspension can raise to 297mm of ground clearance, which is a lot more than a Land Cruiser 300. But Range Rovers have a 500kg lower tow rating than Toyota’s luxury all-terrain SUV.

Wildly expensive to maintain at mid- to high-mileages outside of the Land Rover Care maintenance plan. The SV performance versions on low-profile tyres put a lot of load on suspension bushings and components, which can require premature maintenance.

Best buy is an HSE P460 diesel on 20-inch wheels.

New money version of the Range Rover. With sharper styling, but less cabin and luggage space.

The Rangey Sport has more presence and design impact than German rivals, which all look over-styled in comparison.

Excellent chassis and air-suspension make it an amazingly comfortable, confident high-speed SUV on any road surface. But the optional 23-inch wheels decay ride quality and are awful on gravel roads.

Cabin blends legacy British luxury feel and craftsmanship with advanced digital UX elements. Driver and passenger comfort is superior to German luxury SUVs. But the Range Rover Sport’s luggage space is less than BMW’s X5 and Mercedes-Benz’s GLE.

The SV version has epic performance with its BMW 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 and a characterful soundtrack.

Best buy is the D350 Autobiography version. It delivers all the overtaking performance you’d want from a luxury SUV, with excellent cruising-speed economy, which means you aren’t stopping every second hour on a cross-country road trip.

The current Sport is heavier than its predecessor, which means more wear on suspension, braking, and driveline components. Like all luxury SUVs, the Range Rover Sport is very expensive to maintain at mid- to high-mileage, out of maintenance plan.

Iconic Land Rover model name, revived as the model between Evoque and Range Rover Sport.  

Velar’s distinctive tapered rear design looks so much better than the awkwardly styled German sloping-roofline SUVs.

Created to offer Ranger Rover status in a smaller, more parking-garage-friendly package. But it’s not really a genuine Range Rover…

Components and engineering are a lot more Jaguar than Land Rover underneath, which makes Velar less of a true all-terrain SUV. And more of a status luxury crossover vehicle. It’s why Velar doesn’t have low-range gearing. But in truth: how many luxury SUV owners ever use low-range?

Cabin architecture is tasteful, luxurious, with excellent digital UX. Rear legroom and comfort is limited and not really worthy of something with the Range Rover name.

The Velar PHEVs are expensive for the powertrain technology they offer. Best buy is the P300 diesel. If you need a 'small' Range Rover to work with your urban lifestyle and parking realities.