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Land Rover Defender 90 vs Mercedes-Benz GLS

Prices, specs and on-road cost, side by side. Updated 8 Oct 2026.

Land Rover Defender 90
Mercedes-Benz GLS

Land Rover

Defender 90

From ₹1.43 Crore

Full Defender 90 page Change

Mercedes-Benz

GLS

From ₹1.28 Crore

Full GLS page Change
Land Rover Defender 90Defender 90 X-Dynamic HSE · ₹1.43 Crore
Mercedes-Benz GLSGLS 450 4MATIC · ₹1.28 Crore

What's different

On the versions picked above

Price Defender 90: ₹1.43 Crore GLS: ₹1.28 Crore (ahead) GLS ₹14.90 lakh cheaper
Airbags Defender 90: 6 airbags GLS: 9 airbags (ahead) No crash ratings yet
Mileage Defender 90: 11.80 kmpl (ahead) GLS: ~8.5 kmpl ARAI claim
Power Defender 90: Not published GLS: 375 bhp
Boot Defender 90: 297 litres GLS: 355 litres (ahead) Length 4,583 vs 5,209 mm
Versions Defender 90: 2 GLS: 6 (ahead) Only GLS: diesel, automatic

Pick the Defender 90 for better claimed mileage.

Pick the GLS for the lower price, more airbags, the bigger boot and more versions.

Spec by spec

Price

Ex-showroom
₹1.43 Crore
₹1.28 Crore
On-road in
₹1.63 Crore
₹1.46 Crore
EMI, 5 years, 20% down
₹2,73,869 a month
₹2,45,366 a month

Headline figures

Powertrain
Petrol, automatic
Petrol, automatic
Power
Not listed
375 bhp
Torque
Not listed
500 Nm
Gearbox
Automatic
Automatic
Mileage
11.80 kmpl
~8.5 kmpl

Vehicle Details

Body Type
3-Door Compact Heavy-Duty 4x4 Off-Road SUV
Full-Size Ultra-Luxury 3-Row SUV
Seating Capacity
5 / 6 Seats (Front Jump Seat)
7 Seats

Engine & Performance

Fuel Type
Diesel / Petrol
Petrol / Diesel
Displacement
2,997 cc (3.0L In-line 6 Diesel & Petrol) / 4,999 cc (5.0L Supercharged V8)
2,999 cc (3.0L In-line 6 Petrol GLS 450) / 2,989 cc (3.0L In-line 6 Diesel GLS 450d)
Engine Config
3.0L Turbo Diesel (300 PS & 650 Nm) / 3.0L Turbo Petrol (400 PS) / 5.0L Supercharged V8 (525 PS & 625 Nm)
3.0L In-line 6-Cylinder Turbo Petrol (381 PS) / 3.0L In-line 6 Twin-Turbo Diesel (367 PS & 750 Nm)
Drivetrain
Permanent 4WD with Twin-Speed Transfer Box (High/Low Range) + Electronic Active Rear Diff Lock & Center Lock
4MATIC Permanent All-Wheel Drive with Torque on Demand
0-100
6.7 sec (Diesel) / 5.2 sec (V8)
6.1 sec (GLS 450) / 6.1 sec (GLS 450d)
Top Speed
191 km/h (Diesel) / 240 km/h (V8)
250 km/h (Electronically Limited)

Transmission & Hybrid

Transmission
8-Speed Automatic Transmission (ZF 8HP with CommandShift)
9G-TRONIC 9-Speed Torque Converter Automatic Transmission
Gears
8
9
Paddles
Yes
Yes
Hybrid
48V Mild-Hybrid System (MHEV)
48V Mild-Hybrid System (MHEV with 2nd-Gen Integrated Starter Generator on all variants)

Brakes, Wheels & Suspension

Front Brakes
Ventilated Disc Brakes (Front 380 mm)
Ventilated Composite Discs (Front 390 mm with 6-Piston Calipers)
Rear Brakes
Ventilated Disc Brakes (Rear 365 mm) - All 4 Discs
Ventilated Discs (Rear 345 mm)
Front Suspension
Electronic Air Suspension with Adaptive Dynamics (Auto Self-Leveling & Ride Height +75 mm to +145 mm)
AIRMATIC Air Suspension with Adaptive Damping System ADS+ & E-ACTIVE BODY CONTROL 48V Active Suspension (Rocking Curve Mode)
Rear Suspension
Integral Link Independent Rear Suspension with Air Suspension
AIRMATIC Air Suspension Multi-Link Axle (Auto Self-Leveling & Rear Suspension Lowering Button by 50 mm for Cargo Loading)
Wheel Type
20-inch Satin Dark Grey Alloy Wheels
21-inch 5-Twin-Spoke Light Alloy Wheels
Tyre Size
255/60 R20 All-Terrain Tubeless Radial
Front: 275/45 R21, Rear: 315/40 R21 Tubeless Radial
Spare Wheel
Tailgate-Mounted Full Size 20-inch Matching Spare Wheel with Body Cover
Space Saver Spare Wheel in luggage area

Dimensions & Capacities

Length
4,583 mm (with spare wheel)
5,209 mm
Width
2,008 mm
2,030 mm (2,157 mm with mirrors)
Height
1,969 mm
1,823 mm
Wheelbase
2,587 mm (Short Wheelbase for Extreme Agility)
3,135 mm (Massive luxury SUV wheelbase)
Ground Clearance
291 mm (Extreme Off-Road Clearance; Approach: 38°, Departure: 40°, Breakover: 31° - Best in Industry, Water Wading: 900 mm)
200 mm - 260 mm (Adjustable ride height via AIRMATIC Air Suspension +60 mm lift)
Kerb Weight
2,245 kg - 2,470 kg
2,460 kg - 2,785 kg
Boot Space
297 Litres (expandable to 1,263 L with 40:20:40 folded rear seats)
355L (all 3 rows up) / 890L (3rd row folded) / 2,400L (all rear seats folded flat via one-touch electric buttons)
Fuel Tank
85 Litres
90 Litres
Turning Radius
5.6 m
6.2 m

Safety & ADAS

NCAP Rating
Not tested in this form. The Defender 110 scored 5 stars from Euro NCAP (2020). That rating runs until 1 January 2027.
No crash-test rating has been published for this model.
Airbags
6 Airbags Standard (Dual front, side thorax, full curtain airbags)
9 Airbags Standard (Dual front, front/rear side thorax, full 3-row curtain, driver knee airbag)
ESP/TC
Yes (Dynamic Stability Control DSC, Electronic Traction Control ETC, Hill Descent Control HDC, Wade Sensing)
Yes (ESP with Trailer Stability Assist, Downhill Speed Regulation DSR, E-Active Body Control, Pre-Safe System, Crosswind Assist)
ADAS
Level 2 ADAS (Adaptive Cruise Control, 3D Surround Camera with Wade Sensing, Lane Keep Assist, Blind Spot Assist)
Level 2 ADAS (Driving Assistance Package Plus: Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC, Active Steering Assist, Active Brake Assist with Cross-Traffic, Evasive Steering, Active Blind Spot, Exit Warning)
Camera
3D Surround Camera with 'ClearSight Ground View' (Transparent Hood) & Wade Sensing Water Sensors
360-Degree Surround View HD Camera with 'Transparent Bonnet' Virtual Off-Road View & Active Parking Assist PARKTRONIC
TPMS
Yes (Direct Active TPMS with individual readout)
Yes (Direct Active TPMS with real-time pressure & temperature display for all 4 wheels)
ISOFIX
Yes (Rear outer seats with ISOFIX)
Yes (ISOFIX on 2nd row & 3rd row outer seats)

Interior & Infotainment

Touchscreen
11.4-inch High-Definition Curved Glass Pivi Pro Touchscreen Infotainment with Off-Road Telemetry
Dual 12.3-inch Widescreen Cockpit: 12.3-inch Touchscreen with MBUX Gen 7 + Twin 11.6-inch Full HD Rear Seat Entertainment Displays + 7.0-inch Rear MBUX Tablet
Digital Cluster
12.3-inch Full Digital Interactive Driver Display Cluster + Full-Colour Head-Up Display (HUD)
12.3-inch Full Digital High-Definition Driver Information Cockpit + Full-Colour Head-Up Display (HUD)
CarPlay/Android Auto
Wireless Apple CarPlay & Wireless Android Auto
Wireless Apple CarPlay & Wireless Android Auto
Connected Tech
InControl Remote with Alexa Voice Integration, SOTA Updates
Mercedes me connect Suite with OTA Software Updates, In-Car Office, Remote Climate Pre-conditioning, Geofencing, Live Tracking
Audio System
Meridian Surround Sound System (14 speakers + 1 subwoofer 700W output)
Burmester Surround Sound System (13 speakers, 590 W)
Sunroof
Sliding Panoramic Dual-Pane Glass Sunroof + Alpine Light Roof Windows
Panoramic Dual-Pane Sliding Glass Sunroof with Electric Roller Sunblinds
Seat Features
14-Way Heated & Cooled Electric Memory Front Seats in Windsor Leather / Robustec Fabric
All 7 Seats Electrically Adjustable + Ventilated & Heated Front & 2nd-Row Seats in Rough Nappa Leather with 10 Massage Programs & Heated Armrests
Climate Control
2-Zone Automatic Climate Control with Cabin Air Purification Plus
5-Zone Automatic Climate Control THERMOTRONIC with Separate Rear Climate Unit & B-pillar/Roof Vents for all 3 rows
Wireless Charger
Yes (Fast Qi Wireless Smartphone Charger)
Yes (Dual Wireless Smartphone Chargers: Front Console & 2nd Row Center Armrest)

Lighting & Exterior

Headlights
Matrix Full LED Headlamps with Signature Round Halo Daytime Running Lights (DRLs)
MULTIBEAM LED Headlights with 112 Individually Controllable LEDs per headlamp & ULTRA RANGE High Beam (up to 650m)
Tail Lights
Full LED Square Tail Lamps
Full LED Horizontal 3D Block Tail Lamps connected by chrome bar
Fog/DRLs
Front Bumper LED Fog Lamps, Heavy-Duty Electric Winch Capability (4.5 tons), Raised Air Intake Snorkel & Exposed Recovery Eyes
Front LED Cornering Fog Lamps, Illuminated Aluminium Running Boards & Chrome Roof Rails

Colours & Warranty

Standard Warranty
3 Years / 1,00,000 km Comprehensive Factory Warranty
3 Years / Unlimited km Comprehensive Factory Warranty
Service Interval
12 Months / 16,000 km
12 Months / 15,000 km

Choice

Versions
2 versions
6 versions
Price range
₹1.43 Crore – ₹1.61 Crore
₹1.28 Crore – ₹1.43 Crore
Colours
7 colours
6 colours

Features are what each maker lists for its top versions. "Not listed" means the maker's sheet does not mention it, not that the vehicle lacks it.

Same engine and gearbox, closest price

Pick a pair to compare those two versions

Petrol, automatic

Defender 90 X-Dynamic HSE₹1.43 Crore GLS 450 4MATIC Night Edition₹1.41 Crore GLS ₹1.90 lakh less

Only the GLS sells a diesel, automatic version: 3 versions, from ₹1.34 Crore.

On-road price by city

Defender 90 Defender 90 X-Dynamic HSE against GLS GLS 450 4MATIC

CityDefender 90GLSGap
Mumbai₹1.67 Crore₹1.49 CroreGLS ₹17.41 lakh less
Pune₹1.67 Crore₹1.49 CroreGLS ₹17.41 lakh less
New Delhi₹1.63 Crore₹1.46 CroreGLS ₹16.96 lakh less
Bengaluru₹1.74 Crore₹1.56 CroreGLS ₹18.16 lakh less
Chennai₹1.77 Crore₹1.59 CroreGLS ₹18.45 lakh less
Hyderabad₹1.79 Crore₹1.6 CroreGLS ₹18.60 lakh less
Ahmedabad₹1.57 Crore₹1.41 CroreGLS ₹16.37 lakh less
Kolkata₹1.63 Crore₹1.46 CroreGLS ₹16.96 lakh less

Ex-showroom price plus road tax, registration and insurance, by each state's rules. Dealers may add handling charges and accessories.

Common questions

Which is cheaper, the Defender 90 or the GLS?

The GLS, by ₹14.90 lakh on the versions compared here: Defender 90 Defender 90 X-Dynamic HSE at ₹1.43 Crore against GLS GLS 450 4MATIC at ₹1.28 Crore, ex-showroom. On the road in Delhi that becomes ₹1.63 Crore against ₹1.46 Crore.

Which gives better mileage?

The Defender 90 claims 11.80 kmpl against ~8.5 kmpl on the versions compared here. These are official test figures, not road measurements.

Which is safer?

The Defender 90: not tested in this form; the Defender 110 scored 5 stars (Euro NCAP 2020). The GLS: not crash-tested yet. The Defender 90 has 6 airbags and the GLS 9 airbags.

Which is bigger?

The GLS is 626 mm longer. Boot space is 297 litres in the Defender 90 and 355 litres in the GLS.

What is the EMI on each?

About ₹2,73,869 a month for the Defender 90 and ₹2,45,366 for the GLS, on the road in Delhi with 20% down over 5 years at 9.5%.

Compare the rivals

Defender 90 vs Grecale From ₹1.43 Crore and ₹1.14 Crore Defender 90 vs X7 From ₹1.43 Crore and ₹1.33 Crore Defender 90 vs Cayenne From ₹1.43 Crore and ₹1.51 Crore GLS vs X7 From ₹1.28 Crore and ₹1.33 Crore GLS vs Discovery From ₹1.28 Crore and ₹1.26 Crore GLS vs Grecale From ₹1.28 Crore and ₹1.14 Crore
Land Rover Defender 90: every version, spec and on-road price Mercedes-Benz GLS: every version, spec and on-road price