Volkswagen Touareg vs Land Rover Defender 90

The Volkswagen Touareg starts from $86,790 before on-road costs, while the Land Rover Defender 90 opens at $98,400. That makes the Volkswagen Touareg the more affordable entry point by $11,610.

Once you factor in stamp duty, registration, CTP insurance, and dealer delivery, expect to add roughly 8-12% on top of the RRP depending on your state. That puts estimated driveaway prices in the ballpark of $95,469 and $108,240 respectively.

Over 5 years, the running costs favour the Volkswagen Touareg by roughly $1,140 in fuel alone.

ANCAP safety ratings have not been published for both models yet. We will update this section when crash test results are available.

The Volkswagen Touareg features a 15-inch touchscreen, while the Land Rover Defender 90 gets a 11.4-inch display and 12.3-inch instruments. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard across both.

The Volkswagen Touareg stands out with wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and power tailgate that you will not find on the Land Rover Defender 90. The Land Rover Defender 90 counters with Apple CarPlay and heated front seats. Which feature set matters more depends on your daily routine and priorities.

The Volkswagen Touareg uses a Diesel producing 170kW and 500Nm of torque, sent through a auto to a AWD layout. It covers the 0-100km/h sprint in 5.9 seconds.

The Land Rover Defender 90 responds with a 3.0 i6 Diesel Mild Hybrid making 183kW and 570Nm, paired to a 8-speed automatic driving all four wheels. It gets to 100km/h in 8 seconds.

The Land Rover Defender 90 has the clear power advantage at 183kW vs 170kW. In the real-world sprint, the Volkswagen Touareg is 2.1s quicker. For most buyers, the way each car feels day-to-day matters more than outright acceleration.

The Volkswagen Touareg measures 4,889mm long on a 2,894mm wheelbase, 566mm longer than the Land Rover Defender 90 at 4,323mm (2,587mm wheelbase). The longer wheelbase on the Volkswagen Touareg generally means more rear legroom.

Boot space is 810L in the Volkswagen Touareg and 397L in the Land Rover Defender 90, giving the Volkswagen Touareg a 413L advantage.

For towing, the Land Rover Defender 90 leads with a 3,500kg braked capacity vs 3,500kg. That 0kg difference matters if you regularly hitch up.

Based on 15,000km of annual driving, fuel costs roughly $2,081/year for the Volkswagen Touareg and $2,309/year for the Land Rover Defender 90. That is a $228 annual difference in favour of the Volkswagen Touareg.

Estimated annual total: $2,081 (Volkswagen Touareg) vs $2,309 (Land Rover Defender 90). The Volkswagen Touareg saves you roughly $228 per year in total ownership costs. Use our Fuel Cost Calculator to estimate based on your driving.

Warranty: 5 years / 999,999km (Volkswagen Touareg) vs 5 years / 999,999km (Land Rover Defender 90). Both match on warranty length.