Audi SQ8 vs Land Rover Defender 130: which should you buy?
The full picture
The Land Rover Defender 130 starts at ₹1.46Cr against the Audi SQ8's ₹1.81Cr ex-showroom Delhi, so it is ₹35.23L cheaper to get into.
They run together up to ₹1.81Cr, where the SQ8 tops out. Past that only the Defender 130 has anything left to sell you, up to ₹1.86Cr.
Only one of them takes the whole party: the Defender 130 seats 8, the SQ8 5.
Fuel is a real difference here: the SQ8 comes in petrol, the Defender 130 in diesel and petrol.
Same money, which car?
Take ₹1.81Cr to both showrooms and you come out with the SQ8 TFSI quattro at ₹1.81Cr or the Defender 130 X at ₹1.70Cr, the Defender 130 leaving ₹11.23L of that in your pocket.
Our take
Keeps ₹11.23L; airbags (8 against 6) is not worth that here
- Choose the Land Rover Defender 130 X if
- You would rather keep the ₹11.23L than pay for features you will not missOnly one here withlevel 1 ADASventilated front seatshead-up display
- Choose the Audi SQ8 TFSI quattro if
- You want the quickest of these and will use the 507 PSOnly one here with8 airbags17 speakers
SQ8 vs Defender 130, on paper
| Spec | Audi SQ8 | Land Rover Defender 130 |
|---|---|---|
| Price (ex-showroom Delhi) | ₹1.81Cr | ₹1.46Cr to ₹1.86Cr |
| Variants | 1 | 5 |
| Body type | Luxury Performance Coupe SUV | Luxury Off-road SUV |
| Seats | 5 | 8 |
| Fuels | Petrol | Diesel, Petrol |
| Length | 5,005 mm | 5,358 mm |
| Width | 1,995 mm | 2,008 mm |
| Wheelbase | 3,000 mm | 3,022 mm |
| Ground clearance | - | 218.5 mm |
| Turning radius | - | 6.42 m |
The working behind our take
Keeps ₹11.23L; airbags (8 against 6) is not worth that here. Here is everything that fed that call.
- SeatsOnly the Land Rover Defender 130 seats 8, worth knowing if you need the space
- Extra featuresSQ8 TFSI quattroairbags (8 against 6)speakers (17 against 14)
- Trade-offSQ8 TFSI quattrolevel 1 ADASventilated front seatshead-up display
The full story
The SQ8 TFSI quattro's case is 507 PS against 426 PS, a jump of 19 percent you will feel, but ₹11.23L is steep for it. The Land Rover Defender 130 X keeps the essentials and the difference in your pocket.
- Only the Land Rover Defender 130 seats 8, worth knowing if you need the space
- Also on the SQ8 TFSI quattro: airbags (8 against 6) and speakers (17 against 14), and some minor trim beyond that
- Going to the SQ8 TFSI quattro, you give up level 1 ADAS, ventilated front seats and head-up display, which the Defender 130 X keeps
Whichever you pick, the variant is where the money goes
SQ8 vs Defender 130: the questions people ask
- Is the Audi SQ8 or the Land Rover Defender 130 cheaper?
- The Land Rover Defender 130, by ₹35.23L: it starts at ₹1.46Cr against ₹1.81Cr ex-showroom Delhi for the SQ8. Both run well past that, so what you actually pay depends on the variant.
- Audi SQ8 vs Land Rover Defender 130: which gives you more for the same money?
- At ₹1.81Cr it is the SQ8 TFSI quattro against the Defender 130 X. The SQ8 TFSI quattro's case is 507 PS against 426 PS, a jump of 19 percent you will feel, but ₹11.23L is steep for it. The Land Rover Defender 130 X keeps the essentials and the difference in your pocket.
- Which is more practical, the Audi SQ8 or the Land Rover Defender 130?
- On the figures the makers publish, the Defender 130 seats 8 against the SQ8's 5. Everything else about living with them, from boot shape to how the back seat actually feels, is a test drive question rather than a spec sheet one.
Prices are ex-showroom Delhi and change without notice. Specifications are compiled from public sources; always confirm with a dealer before buying.