Land Rover Defender vs Land Rover Range Rover Sport vs Mercedes-Benz GLS (2026)
The classic luxury suv shortlist, settled with numbers (October 2026):
- Pick the Land Rover Defender if you want the lowest starting price (₹99.00 Lakh), the most power (626 bhp), the most seats (8).
- Pick the Land Rover Range Rover Sport as the balanced middle path — it wins no single spec outright but concedes little anywhere.
- Pick the Mercedes-Benz GLS as the balanced middle path — it wins no single spec outright but concedes little anywhere.
Three-Way Specification Comparison
Land Rover Defender in short
The Defender is Land Rover's icon and its widest Indian range: three body lengths (three-door 90, five-door 110, eight-seat 130) and five engines spanning ₹99 lakh for the 2.0 petrol 110 X-Dynamic HSE to ₹2.62 crore for the 635 PS OCTA Black — the most extreme Defender ever made. In between sit the 350 PS D350 diesel, the 5.0L V8 across all three bodies, and the twin-turbo 4.4L V8 OCTA flagship. Since 27 October 2026 the Defender 110 is assembled in India, which cut the 2.0 petrol to ₹99 lakh and the 3.0 D350 diesel to ₹1.18 crore; a 3.0 P400 petrol joins at ₹1.18 crore. All prices are from Land Rover India's official pan-India price list. Its only real rival in capability-plus-status terms is the Mercedes G-Class, at roughly double the entry money.
Full Defender prices & variants →Land Rover Range Rover Sport in short
The Range Rover Sport is the driver's Range Rover: same platform and engines as the flagship in a sharper body, from ₹1.43 crore for the D350 and P400 Dynamic HSE — diesel and petrol identically priced — to the 635 PS SV trio at ₹2.05–2.35 crore. Land Rover India publishes one pan-India price list, and the Sport's July 2026 figures give it a near-₹1 crore saving over the equivalent full-size Range Rover. Rivals are the Porsche Cayenne, BMW X5 M territory and the Mercedes GLE 53.
Full Range Rover Sport prices & variants →Mercedes-Benz GLS in short
The GLS is Mercedes' full-size seven-seat SUV — the 'S-Class of SUVs' — priced from ₹1.375 crore for the petrol GLS 450 and ₹1.397 crore for the GLS 450d diesel, both 3.0L six-cylinders with 4MATIC. It is locally assembled in India, which keeps it sharply priced against the CBU BMW X7. We currently list only the two officially confirmed base prices; the trim ladder above them is under verification after aggregator listings disagreed.
Full GLS prices & variants →Head-to-head pairs
Frequently Asked Questions
Defender vs Range Rover Sport vs GLS — which should I buy?
Pick the Land Rover Defender if you want the lowest starting price (₹99.00 Lakh), the most power (626 bhp), the most seats (8). Pick the Land Rover Range Rover Sport as the balanced middle path — it wins no single spec outright but concedes little anywhere. Pick the Mercedes-Benz GLS as the balanced middle path — it wins no single spec outright but concedes little anywhere. Test-drive at least two before deciding — ride and dealer experience differ by city.
Which is the cheapest among Defender, Range Rover Sport, GLS?
The Land Rover Defender starts lowest at ₹99.00 Lakh, against ₹1.38 Crore for the GLS and ₹1.43 Crore for the Range Rover Sport (ex-showroom, October 2026).
Which is the safest of the three?
Land Rover Defender: not yet NCAP-tested; Land Rover Range Rover Sport: not yet NCAP-tested; Mercedes-Benz GLS: not yet NCAP-tested.