Land Rover Defender vs Mercedes-Benz GLE vs Mercedes-Benz GLS (2026)
The classic luxury suv shortlist, settled with numbers (October 2026):
- Pick the Land Rover Defender if you want the most power (626 bhp), the most seats (8).
- Pick the Mercedes-Benz GLE if you want the lowest starting price (₹1.00 Crore).
- 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 four engines spanning ₹1.07 crore 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. All prices are from Land Rover India's official July 2026 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 →Mercedes-Benz GLE in short
The GLE is Mercedes' large luxury SUV for India, running from ₹1.00 crore for the 300d AMG Line to ₹1.52 crore for the 449 PS AMG GLE 53 Coupé. In between sit six-cylinder petrol (450) and diesel (450d) variants plus Night Edition trims, all with 4MATIC and a 630-litre boot. India-spec cars are five-seaters. It competes with the BMW X5 and Audi Q7 — the Q7 counters with seven seats, the GLE with its engine breadth.
Full GLE 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 GLE vs GLS — which should I buy?
Pick the Land Rover Defender if you want the most power (626 bhp), the most seats (8). Pick the Mercedes-Benz GLE if you want the lowest starting price (₹1.00 Crore). 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, GLE, GLS?
The Mercedes-Benz GLE starts lowest at ₹1.00 Crore, against ₹1.07 Crore for the Defender and ₹1.38 Crore for the GLS (ex-showroom, October 2026).
Which is the safest of the three?
Land Rover Defender: not yet NCAP-tested; Mercedes-Benz GLE: not yet NCAP-tested; Mercedes-Benz GLS: not yet NCAP-tested.