Defender 110

The most memorable Sardinia often begins where the asphalt gives out: the white gravel road dropping towards a cove on the Gulf of Orosei, the farm track to an agriturismo in the Supramonte, the pass cutting through myrtle-scented scrubland. The Defender 110 is your passport to this parallel island. With delivery in Cala Gonone or any base on the east coast, the SS125 Orientale Sarda becomes the spine of days no saloon could ever tell.

The 249 hp turbodiesel is a considered choice for serious mileage: abundant torque from low revs and a range that covers a lap of the island with only a handful of stops. And the Pangea Green of our configuration might have been mixed for the Sardinian landscape: it dissolves into juniper and granite, and photographs beautifully in front of a nuraghe. Before setting off, it is worth a glance at the requirements for renting a luxury car in Italy; our concierge then confirms every detail at the quotation stage.

Climb in and the perspective changes: a high seat, a near-vertical windscreen, a squared-off bonnet visible in its entirety, making every manoeuvre millimetre-precise. The six-cylinder diesel speaks in a deep, velvety register — more rumble than roar — and pulls with a torque so full that hurrying becomes irrelevant; the 8-speed automatic plays along without ever seeking the limelight. The 8.3-second 0–100 km/h time is a number that simply does not matter here: what matters is the sovereign calm with which the Defender deals with any surface.

The air suspension digests speed bumps, dips and gravel stretches with a roundness that genuinely surprises, while the cabin — exposed fasteners, grab handles, robust washable materials — carries that sense of a well-organised expedition which sits at the heart of its appeal. The alpine windows in the roofline frame the limestone walls of the Supramonte as the road threads through the gorges: details that turn a simple transfer into a memory.

Those who want the same character at a different tempo can ask for the special variants: the Defender V8 adds a muscular soundtrack and the thrust of a sports car in expedition dress, while the OCTA is the most extreme Defender ever built — engineered for fast terrain, with a dedicated chassis and the presence of a pack leader. They are different readings of the same underlying idea: nowhere on the island stays out of reach.

Every configuration belongs to our selection devoted to the Land Rover and Range Rover world, within a service covering 27 destinations and 3 airports across Sardinia. To find the right one, simply describe your itinerary to the WhatsApp concierge: sea, mountains, the whole family or an adventure for two — every plan has its Defender. Check availability with your dates and delivery point.