I had to blink twice when I first saw it. On the 2025 Land Rover Defender 110 X-Dynamic SE I tested recently, when you go in reverse to back out of your driveway or a parking spot at the mall, a 3D rendering of the vehicle looks so realistic you might think it is a real-time video. Wait, did someone jump behind the vehicle from Land Rover with a camera just to help me avoid bumping into my mailbox?
The reverse mode screen that comes up (see photos at the end of this review) is the best I’ve seen in any recent vehicle and even outclasses what I’ve seen on Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The 3D rendering isn’t just for eye candy, though. It really does help you see where the vehicle is on the road and if there are any obstructions that might get in the way.
The rendering is real-time because the vehicle stitches together multiple camera views into one and then renders the vehicle so you can see your surroundings and the vehicle at the same time. I’ve tested many other makes and models over the last 10-15 years that also showed this view, but it is often above the car (known as bird’s eye view) and not the 3D angle of the Defender, giving you the impression there is a drone or follow-cam to help.
Knowing your exact position using this view is important. The spatial awareness means you know where the vehicle sits in the world next to multiple objects — another vehicle, the sides of your garage door, a bush or wheelbarrow, or a shovel left behind.
For fun, I placed all of those things in my way and also parked another car on one side of my driveway. In multiple tests, being able to see those objects appear in front and behind of the vehicle was a better view than just seeing the overhead cam.
I loved all of the settings you can do. You can still see an overhead view and the 3D render at the same time, or switch to an off-road or trailering mode.
What was even more fun about this test is that I have been “testing” off-road vehicles in the video game Roadcraft lately. You can drive through thick mud in Low mode and switch the view to see the side of the SUV as well. Not that I would test a pristine luxury SUV in thick mud, but it was fun to compare what I was doing in my driveway with what I could do in the game.
I also tested at a shopping mall to see how the Defender worked for backing into and out of a parking spot. You can clearly see the lane markings as you park. You can also enable a front or rear camera which provides a lower angle for more precise parking.
I feel these innovations will continue to evolve and we will see (and hear) more about the driving conditions around us more and more, especially as self-driving features continue to mature. I figure someone at Land Rover might even play games like Forza or Roadcraft since the 3D renders have such a high-res look — they almost belong in a video game.
I’m grateful they ran right in the center display of the 2025 Land Rover Defender 110 X-Dynamic SE to help me drive.
