Do we know yet if the MY2025 P300 will still fit 18in wheels even though smallest size from factory offered is now 19?

I’m thinking one can still buy a set of 18in steelies and fit if the rotors/caliper sizes remain the same from previous model years.

 

Yes you still can fit 18's

 

yea, doing away with the 18"s was a massive JLR fumble. I get the message: JLR is trying to move to only selling fast RR Defenders, meaning they have to put intentionally oversized rims on there to compensate for the brake calipers that they know will inhibit off road driving. Do I as a Defender owner want to drive like a Porsche 911 Turbo on the highway? They don't seem to care, and figure anyone buying Defender must want to drive 150 mph... It's nuts and was an "intentional grounding" for JLR to drop the 18"s as a customer choice. That size 255/70/18 is on many Wranglers - it was a good pick with good tire choices in the aftermarket, and JLR should have kept it. I hope you can fit your new Defender with the 18"s but maybe ask the dealer to confirm? I think it was the P300 engine (smaller in hp) that allowed JLR to use the smaller caliper and thus the 18"s. So long as JLR hasn't put the oversized calipers on the P300 (as have done with the P400), you should be all set, but IDK.

As smart as JLR is, hasn't anyone noticed all the off road tech they have spent years perfecting is most helpful at speeds below 25 mph? Why they configure Defenders to preference top speeds over 130 instead of matching the speeds to the tech capabilities is confusing. It's a Defender - you going to drive with HDC dynamically, s curve like, at 110 mph downhill? (HDC never seems to like me going over maybe 25 or so). Or use your low-range in mud at 40 mph? Never tried that, nor do I think I'd want to... It's confusing.... Just make Defender comply with speed limits and put those 18"s back in the line up for folks that want it. Whatever fancy tech JLR creates, it's functionally useless on a RR Defender with 21" rims, so if for no other reason than selling and utilizing all their off road tech, put the 18" back in the lineup! I consider the RR same as a G Wagon: "academic" off road SUVS. Sure, they can off road, but you ever see one parked in the woods at a campsite? I haven't. If JLR wants to keep Defender away from the "academic" label, it should keep the 18"s an an option for those that want it. Their basic problem is if you fit a V8 Defender with 21" rims, you don't really need the front expedition system, roof rack, skid plates, or any of the 4x4 tech or low range gear box - as that show boat pony won't be going off road. To sell all their off road features, JLR really needs the 18"s to let owners maximize using all that fun stuff.

Good luck with the delivery! When do you expect it?

 

You don't need it either way, regardless of what you're doing, it's an abomination
Too late in the night for me today to elaborate - look for threads elsewhere on this forum, and take a look at the installation procedure in the shop manual. The "system" consists of cutting healthy parts and slapping them back together with unobtanium parts, with no discernible benefit.

 

The steel wheels, as with stuff like snorkels, ladders and "lunch-boxes," were cues that LR used to market off-road-chops. See!? It's a real safari-grade off-roader just like the OG!

But 95% of buyers walk into the show-room primed to want the biggest wheels possible, along with that tasty murdered-out look and a G-wagon V8 rumble to go with it. LR knew that from the beginning, but every plan has phases. The very few people who picked the P300 and steel wheels are not a major concern for LR anymore, and possibly even a bit of a nuisance. The plan over the last several years, as with most other car companies, is to push ever-more expensive models like the Octa, with bigger profit margins and markups.

Anyway, until someone tries it, you can check the 2025 brake disk sizes. If they match those of the 2024 model, then the steel wheels should still fit.

PS: every time I look at the 18" wheels, I think to myself that they would fit/look better if they were 16"!

 

325mm disks are for the 18" wheels
380mm disks are for the 19 and up wheels

If you have 380mm disks you'll need to modify the caliper, so the question becomes "is the caliper the same as a '23" or has something changed there? (doubtful)


As with anything, sales and marketing is what drives demand. When these were first introduced they aligned more with the heritage, but then quickly became the G-Wagon's more affordable cousin. But with that came the the more urban buyer that wanted to say they could climb mountains, but preferred to do it from the comfort of a sof roader. Of course those upscale prices equate to upscale profits and who's going to turn that down? So down the paved path we go... maybe someday they will split the brand into an urban mall crawler version and a functional off roader version, but with the demise of the 18" rim (don't ever buy 19's) we can see the path they are on.

 

For 2024, the U.S.-spec P300's came with 13.7" front rotors and 12.8" rears.
For 2025, they come with 14.3" fronts and 13.8" rears (in D130s trim; all that I could find for now, and it's possibly wrong).

Unless the 90's and 110's have smaller disks than the 130's, it does NOT look like the 2025's will take the steel wheels. It seems JLR doesn't provide these specs on their web pages, or at least they make it difficult to find, so I can't be sure.

 

The 130 P300 is actually just a de-tuned version of the P400, so it is the I6 and not the I4. The 130 has always had the larger brakes.

 

I unfortunately have to agree... As much as folks that have never owned a low profile tire may think it's a good idea, I have a MY 2025 on order: S Trim with the 19"s. The 19"s don't offer tire choices, but the 20"s don't seem to offer much better?! The tire selection is limited at both rim sizes, so the only difference is weather or not you want an extra 1/2 inch of sidewall or not. Holding out hope, according to discounttire.com, a new KO3 tire is going to be released in Nov of 2025 and (according to the website) it will fit a 19" rim. If that's the case, I'll have the GY All Terrain with Kevlar, plus the KO3, and maybe at some point the GY Duratrac will get an upgrade. What JLR is totally missing is talking to folks that have owned large luxury SUVs with low profile tires: the consensus from folks I talk to is that it sucks. Low profile = crappy driving experience if it's your daily driver. BMW for a while got cheap and didn't provide a spare tire, so a neighbor had "run flats;" he hated them-they did go flat on him and he had no spare. Another friend with an Audi loves the car, but hates-hates-hates the low profiles. (He has Jeeps as well, so he knows the difference by comparisons). And another friend had a Porsche GTS and an AMG G Wagon, and got rid of both of them after a few years. He said the care he had to have with the GTS was insane, and denting the rim was a constant concern. Why would I want that?? How's driving with panic at the sight of a pothole a luxury? The lesson to me on low profile tires is that the driver has to slow down to negotiate every pothole, otherwise they spend money with the "rim straightening guy" at the local shop. Is that what most luxury SUV buyers want to do? To spend all their time in the car worried about denting a rim? It's only a good idea if you don't let experience and the insight of friends educate you to the reality that oversized rims have huge drawbacks to consider before buying them. JLR should keep their oversized rims to RRs, and give Defender owners the opportunity to just drive and not worry about silly rims. A P400 with 18"s parked at my local Whole Foods or mall would generate interest from folks that are tired of low profile crap rides and love the comfort of Defender. I wish JLR would go talk to actual owners and realize that some folks hate low profile tires, and cars fitted with oversized rims suggests to them the manufacturer was cheap and trying to save money by intentionally putting on too big a rim and hoping the customer wouldn't know the difference.

 

Ah, right! It seems that this engine has virtually the same torque and HP as the 4 cylinder, and it's a fair amount heavier, but the 130 has a slightly higher towing capacity anyway. What's the real advantage of this engine in the 130? Just less stressed?