When building a retirement portfolio, it is probably best to look for S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares with defensive qualities, strong business models, positive long-term outlooks, and a track record of dividend payments

By doing this, you should be left with a portfolio that has the potential to grow at a solid rate in the future whilst also providing you with a growing source of passive income in retirement.

But which ASX 200 shares could be top options for a retirement portfolio right now? Let's look at three that analysts are tipping as buys. They are as follows:

Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL)

This supermarket giant could be a quality option for a retirement portfolio. That's because Coles boasts all the desirable traits outlined above. This is particularly the case with its defensive qualities. You only need to look at the company's performance during the COVID pandemic to see how defensive its earnings are.

In respect to dividends, Bell Potter is expecting Coles to pay fully franked dividends of 68 cents per share in FY 2025 and then 78 cents per share in FY 2026. This represents yields of 3.75% and 4.3%, respectively.

Bell Potter has a buy rating and $20.50 price target on its shares.

Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS)

Another ASX 200 share that could be a great option for retirees is Telstra. It is of course Australia's largest telco, providing millions of people and businesses with internet and phone services.

If times were hard, my phone and internet would be the last things I would give up. And I'm sure I'm not alone in that. It is because of this, that Telstra can be considered to have defensive earnings as well.

And with the company now growing its earnings at a solid and sustainable rate thanks to its T25 strategy, analysts at Goldman Sachs believe Telstra is positioned to continue increasing its dividend in the coming years. It is forecasting fully franked dividends per share of 19 cents in FY 2025 and then 20 cents in FY 2026. This will mean dividend yields of 4.9% and 5.15%, respectively.

Goldman has a buy rating and $4.35 price target on its shares.

Transurban Group (ASX: TCL)

A final ASX 200 share that could be a buy for a retirement portfolio is Transurban. It is a toll road operator with a collection of important roads across Australia and the United States. These include CityLink in Melbourne, WestConnex in Sydney, and the Logan Motorway in Brisbane.

Transurban looks well-placed for long-term growth thanks to population growth, urbanisation, inflation, and the time savings its roads offer. UBS expects this to underpin dividends per share of 65 cents in FY 2025 and then 69 cents in FY 2026. This equates to yields of 5.1% and 5.45%, respectively.

The broker has a buy rating and $14.55 price target on the ASX 200 share.