The Land Rover Defender has received an update for 2026 with additional supercharged petrol V8 grades, design tweaks, off-road adaptive cruise control, and more.
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The 2026 Land Rover Defender off-roader has debuted ahead of first Australian deliveries later this year.
Due in local Land Rover showrooms in October, the updated Defender has received several design tweaks, including new headlights, smoked tail-light lenses, and new Woolstone Green and Borasco Grey exterior colours.
There is also a new 22-inch alloy wheel design, a gloss-black grille bar, and revised front and rear bumpers in a Silicon Silver or Carpathian Grey Satin finish, depending on the model.
The previously-optional 13.1-inch infotainment touchscreen has been made standard globally – up from 11.4 inches – though it was already standard-fit in Australia for 2025.
The Defender 90 and Defender 110 have received the 5.0-litre supercharged petrol V8 engine in 313kW/550Nm 'P425' tune, replacing current 'P400' variants with a 294kW/550Nm 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-six and slotting below the 386kW/625Nm 'P525' version of the 5.0-litre V8.
The 183kW/570Nm 'D250' version of Land Rover's six-cylinder turbocharged mild-hybrid currently found in the three-door Defender 90 is also now available to order in the five-door Defender 110, down from the D350's 258kW and 700Nm.
Land Rover Australia has confirmed the new Defender S D250 model – which will open the non-Hard Top five-door diesel range – will include electronic air suspension and 19-inch alloy wheels as standard, with 18-inch steel wheels available as a no-cost option.
Off-road adaptive cruise control is now available as an option for the Defender to automatically adjust the speed over undulating surfaces, while the three-row Defender 130 can now be optioned with an integrated air compressor to adjust tyre pressures.
The twin-turbo V8-powered Defender Octa performance flagship has received two new exterior paint options – Borasco Grey and Sargasso Blue – along with a new textured graphite finish on its front and rear bumpers, bonnet vent inserts, side fender vent surrounds and two-piece bonnet script.
Chopped carbon-fibre exterior and interior accents are available as an option for the Defender Octa.
A range of updated official accessories is also now available for the Defender, including black variations of its Expedition roof rack, cross bars and front undershield, and a rear scuff plate with a dark finish.
Deployable or fixed side steps are now fitted as standard.
The 2026 Land Rover Defender will arrive in Australia in October, with more local details – including pricing – due to be confirmed by the end of June.
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Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
