2026 Land Rover Defender 110

Land Rover’s Defender evokes its predecessors with a boxy design as upright as the King. Once known for its staunch capability and utility as a farm and military vehicle, the Defender now joins the ranks of Land Rover’s ruggedly elegant offerings. As comfortable at a garden party tailgating with champagne as it is towing a backhoe or fording a river, the Defender wears its Jack-of-all-trades hat in a jaunty fashion. While it might remind you of the English days of yore, it’s as full of modern tech and convenience as any SUV on the market.

We’ve logged hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of midsize luxury SUVs, including the Land Rover Defender.

As with most vehicles, when not getting a new model or a more significant midcycle refresh, the Defender 110 doesn’t get major updates for the 2026 model year. A 13.1-inch touchscreen for infotainment purposes replaces the former 10.1-inch version. There are also new wheel and paint options, and you’ll get updated LED headlight and taillight designs.

Depending on size, budget, and how much wandering into the wilderness is really going to happen, alternative highly celebrated off-roading warriors include the Jeep Wrangler, Ford Bronco, Lexus GX, Toyota Land Cruiser, and the Mercedes-Benz G-Class. That’s a large pricing spread, from the low $30K mark to around $360K (the G 63 AMG 4×4 Squared).

Before buying a new Defender luxury SUV, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should be paying. Resale values are a little above the class average for the Defender. Recouping more money when selling a vehicle can mean a bigger down payment and lower monthly payments on the next one.

At 395 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque, most Defender seekers opt for the P400 drivetrain, giving them great power at a relatively affordable price. It also compares well to the Lexus GX (349 hp). You can still opt for less, 296 hp in the P300, or more, to possibly 626 horses in the new Octa version, depending on the demands of your lifestyle.

Driving off-road might not be something you do every day, but rest assured you’ll be able to regardless. Your daily commute will also be pleasurable as the Defender’s on-road manners and poise impressed us. Unlike off-road titans, the Jeep Wrangler or even Toyota Land Cruiser, the Defender — especially with its optional air suspension — easily outclasses both competitors. And even if the Defender doesn’t quite approach the cushioned elegance of a Range Rover, we’ve found there’s still great body control and ample refinement.

The Octa version comes with what Land Rover calls 6D Dynamics, meaning control in six dimensions, front and back, side-to-side, and up and down, providing a revolutionary driving experience that’s not for the faint of heart or skill. Dampers are hydraulically linked, keeping the Defender virtually flat under acceleration, braking, and cornering. But a word to the wise, Octa mode also turns off all nannies protecting you from yourself. The laws of physics absolutely apply to this vehicle, so driver beware, because it will not save you from your mistakes. Other drive modes benefit from the 6D setup as it forgoes any stabilizer bar, making it able to maximize suspension travel and axle articulation when negotiating rough ground.

Fuel Economy

Defender owners can expect to achieve something between 16 mpg in combined city/highway driving (if they have a V8) and 20 mpg combined with less powerful engines. That compares well enough against something like the Lexus GX 550.

The Defender’s interior design looks simultaneously tough and luxurious. The exposed hardware, rivets and screws, paired with soft touch materials and fabrics work well together. Owners get plenty of storage space in the center console, and we love how the gear shifter gets positioned perfectly. If you bring the outdoors inside, Land Rover offers optional deep-sided rubber mats to help protect the otherwise premium cabin.

The Defender can seat up to eight occupants, depending on which length you choose. The seats in the first two rows are comfortable, but the optional third row in the 110 encroaches quickly on adult-sized legs.

The 110 enjoys 34 cubic feet behind its second row.

The Defender 110 mimics its ancestors boxy and upright shape while still embracing some softness. This doesn’t look like the Defenders of old, which might have been designed only using a T-square. It carries traditional touches like its squircle taillights and the Alpine windows for rear passengers to enjoy a little skylight.

While there are no available heritage colors such as Signal Yellow or Tangiers Orange, Land Rover does nod to them with their more subdued color palettes and hues. And of course, you can spec your truck with a traditional white roof and white steel wheels.

The Defender 110 OCTA comes in exclusive Faroe Green for the First Edition or Petra Copper as well as Carpathian Grey and Charente Grey.

Infotainment system: Crisp graphics on the touchscreen, quick processing, overall user-friendliness, and a Meridian audio system put this setup high in our general rankings.

Driver assistance: Blind-spot monitoring and a 360-degree camera system are standard across the 2025 Defender range — as they should be in a luxury vehicle, we could argue, but we appreciate them all the same.

Clearsight rearview mirror: If the cargo area of the Defender is packed to the ceiling, or if there are several passengers’ heads obscuring rearward vision, this clever mirror will still show a wide-angle view of what’s behind, thanks to a rear-facing camera. We always like the extra confidence it brings. This is optional in lower trims, standard elsewhere.

Air suspension: While it’s optional, we think it’s worth the $1,600 to make the Defender more comfortable on the road and more capable off it.

Terrain Response 2: Available as either an option or standard in the upper versions, this system has modes for wading, rock crawling, mud and ruts, grass/gravel/snow, and sand. Land Rover has forged an incredible reputation over the years for conquering all sorts of terrain, and much of that expertise is available at the touch of a button.

Octa Mode: In case we didn’t state it clearly enough up top, Octa Mode takes the Defender to places it maybe shouldn’t go. In the correct driver’s hands, it takes on midengine sports car driving qualities, and drifting or losing the tail end around turns happens in an instant. This is a similar technology that McLaren employs in their cars. So, if you ever wanted to be a rally driver, yes, even in an almost 6,000-pound vehicle, then here’s your chance. When Octa Mode gets engaged, drivers truly take matters into their own hands because all the safety nannies, including traction control, are fully shut off. Commit to your choices or install a roll cage — either way, proceed with caution.

There are six possible drivetrains — and if that wasn’t confusing enough, two of them are called P300. Both of those make 296 hp, but one has four cylinders, the other has six. The smaller unit is standard in 110, the other (with a bit more torque) comes in the larger 130.

The P400 is a good option, a 3.0-liter 6-cylinder engine that’s turbocharged and supercharged to create 395 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. Beyond that, we’re looking at supercharged V8s in the P500 (available in the 110 and 130) and the P525, making 493 and 518 hp, respectively. The new Octa version has a twin-turbocharged V8. It is the same 4.4-liter unit found in the Range Rover Sport SV, which endows the Defender with a mighty 626 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque. And again, without nannies holding your hand, that’s a lot of trouble to get into.

Towing figures range from a stout 7,716 pounds to 8,201 pounds, depending on model and drivetrain. Some of our owner reviews have made particular mention of the Defender’s towing talents.

All Defender versions use an 8-speed automatic transmission and have 4-wheel drive (4WD) with a high/low transfer case as standard.

4-Year/50,000-Mile Warranty

Land Rover’s new-vehicle and powertrain warranties both last four years or 50,000 miles, whichever happens first. These terms are typical among European automakers.

Safety Ratings

The Land Rover Defender has not been crash-tested by any agencies in the United States, but it did earn a maximum overall score of five stars from Euro NCAP.