2026 Land Rover Defender revealed: 5 major upgrades on the luxury off-roader
Here are the five major upgrades on the new Defender that you need to know about.
Check Offers Land Rover has updated the Defender SUV for the 2026 model year, bringing subtle upgrades to the luxury off-roader. The 2026 Land Rover Defender has received subtle styling tweaks on the exterior, while the cabin gets a host of other changes, including a bigger infotainment screen. Here are the five major upgrades on the new Defender that you need to know about.
1. 2026 Land Rover Defender: Styling Upgrades
The updated Defender gets minimal changes to the exterior, with the design mostly retained as is. Look closer and you will find changes in the detailing, including the revised headlamps and taillights. The LED DRL gets a smaller centre section, while the taillights now get a smoked finish. The carmaker has made fog lamps standard, whereas the grille gets a gloss black-finished bar running across. The front and rear bumpers get painted in either silver or satin grey on the SUV.
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2. 2026 Land Rover Defender: New Alloys & Colour
The 2026 Defender also features a new textured finish on the bonnet and fender inserts. The wheel caps get the ‘Defender’ branding, instead of Land Rover, a shift towards JLR’s ‘House of Brands’ strategy. The SUV now rides on new 22-inch seven-spoke alloy wheels. The new Octa and all V8 variants get a new colour option - Patagonia Matte White.
3. 2026 Land Rover Defender: New Accessories
The accessories package has been revised on the updated Defender. There’s a new expedition roof rack, crossbars, and underbody protection. The Defender Octa also gets a 4,500 kg winch option with a carbon fibre cover. For the longer Defender 130, the SUV now comes with an integrated air compressor option that will help adjust the tyre pressure when going off-road.
4. 2026 Land Rover Defender: New Features
The 2026 Defender is now equipped with a bigger 13.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system, up from the 11.4-inch unit on the current model. The model also gets a new driver-facing infrared camera on the steering column that monitors driver attention. The new feature is in line with the European Union’s GSR2 legislation, and will send audio or visual alerts in case the driver is being inattentive. Furthermore, the Defender packs a new off-road adaptive cruise control feature, which will be sold as an optional extra.
5. 2026 Land Rover Defender: Engines
The Defender will continue to be sold in the 90 (3-door), 110 (5-door) and 130 (5-door long body) options. The powertrain lineup remains unchanged, with power coming from the 2.0-litre petrol, 2.0-litre plug-in hybrid (PHEV), 3.0-litre diesel, 5.0-litre V8 and 4.4-litre V8 engine options. JLR retails most of the Defender variants in India, which is likely to continue with the new iteration as well.
The Defender presently arrives in India as a Completely Built Unit (CBU), and is the brand’s top-selling offering. Prices currently start from ₹1.05 crore, going up to ₹2.79 crore (ex-showroom) for the new Defender Octa. Considering the model is a CBU, expect the updated version to land on Indian shores soon.
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