First Look: 2027 Land Rover Defender Vertex Has Octa Style Without the Octa Price

• What it is: Upscale Octa styling cues at a more reasonable price tag.
• Why it matters: The Vertex acknowledges that many Defenders rarely venture off-road.
• Edmunds says: A nice addition to the Defender lineup, the Vertex trim embraces reality.

The Vertex embraces the reality that even though off-road vehicles like the Defender are exceptionally capable in the rough stuff, the majority will spend their lives on pavement. During the walk-around, Land Rover's Andy Hunt Cooke, head of Defender Communications, acknowledged as much, noting that they see a lot of Defender owners in the "urban jungle." That said, the Defender Vertex hasn't been "dumbed down" in any way, but rather its exterior appearance speaks more to upscale luxury than wading through muddy streams. 

Octa-lite

The Vertex borrows similar front and rear styling from the Octa, with a similar wide-mouth mesh grille and rear bumper treatment. However, it doesn't include the Octa's wider fenders and stance. Where the rest of the Defender line uses dark gray trim around the lower body and wheel arches, the Vertex paints it all body color (the windshield pillars are too). The roof is gloss black, with a spoiler extending over the rear window. The Vertex also has yellow brake calipers along with rear recovery hooks in the same shade, contrasting with the orange used on the Octa. 

Equipment-wise, the Vertex borrows a lot of its features from the Defender X. That means you get leather seating, a panoramic sunroof, a Meridian surround-sound system, three-zone climate control, and 14-way heated and cooled front seats. It also means the same 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine, with 395 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque, eight-speed automatic transmission, and full-time four-wheel-drive system. 

Does it work?

Purists will probably say the Vertex dilutes the Defender's mission of being a burly off-road-ready bush-busting machine. Whatever. I like the Vertex. Even in the stubby Defender 90 two-door version I was shown, it looks good, and the two-door is my least favorite of the Defender's three sizes. The upscale vibe looks good in person, and the Octa-inspired grille is an improvement over the standard Defender's schnoz. Besides, it's not like it's actually compromised; you can still order the various off-road packages that add all-terrain tires, a fancy rear differential, and other tricks. The Vertex also means Octa-like styling on all three Defender variations, including the extra-long Defender 130, whereas the Octa itself is only available in the mid-length Defender 110. 

As for prices, relatively speaking, the Vertex is a bargain. The four-door Defender 110 version starts at $97,950, nearly $63,000 less than the Octa. If you add the off-road packages, you'll push the price just over $100,000. Note I said relative bargain; this is still a Land Rover after all, so a big price tag shouldn't surprise anybody. But if I were shopping for a Defender and the Octa was just too expensive, the Vertex makes a strong case for itself.