2026 Land Rover Defender

Name: 2026 Land Rover Defender
Brand: Land Rover

Release Date: Summer 2025

Estimated Price: Starting around $59,000

The 2026 Land Rover Defender blends its parent brand's legendary off-road capability and cushy comfort with bold retro-rugged style. The Defender doesn't compromise on the finer details, but it's decidedly less posh and polished than its Discovery and Range Rover counterparts. Overall, it's an impressive modern interpretation of a classic model.Read full review

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2026 Land Rover Defender Review

Pros

Strong off-road capabilities
Wealth of customization options
High-tech safety and off-road features
Smooth ride for an off-road-oriented SUV

Cons

Options can get pricey
Rear hatch door is heavy and opens toward the curb

What's new

No major changes expected for 2026
Part of the second Defender generation introduced for 2020

Overview

Written by automotive expert Dan Frio

8/6/2025

The 2026 Land Rover Defender is one of the automaker's midsize SUV offerings, alongside the conventionally styled three-row Discovery and two-row Range Rover Sport. Its boxy shape is a bid for nostalgia, with the hope of combining the rugged utility of a Jeep Wrangler with the high-end confines you expect from a luxury brand. This is the Land Rover that chased down James Bond in Spectre and No Time to Die — more interested in doing a job than making a statement at an exclusive casino. We don't expect any major changes for the 2026 Defender after a series of updates for 2025.

Edmunds spotlight: Many different Defenders

The Land Rover Defender can be had as a Wrangler-esque two-door with an optional V8 engine (Defender 90), a four-door two-row model (Defender 110), or a family-friendly long-wheelbase three-row model (Defender 130). You can even get the long-wheelbase model without a third row if you want to prioritize cargo space over people space. And for 2025, Land Rover introduced the Octa, an even more trail-ready Defender that also comes with an exclusive 626-horsepower V8.

Competitors to consider

The Defender's biggest competition comes from within its own HQ. The three-row Discovery is similarly priced but not as boxy or rugged. The Range Rover Sport trades off-road performance for a more luxe interior environment, but it's also extremely expensive. You could also look at the Ford Bronco or Jeep Wrangler if you're more interested in off-road capability than a leather-wrapped interior.

Edmunds Expert Rating

edmunds TESTED

Driven, tested, rated by automotive expert Nick Yekikian

Good

7.8

out of 10

We drove the Land Rover Defender on our test track and on real roads. Our Edmunds team conducts rigorous independent vehicle testing, driving 500,000 miles a year.

Performance

8/10

How does the Defender drive? Strong off-road capability typically comes at the expense of on-road handling and steering precision. But that isn't the case here. The Defender drives just like a luxury SUV should, and its transmission provides smooth and often imperceptible gear changes. The brakes are easy to control for smooth stops around town.

As for acceleration, we clocked a 0-60 mph sprint of 6.7 seconds for the Defender 110 and 6.2 seconds for the Defender 90 when equipped with the inline six-cylinder engine. That's plenty quick for an off-road-oriented SUV. Still, with 395 hp, you might expect a little more. Weight might be a culprit — our test Defenders weighed in at a portly 5,207 pounds for the two-door 90 and 5,571 pounds for the four-door 110.

Comfort

8/10

How comfortable is the Defender? The Defender travels down the road with the refinement you'd expect of a luxury-priced Land Rover. The interior remains quiet and relatively free from road vibrations even when riding on the optional 20-inch wheels and all-terrain tires. In terms of ride quality, our test vehicle was on the firm side when going over bumps and road imperfections, but it was likely the result of those larger, heavier wheels (18-inch wheels are standard).

The driver's seat provides a wide range of adjustment. Heating and ventilation are optional. The climate system is able to maintain a comfortable temperature, though you might need to dial in a slightly lower target temperature and fiddle with the vents to get the airflow you want.

Interior

8/10

How’s the interior? The Defender's massive second row and tall roof give the cabin a very roomy feel. It's worth noting that passenger space remains the same whether you choose the 110 or the 90. Headroom, legroom and shoulder room are plentiful, though the steering column can get in the way of some drivers' knees when they get in. We'd recommend against the front center jump seat since its usefulness is minimal and it removes a good amount of otherwise convenient storage.

The height-adjusting air suspension, numerous grab handles and large doors make access easy in the 110, but climbing into the back of the two-door 90 will be a chore for most.

A few interior controls have steep learning curves. The climate control dials, for example, double as drive mode selectors and seat heating/ventilation adjustment. If they were touchscreen controls, they'd be a lot simpler and more intuitive. Large windows and appropriately sized mirrors make outward visibility a nonissue, and the cabin is far quieter than we'd expect of any off-road vehicle.

Technology

8/10

How’s the tech? The wide entertainment touchscreen and available digital gauge cluster are attractive and generally respond quickly to inputs. The native voice command system was a bit hit-or-miss in our tests. We had no difficulty changing stereo stations using natural language, but it couldn't decipher basic navigation requests. Fortunately you can use your smartphone's voice controls on Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, which are standard. Numerous connectivity options include wireless charging and multiple USB ports.

As for driving aids, the surround-view camera system helps both in parking lots and going off-road, and it provides a comprehensive view of whatever obstacle you're approaching. Adaptive cruise control is pleasant as well and makes appropriate speed corrections smoothly.

Storage

7.5/10

How’s the storage? The four-door Defender has a generous amount of storage space (34 cubic feet), both with the rear seats up or lowered for maximum capacity. The rear seats are heavy, and it can take some oomph to push them back in place. That all changes if you opt for the shorter 90. Cargo capacity is cut by more than half, and folding the rear seatbacks is a huge hassle because it requires you remove the bottom seat cushion. If you need to carry cargo, don't get the 90.

When the Defender is equipped with the air suspension, you can lower the ride height from the cargo area to make loading heavy objects a little easier. Unlike like most SUVs, the Defender has a swing-out tailgate instead of a liftgate. It swings out toward the curb, which not everyone will like because it can impede access. It's also heavy due to the mounted spare tire.

Inside, the Defender has long shelves for the front seats and multilevel storage by the center console. There are numerous places to store small items but none large enough to hold a medium-size handbag. The sheer size of the second row makes car seat installation easy with the 110, but you'll struggle to get a seat by the front pass-through with the 90. Once back there, however, the access to the attachment points is decent.

An available tow package allows the Defender to tow 8,200 pounds. But it doesn't include a trailer brake controller, which you'll want to help control and adjust a heavy trailer's brakes.

Continue reading Edmunds Expert Rating below

Fuel Economy

7.5/10

How’s the fuel economy? Depending on the configuration, the Defender gets an EPA-estimated 16 to 19 mpg combined. That's a bit better than most off-road-oriented SUVs such as the Lexus GX and pricier Mercedes-Benz G-Class. In our real-world driving tests, we've found the Defender to be a bit thirstier than its EPA estimates.

Value

7/10

Is the Defender a good value? The Defender has a comfortable entry price in the mid-$50,000s. When optioned sensibly, it marries off-road capability and on-road refinement in a way that justifies paying the premium for it over, say, the Jeep Wrangler or Toyota 4Runner. Even equipped with a fair number of options, it costs less than the Toyota Land Cruiser.

On the downside, our test vehicle had multiple misaligned body panels and a few interior rattles. The interior materials didn't quite seem to reflect the $72,000 as-tested price — they were already showing signs of wear, markings and stains. Our test vehicle was an early build version that was undoubtedly used hard, but hard use is what a Defender should be built to withstand.

Wildcard

8/10

Personality is important to the Defender, and this generation gets the important parts of the classic Defender's proportions right. It looks cool from most angles, but we still think the front end looks a bit soft, and the optional plastic bits on the hood that are styled to look like diamond-plated metal elicit plenty of chuckles. We wish it looked a bit tougher.

The Defender drives with refinement and dignity whether you're on- or off-road. While the level of electronic control is nifty, we find it more satisfying to manually engage diff locks and low range with physical buttons and levers. Still, it's hard to argue with the seamlessness of the Defender's approach.

2026 Land Rover Defender trim level differences

[Editor's note: The following unofficial information is based on last year's Defender. We expect the 2026 model will have a similar lineup and we'll update this section once we have complete information.]

Which Defender trim does Edmunds recommend?

Land Rover hasn't released official information on the 2026 Defender as of this writing. We'll update our recommendation if anything changes, but based on last year's Defender, we like the X trim. It combines off-road prowess — expanded terrain modes, a height-adjustable adaptive air suspension with extra ground clearance — with a comfortable on-road ride, heated and ventilated front seats, and even orange brake calipers for some attitude. It's only available in the longer 110 and 130 trims, though.

2026 Land Rover Defender video

Land Rover Defender 2025 Video

NOTE: This video is about the 2025 Land Rover Defender, but since the 2026 Land Rover Defender is part of the same generation, our earlier analysis still applies.

2025 is shaping up to be an exciting year for the automotive industry, with tons of exciting new cars on the horizon. In this video, Edmunds’ Nick Yekikian tells you all about which ones we’re most looking forward to.

2026 Land Rover Defender

2026 Land Rover Defender Review

Pros

Cons

What's new

Overview

Edmunds spotlight: Many different Defenders

Competitors to consider

Edmunds Expert Rating

Performance

Comfort

Interior

Technology

Storage

Fuel Economy

Value

Wildcard

2026 Land Rover Defender trim level differences

Which Defender trim does Edmunds recommend?

2026 Land Rover Defender video

Land Rover Defender 2025 Video

Related 2026 Land Rover Defender info

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