Facelift (What’s New)
- Revised bonnet
- Updated head and taillights
- Upgraded 13.1-inch Pivi Pro system
- New Driver Attention Monitor
- New optional adaptive off-road cruise control
The Defender (Defender has been spun off into its own brand) has long shed its rugged, agricultural image when it was reinvented some time back in 2020 — becoming a family car for pretty much every terrain.
That’s to say the iconic Landie hasn’t lost its incredible off-road ability.
The car you see here on this lovely page is the updated model, and it comes with a new edition dubbed the Trophy Edition that celebrates the iconic Camel Trophy challenge where participants travelled the world in sand yellow Defenders to prove that they were as tough as the car — all done in good taste to drive impactful environmental and community efforts.
Looking special
Speaking of good taste, the regular Defender comes with a few mild changes that require a keen eye to spot.
For 2026, these tweaks include subtle revisions to the design of the headlamps and taillights, with an updated daytime running light signature, new bonnet and side vent patterns as well as two new paint options — woolstone green and borasco grey.
On the inside, there are several model year updates worth mentioning.
For starters, there’s a new and larger 13.1-inch Pivi Pro infotainment touchscreen system that’s pleasant, with sensible, snappy and stylish graphics that wouldn’t look out of place in an on-road luxury vehicle.
Also like most modern road machines, the Defender now gets a camera steering column in the name of safety.
It’s supposed to track alertness and provide prompts if needed, but when I was behind the wheel, the Driver Attention Monitor — as it’s called — never once sounded even when I tried to be distracted with the new infotainment system.
Elsewhere, there is now an option of an adaptive off-road cruise control, allowing you to maintain comfort over rough terrain so you can focus on steering — an intriguing feature I don’t think many seasoned off-road drivers will be considering.
Hammering terrains
Instead, what they’ll be really interested in is the way the Defender tackles whatever is thrown its way on and off the road. In that aspect, they will not be disappointed.
As with before, the Landie will be happy to eat mud and swallow tarmac, as what I have experienced.
The test car used here in Taiwan is a D350 — a 3.0-litre in-line six diesel-powered variant that’s good for 345bhp and 700Nm of torque.
Unfortunately, the D350 isn’t the variant that’s available in Singapore.
What will be available, instead, is the P300e, a petrol plug-in hybrid variant that sports a 2.0-litre powerplant underneath the bonnet up front.
That lump, together with an electric motor powered by an onboard 19.2kWh battery, shoots out some 296bhp and 625Nm of twisting force to all four corners.
That allows this massive machine to complete the zero to 100km/h sprint in just 7.6 seconds, and hit a top speed of 191km/h.
On paper, the plug-in hybrid Defender is good for 14.5km — 16.7km/L.
Impressive for a heavy modern off-roader, but I don’t reckon the numbers here are the main priorities for the driver.
Instead, it’s the way the car manages to hold its own around rather challenging off-road terrain, because it’s exactly in that rugged environment where the Defender excels and shines.
During my time with the car in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, the Landie never once faltered and never once failed to entertain this pint-sized driver with its off-road prowess and on-road competence and comfort.
Sure, there aren’t any mechanical changes as far as I know, but having driven this car once again after five years reminds me just what a joy it is to be behind the wheel of one.
The car has landed
In other words, to the keen followers, this is the Defender we’ve known and loved since it was reinvented six years ago.
To the casual observers, well, this is the car that understands that no slope is too steep, no mountain is too high and no terrain is too challenging.
This updated model year 2026 Defender is already in Singapore and it’s officially on sale now.
The Trophy Edition, on the other hand, will only be available upon order, with a possibility of just one unit offered.
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This article was first published in sgCarMart.
Read the full article here
