Land Rover Defender 2027 Updates
Land Rover Defender’s latest update refines design and accessories rather than changing its fundamental character. Here is the useful overview for UK buyers
Time flies, doesn’t it? The ‘new’ Land Rover Defender was revealed on September 10th 2019, with the first vehicles being delivered the following year. That’s seven years ago, so perhaps it’s about time we stopped referring to the vehicle as the ‘new’ Defender, although Land Rover has just announced a range of changes to the car, not quite a facelift, but improvements all the same.
To say Defender has been a success is a great understatement. Of the 430,000 cars that Jaguar Land Rover sells each year (about 80,000 in the UK), it’s reckoned that 112,000 wear a Defender badge.
More Range Rover-branded vehicles are sold, but that’s a figure split between the Range Rover, the Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Velar and Range Rover Evoque.
Defender is the company’s best-selling and most coveted vehicle, with the five-door 110 version by far the most popular variant, compared to the three-door 90 version or the humongous 130. Good old diesel remains by far the most popular fuel, followed by petrol and then the PHEV powertrain.
Next month, Range Rover and Range Rover Sport will officially be available as all-electric vehicles and it’s likely that an all-electric Defender will follow (try getting their press office to admit any of that, though).
Range-topping HSE is the most popular trim, which rather lays waste to the argument that a ‘proper’ Defender should be capable of being hosed out and carrying a bale of hay. The new Vertex trim for the facelifted car gives the option of an ‘urban’ look.
Defender’s prowess off-road didn’t come as a surprise, but what shocked everybody was just how brilliant the Defender is on-road, too. For a large, tall vehicle, its on-road manners are impeccable, especially when air-sprung rather than relying on conventional suspension – and all of its engines are smooth and powerful.
Diesel remains overwhelmingly popular, with two choices, the slightly more frugal D250 and the better-fit D350 which offers more torque. The P400 plug-in hybrid is a really good fit, and until the all-electric Defender arrives, it’s definitely one to consider, even if you’re an electric sceptic.
As part of last month’s changes Land Rover announced a new P380 three-litre straight-six petrol engine, with 355hp. It replaces the thirsty V8 and puts some distance between the rest of the range and the performance flagship, the Octa.
Powered by a 4.4-litre V8, the Octa’s performance has been tempered slightly to achieve compliance with Euro 6e emissions criteria. It’ll now reach 60mph in 4.2 seconds, which is still frighteningly fast.
As technically impressive and peerless off road as the Octa is though (see over the page), most drivers are likely to appreciate the lower running costs of the 110 D350 HSE. That version of the Defender reaches 60mph in 6.1 seconds, and rewards steady drivers with 33mpg, which isn’t bad for a car with a kerb weight of 2.5 tonnes.
Another of the Defender’s plus-points is its ability to be ordered with up to seven seats. The vehicle also provides 800 litres of boot space when you’ve passengers, or 2,000 litres with the seats folded. The model year changes include, for the 110 Defender, a new option for six seats, with two middle-row Captain’s Chairs and through-loading capability.
All Defenders provide a 3D camera, as well as adaptive cruise control. Also standard is full-time 4×4, low-range gears for tough off-roading, and Land Rover’s ‘I’ll handle it’ Terrain Response system.
A capable off-roader? People carrier? Luxury SUV? Motorway cruiser? Spacious load-carrier? Whatever you need Defender to be, it’ll cope with it. The car remains as recognisable and as endearing as the original, but with bags more comfort. Even seven years into its life, and with several would-be rivals, Defender remains absolutely at the top of its class.
60 Years of Motoring Heritage
September, eighty years ago. We’re on Lode Lane in Solihull in the West Midlands. In the workshops of the Rover Company, a group of engineers have been admiring the American-made Willys-Overland Jeep. They reckoned that they could create something similar; tough and capable, an all-purpose vehicle that could drive down the road as easily as it could take a farmer across a soggy rutted field or a soldier across a desert. One year later, a prototype of this ‘Land Rover’ was created, with an 80” wheelbase, a 50bhp 1.6-litre engine and a pick-up body, commanding a price of £450 (equivalent to £24,460 today).
The company’s chairman, Maurice Wilks, tested the prototype (which had the registration plate HUE166 and was subsequently nicknamed Huey) on the sand dunes near his home in Anglesey and on his Laggen Estate on the Isle of Islay. The prototype is still on display at the British Motor Museum in Warwickshire, and when the vehicle went on sale in 1948, it was an instant hit.
Through Series I to III (1948, 1958, 1971) then 90/110 (1983) and the Defender iterations (from 1990), over 2,016,933 Land Rovers have been made. The vehicles’ most high-profile champion was HM Queen Elizabeth II, who adored them, and even today the royal family still prefer to travel in a Land Rover or Range Rover vehicle.
Duckworth Motor Group: 60 Years of Heritage
The original Land Rover was also a hit with Martin Duckworth, son of precision engineer James Duckworth. The family relocated from Sheffield to Lincolnshire in 1952; father and son then set up in business together, repairing and servicing motor vehicles.
Martin loved the vehicles and worked a lot with Land Rovers as they became popular with local farmers. In 1978 he set out to become an official Land Rover franchisee, and created his new premises on Willingham Road in Market Rasen with a showroom, workshop and parts department. Martin’s son Ben joined the business in 2002, and the company added a second site near at Kirton near Boston. In 2007, Duckworth created a new £7m purpose-built premises near Kirton; a 50,000 sq ft facility providing sales, servicing and pre-loved vehicles.
Ben Duckworth became Dealer Principal in 2007, upholding his father’s values of integrity and a commitment to customer care, building a community around the vehicles and genuinely caring for his customers as well as his team. A year ago Martin passed away, leaving behind the legacy of a truly successful business which most recently acquired Jaguar Land Rover Norwich, creating one of the largest Land Rover franchises in Britain. The business employs over 160 members of staff, and has over 200 new and used vehicles in stock as well as representing other brands including Isuzu, Jaecoo and Omoda.
A ‘House of Brands’
But if Duckworth Motor Group has been busy during their 60 years in business, Land Rover has also made some remarkable progress. In 1970, the company introduced the Range Rover, offering a vehicle that combines both capability and luxury. Next, the company added the Discovery to its lineup in 1989, before creating 1997’s compact SUV, the Freelander, the DNA of which is now in the Discovery Sport compact SUV. Today, Land Rover is a ‘House of Brands’ with three distinct pillars. Defender, Discovery and Range Rover. Each provides unprecedented choice to ensure you find the vehicle to suit your lifestyle, from diesel and petrol-powered vehicles to new plug-in hybrid powertrains. And this autumn will see the launch of new, fully electric, Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models.
Defender
Within Land Rover’s Defender range, there’s a choice of three-door 90, five-door 110 or long-wheelbase 130 models. There’s seating for anywhere from five to eight people, and everything from torque-rich diesels to tax-friendly plug-in hybrids. Unsurpassed off-road capability comes as standard with full-time all-wheel drive, Terrain Response helping drivers to surefootedly navigate even seemingly impossible ground, and either coil or air suspension for exceptional off-road geometry and on-road comfort. For businesses, Hard Top variants of the Defender are also available, providing two seats and a permanent bulkhead separating a huge practical loadspace. Range-topping HSE versions enjoying Windsor leather, heated and cooled seats, a sliding panoramic roof and Meridian premium sound system. See page 150 for the latest updates to Defender.
Range Rover
Synonymous with luxury and capability, Range Rover’s portfolio of models includes the Evoque, an SUV with city-friendly dimensions and off-road capability that belies its comfort. Meanwhile, Velar is a stylish mid-size model with impeccable road manners and luxury credentials. Range Rover Sport is the most driver-focused of the Range Rover family, with a stylish, dynamic look. Models range from the efficient plug-in hybrid P460e with 73 miles of electric-only range and a 2.0-litre petrol engine, ideal for company car drivers, to the Range Rover Sport SV Ultimate Edition with its 4.4-litre V8 petrol engine delivering 750Nm torque, 635hp and reaching 60mph in 3.7 seconds.
Since its launch, Range Rover has been synonymous with luxury and today the company’s flagship still leads the way in comfort and refinement. It’s available with a standard or long wheelbase for extra space and luxury, equipped with executive-class seating akin to first-class air travel, or seven seats for families.
Every single model is beautifully appointed and well-equipped with modern materials and tactile finishes. Off-road performance is undiminished, ensuring Range Rover offers the blend of on-road luxury and capability that customers have enjoyed for over 50 years. There’s even a performance-oriented SV model matching the pace and handling of track-focused sports cars and luxury GTs, as well as plug-in hybrids with smooth, silent and powerful electrification.
Unprecedented care from a family business
For as long as the Land Rover and Range Rover marques have been engineering exceptional vehicles, Duckworth, too, has been offering exceptional support with sales, servicing, MOTs and bodyshop repairs. Experts in securing the best finance deals for customers, and ensuring everyone finds the vehicle to suit them, Duckworth is your perfect Land Rover and Range Rover partner, keen to prove their products’ comfort and capability too. Every new and used vehicle customer enjoys the opportunity to visit Land Rover’s Experience Centre, at Rockingham Castle (see page 154) to see just what their vehicle can do off the beaten track.
2026 sees the best product lineup ever, with an unprecedented blend of luxury and capability, and with the support of Duckworth Motor Group underwriting Land Rover and Range Rover’s products. There’s never been a better time to secure the vehicle that best suits your lifestyle and enjoy what are arguably the most desirable Land Rover and Range Rover models available today… modern iterations of a Great British icon that changed motoring forever, 80 years ago.
Duckworth Motor Group has dealerships with new and used vehicle sales and servicing centres on Avalon Road, A16, Boston PE20 1QR, call 01205 722110, and on Willingham Road, Market Rasen LN8 3RE, call 01673 842101. Also at Maple Way, Norwich NR13 5HB, call 01603 788 887. See www.duckworth.co.uk.
An Off-Road Experience
Upon taking delivery of your new luxury all wheel drive vehicle, with its six figure price tag, immaculate paintwork and four pristine alloy wheels, the last thing you will probably want to do is drive it across jagged rocks. Likewise, tackling roads with steep inclines and loose gravel, or wading through dirty, metre deep water, is probably out of bounds too.
And if the prospect of spoiling your immaculate vehicle is not enough to deter you from taking it anywhere more perilous than Waitrose, there’s also the fear of getting stuck and the question of whether you are sufficiently familiar with all the off road technology found in modern Range Rover, Defender or Discovery models from Jaguar Land Rover (JLR).
Happily, the purchase of a new or pre-owned vehicle from a retailer such as Duckworth Motor Group, which is sponsoring this month’s magazine, comes with the opportunity to visit one of nine Land Rover Experience Centres and discover what the vehicles can do in complete safety, and in someone else’s vehicle.
Land Rover Experience East of England is based in the grounds of Rockingham Castle. The 40 acre closed site has been established for almost 25 years and features a purpose built off road course designed to demonstrate exactly what the vehicles can do. A team of 15 Product Experts provides instruction, explains how to use the off road technology and gives drivers the confidence to take a Range Rover, Defender or Discover across terrain far more challenging than they are ever likely to encounter in their own vehicles.
The company is family owned, and its Managing Director, Claire-Louise Cobley, believes its fleet of 16 Range Rover, Defender and Discovery models is better than ever before. All of them, incidentally, are standard production vehicles with no modifications, demonstrating exactly what your car can do.
We visited the site to try not just a Defender, but the OCTA version, with its 4.4 litre V8 engine, terrific soundtrack and 6D Dynamics suspension, enabling it to perform even more impressive off road feats than a standard Defender.
Our Lead Product Expert was Allan Jackson, a former member of the military and an experienced off road driver with a background in operational planning for the special forces. Our Sargasso Blue OCTA, protected by matt paint protection film, was comfortably the best vehicle I have ever driven. Its power and acceleration were otherworldly, but the terrain it can tackle will surprise anyone, even those who think they understand the vehicle’s capabilities.
As a specialist on the OCTA, Allan explains the technology, demonstrates how it works and inspires drivers to have confidence in their vehicles. Should the time come to venture beyond the tarmac, they will feel safer and better prepared as a result.
The tuition, explanation and increased confidence provide practical reasons to visit the Land Rover Experience East of England. Quite apart from those benefits, however, it is also a huge amount of fun!
Land Rover Experience East of England provides three hour driving experiences for £350 (one hour £130, seven hour £595; max three drivers), in their fleet of Land Rover and Range Rover vehicles, as well as off-road training for individuals and companies: call 01536 772238). The experiences are also offered free with the purchase of new or pre-owned Range Rover, Defender or Discovery vehicles from retailers such as Duckworth Motor Group, call 01205 722110 or see www.duckworth.co.uk.
