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- New Land Rover Defender Vertex adds styling upgrades such as Shadow Atlas Matte bumpers.
- Comes with P425 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine producing 313kW and 550Nm of torque.
- Bespoke six-seat configuration now available for the Defender 110 variant with Captain Chairs.
- Extreme Defender OCTA expands colour palette to include Woolstone Green.
- Defender prices start at AUD$102,800 before on-roads for the Defender 90 D250 S.
If we’re brutally honest, the vast majority of new Defenders will never see anything rougher than a wet gravel driveway. Their daily battleground is the tight ramps of the local Westfield carpark and the school run in Double Bay or Toorak. However, keeping up the illusion that you’re heading off-road is as important as actually going off-road, so Land Rover has leaned heavily into the pavement-princess reality with the release of the new Defender Vertex (from AUD$176,800 before on-road costs).
Sitting at the top of the lineup alongside the X specification, this new variant drops most of the pretence around its mud-plugging capability in favour of urban presence. It trades off-road rubber for massive 22-inch alloy wheels, body-coloured lower cladding, and street-focused aerodynamic tweaks designed to look stylish against city concrete.
Powered by the P425 supercharged 5.0-litre V8 engine that produces 313kW of power and 550Nm of torque here in Australia, it’s the same one we experienced in a Defender 90 earlier this year. While no speed demon, it helps propel the car from 0-100km/h in a brisk 5.6 seconds, and makes a great sound in the process. Buyers can also specify the proven D350 3.0-litre twin-turbo diesel inline-six, which generates 257kW and 700Nm for a 6.4-second sprint to 100km/h. We had the chance to drive and spend time with the new Defender line-up at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, so let’s take a closer look.
What’s New For The Land Rover Defender Vertex
- Shadow Atlas Matte extended front and rear bumpers create a muscular stance.
- Gloss Black tail door spoiler and yellow recovery eyes add contrast to the exterior.
- Body-coloured lower cladding visually lowers the vehicle’s profile on the street.
- New Ebony Forged textile trim offers 100 per cent polyester durability inside the cabin.
- Factory-fit 22-inch Satin Dark Grey tinted wheels come as standard equipment.
Defender Vertex Exterior Presence
To spot the Vertex, start by looking at the front grille, which has been given an OCTA-like treatment by opening up that front centre air vent. You can also opt for this look on an X-Dynamic model as part of the Extended Exterior Package, as seen on the Namib Orange vehicle below. However, the dead giveaway for the Defender Vertex is the way that designers reduced the vehicle’s visual height by wrapping the lower edge in body-coloured cladding, replacing the black plastic trim that usually shields the lower doors from flying gravel.
Up front and out back, an Extended Exterior Pack adds revised front and rear bumpers in Shadow Atlas Matte, the larger-profiled grille I mentioned, and a Gloss Black tail-door spoiler. It also comes standard on massive 22-inch Diamond-Turned wheels in Satin Dark Grey, wrapped in low-profile tyres you definitely wouldn’t want to air down on a sharp, rocky trail.
Finally, the Vertex features contrasting yellow front brake calipers that match a pair of exposed yellow rear recovery eyes.
While grey, black, and silver remain safe choices for the school run, this 2026 110 X-Dynamic HSE in Namib Orange, with the optionally available matte protective film, at the Goodwood Festival of Speed was a standout. The rich burnt-orange metallic hue pops against the dark bumpers and Gloss Black accents, and the colour itself is a homage to the 2020 international launch of the new Defender in the coastal Namib desert of Southern Africa.
If orange isn’t your speed, Land Rover has expanded the palette to 15 exterior shades, including Woolstone Green, Borasco Grey, and the Patagonia White Matte Wrap we see on the Vertex models here.
Additionally, for the first time, buyers can opt for a self-healing Gloss Protective Film alongside the traditional Matte finish. This self-healing film protects the paint from stone chips and parking lot door dings while utilising UV rays from the sun to heat up and naturally melt away micro-scratches over time.
Land Rover Defender Vertex Cabin Design And Digital Displays
Look inside, and you’ll see how the cabin architecture retains its utilitarian roots while adopting the same premium tech interfaces that were introduced for the 2026 model.
The dashboard is still anchored by an 11.4-inch Pivi Pro touchscreen infotainment system, flanked by a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.
New is the updated seating in the 110 model, with a six-seat configuration now available. It swaps the second-row bench for individual Captain Chairs featuring manual recline and twin floor cupholders. The integration of generative AI voice assistance through the “Hey Land Rover” prompt further digitises the driving experience, streamlining navigation and climate inputs without requiring physical interaction with the centre console.
Land Rover Defender Vertex Price And Availability
The 2027 Land Rover Defender range is available to order now in Australia, with the entry-level Defender 90 S D250 priced from $102,800 plus on-road costs.
The newly introduced Vertex specification starts at $171,800 for the D350 110 model and climbs to $181,000 for the P425 V8 variant. Land Rover covers the Defender with a standard five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, aligning with modern premium segment expectations. The rapid expansion of high-tier trims and bespoke material options highlights a broader automotive industry trend where rugged capability alone is no longer enough to secure brand loyalty, requiring legacy automakers to continuously elevate the tactile luxury and street presence of their off-road platforms.
Full list of pricing for the Defender:
- Defender 90 S D250: $102,800 before on-road costs
- Defender 90 X-Dynamic SE P425: $130,400 before on-road costs
- Defender 90 X P425 / Vertex P425: $176,800 before on-road costs
- Defender 110 S D250: $105,400 before on-road costs
- Defender 110 Trophy Edition D350: $124,700 before on-road costs
- Defender 110 X D350 / Vertex D350: $171,800 before on-road costs
- Defender 110 X P425 / Vertex P425: $181,000 before on-road costs
- Defender 110 OCTA P635: $305,200 before on-road costs
- Defender 130 V8 P500: $235,600 before on-road costs
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