2026 Land Rover Defender upgrade brings more V8 options, new tech, design tweaks
Pricing for the 2026 Defender lineup will be announced in June 2025, ahead of first local deliveries in October.
All Defender 90, 110 and 130 variants gain a new headlight design plus new front and rear bumpers, and flush rear lights with smoked lenses.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
All variants get new gloss black Defender-branded wheel centre caps, plus a gloss black grille bar.
There's also a new 22-inch diamond-turned dark grey alloy wheel design, as well as additional accessories such as a black-finish Expedition roof rack and cross bars.
Deployable and fixed side steps will be available, along with an integrated air compressor for the Defender 130.
There will also be a new Borasco Grey and Woolstone Green exterior finishes, plus a new Sargasso Blue finish exclusive to the high-performance OCTA.
The OCTA also gets Textured Graphite exterior accents and available Chopped Carbon Fibre exterior and interior accents, including an optional 4500kg-rated winch.
Inside, there's a larger 13.1-inch infotainment touchscreen, up from 11.4 inches, while the dash-mounted shifter has been "ergonomically repositioned".
A revised centre console incorporates a sliding section that allows you to conceal small items in a closed cubby, while removeable side pockets are optional.
In big news under the bonnet, a supercharged 5.0-litre petrol V8 engine, referred to as P425, replaces the P400 3.0-litre turbo-petrol inline six in the Defender 90 and 110.
This produces 313kW of power and 550Nm of torque, up from 294kW in the engine it replaces (if with an identical torque figure), and it propels the Defender 90 to 100km/h in a claimed 5.6 seconds.
The Defender 110 also gains the option of the D250 six-cylinder mild-hybrid 3.0-litre turbo-diesel, producing 183kW and 570Nm. This is offered exclusively in S trim with standard 19-inch alloy wheels and electronic air suspension.
This joins the D350 turbo-diesel six and the P400e plug-in hybrid petrol, as well as the P635 twin-turbo V8 in the OCTA.
The Defender 90, in contrast, is offered exclusively with D250 diesel and P425 petrol powertrains.
Newly available on the Defender range is adaptive off-road cruise control, allowing the vehicle to maintain a set speed while off-road, leaving the driver to concentrate on steering.
A driver attention monitoring system with a driver-facing camera is optional.
The Defender is far and away JLR's best seller in Australia. A total of 1277 examples have been delivered so far this year to the end of April, almost twice as many as the second-placed Range Rover Sport (693 examples).
Stay tuned to CarExpert for more coverage of the updated 2026 Defender.
MORE: Everything Land Rover Defender
Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au
The Land Rover Defender is receiving a range of updates for model year 2026, ranging from larger screens to wider V8 engine availability.
Pricing for the 2026 Defender lineup will be announced in June 2025, ahead of first local deliveries in October.
All Defender 90, 110 and 130 variants gain a new headlight design plus new front and rear bumpers, and flush rear lights with smoked lenses.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
All variants get new gloss black Defender-branded wheel centre caps, plus a gloss black grille bar.
There's also a new 22-inch diamond-turned dark grey alloy wheel design, as well as additional accessories such as a black-finish Expedition roof rack and cross bars.
Deployable and fixed side steps will be available, along with an integrated air compressor for the Defender 130.
There will also be a new Borasco Grey and Woolstone Green exterior finishes, plus a new Sargasso Blue finish exclusive to the high-performance OCTA.
The OCTA also gets Textured Graphite exterior accents and available Chopped Carbon Fibre exterior and interior accents, including an optional 4500kg-rated winch.
Inside, there's a larger 13.1-inch infotainment touchscreen, up from 11.4 inches, while the dash-mounted shifter has been "ergonomically repositioned".
A revised centre console incorporates a sliding section that allows you to conceal small items in a closed cubby, while removeable side pockets are optional.
In big news under the bonnet, a supercharged 5.0-litre petrol V8 engine, referred to as P425, replaces the P400 3.0-litre turbo-petrol inline six in the Defender 90 and 110.
This produces 313kW of power and 550Nm of torque, up from 294kW in the engine it replaces (if with an identical torque figure), and it propels the Defender 90 to 100km/h in a claimed 5.6 seconds.
The Defender 110 also gains the option of the D250 six-cylinder mild-hybrid 3.0-litre turbo-diesel, producing 183kW and 570Nm. This is offered exclusively in S trim with standard 19-inch alloy wheels and electronic air suspension.
This joins the D350 turbo-diesel six and the P400e plug-in hybrid petrol, as well as the P635 twin-turbo V8 in the OCTA.
The Defender 90, in contrast, is offered exclusively with D250 diesel and P425 petrol powertrains.
Newly available on the Defender range is adaptive off-road cruise control, allowing the vehicle to maintain a set speed while off-road, leaving the driver to concentrate on steering.
A driver attention monitoring system with a driver-facing camera is optional.
The Defender is far and away JLR's best seller in Australia. A total of 1277 examples have been delivered so far this year to the end of April, almost twice as many as the second-placed Range Rover Sport (693 examples).
Stay tuned to CarExpert for more coverage of the updated 2026 Defender.
MORE: Everything Land Rover Defender
Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au
The Land Rover Defender is receiving a range of updates for model year 2026, ranging from larger screens to wider V8 engine availability.
Pricing for the 2026 Defender lineup will be announced in June 2025, ahead of first local deliveries in October.
All Defender 90, 110 and 130 variants gain a new headlight design plus new front and rear bumpers, and flush rear lights with smoked lenses.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
All variants get new gloss black Defender-branded wheel centre caps, plus a gloss black grille bar.
There's also a new 22-inch diamond-turned dark grey alloy wheel design, as well as additional accessories such as a black-finish Expedition roof rack and cross bars.
Deployable and fixed side steps will be available, along with an integrated air compressor for the Defender 130.
There will also be a new Borasco Grey and Woolstone Green exterior finishes, plus a new Sargasso Blue finish exclusive to the high-performance OCTA.
The OCTA also gets Textured Graphite exterior accents and available Chopped Carbon Fibre exterior and interior accents, including an optional 4500kg-rated winch.
Inside, there's a larger 13.1-inch infotainment touchscreen, up from 11.4 inches, while the dash-mounted shifter has been "ergonomically repositioned".
A revised centre console incorporates a sliding section that allows you to conceal small items in a closed cubby, while removeable side pockets are optional.
In big news under the bonnet, a supercharged 5.0-litre petrol V8 engine, referred to as P425, replaces the P400 3.0-litre turbo-petrol inline six in the Defender 90 and 110.
This produces 313kW of power and 550Nm of torque, up from 294kW in the engine it replaces (if with an identical torque figure), and it propels the Defender 90 to 100km/h in a claimed 5.6 seconds.
The Defender 110 also gains the option of the D250 six-cylinder mild-hybrid 3.0-litre turbo-diesel, producing 183kW and 570Nm. This is offered exclusively in S trim with standard 19-inch alloy wheels and electronic air suspension.
This joins the D350 turbo-diesel six and the P400e plug-in hybrid petrol, as well as the P635 twin-turbo V8 in the OCTA.
The Defender 90, in contrast, is offered exclusively with D250 diesel and P425 petrol powertrains.
Newly available on the Defender range is adaptive off-road cruise control, allowing the vehicle to maintain a set speed while off-road, leaving the driver to concentrate on steering.
A driver attention monitoring system with a driver-facing camera is optional.
The Defender is far and away JLR's best seller in Australia. A total of 1277 examples have been delivered so far this year to the end of April, almost twice as many as the second-placed Range Rover Sport (693 examples).
Stay tuned to CarExpert for more coverage of the updated 2026 Defender.
MORE: Everything Land Rover Defender
Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au
The Land Rover Defender is receiving a range of updates for model year 2026, ranging from larger screens to wider V8 engine availability.
Pricing for the 2026 Defender lineup will be announced in June 2025, ahead of first local deliveries in October.
All Defender 90, 110 and 130 variants gain a new headlight design plus new front and rear bumpers, and flush rear lights with smoked lenses.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
All variants get new gloss black Defender-branded wheel centre caps, plus a gloss black grille bar.
There's also a new 22-inch diamond-turned dark grey alloy wheel design, as well as additional accessories such as a black-finish Expedition roof rack and cross bars.
Deployable and fixed side steps will be available, along with an integrated air compressor for the Defender 130.
There will also be a new Borasco Grey and Woolstone Green exterior finishes, plus a new Sargasso Blue finish exclusive to the high-performance OCTA.
The OCTA also gets Textured Graphite exterior accents and available Chopped Carbon Fibre exterior and interior accents, including an optional 4500kg-rated winch.
Inside, there's a larger 13.1-inch infotainment touchscreen, up from 11.4 inches, while the dash-mounted shifter has been "ergonomically repositioned".
A revised centre console incorporates a sliding section that allows you to conceal small items in a closed cubby, while removeable side pockets are optional.
In big news under the bonnet, a supercharged 5.0-litre petrol V8 engine, referred to as P425, replaces the P400 3.0-litre turbo-petrol inline six in the Defender 90 and 110.
This produces 313kW of power and 550Nm of torque, up from 294kW in the engine it replaces (if with an identical torque figure), and it propels the Defender 90 to 100km/h in a claimed 5.6 seconds.
The Defender 110 also gains the option of the D250 six-cylinder mild-hybrid 3.0-litre turbo-diesel, producing 183kW and 570Nm. This is offered exclusively in S trim with standard 19-inch alloy wheels and electronic air suspension.
This joins the D350 turbo-diesel six and the P400e plug-in hybrid petrol, as well as the P635 twin-turbo V8 in the OCTA.
The Defender 90, in contrast, is offered exclusively with D250 diesel and P425 petrol powertrains.
Newly available on the Defender range is adaptive off-road cruise control, allowing the vehicle to maintain a set speed while off-road, leaving the driver to concentrate on steering.
A driver attention monitoring system with a driver-facing camera is optional.
The Defender is far and away JLR's best seller in Australia. A total of 1277 examples have been delivered so far this year to the end of April, almost twice as many as the second-placed Range Rover Sport (693 examples).
Stay tuned to CarExpert for more coverage of the updated 2026 Defender.
MORE: Everything Land Rover Defender
Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au
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Of course you can still brake as usual, so it isn't the end of the world, but there's a sense that you don't quite have complete control. When the battery is low, the low-displacement petrol engine becomes quite loud and feels strained. The Shark will still do its best to maintain rapid acceleration, but it won't feel anywhere near as effortless – this is why our energy consumption was much lower than BYD's claim, though it's commendable that fuel economy didn't suffer too much. To recover charge on the move, there are two regenerative braking intensity levels to choose from: Standard and High. These are adjusted in the vehicle settings menu, but in typical BYD fashion there's no one-pedal driving mode, making these regen levels feel a little weak by electric vehicle standards. 2025 BYD Shark 6 Credit: CarExpert Supporting this are split EV (electric) and HEV (hybrid) modes. In EV mode the engine is switched off, allowing the Shark to hum along quietly on purely electric power – unless climbing a steep grade, accelerating hard, or driving at high speeds, when it will reintroduce the engine. HEV mode, meanwhile, engages the engine to both power the wheels and charge the battery, or disengages the electric motors entirely. It may still be challenging to recuperate any significant charge, but the Shark will generally maintain enough charge to keep some electric power in reserve. This level of charge is still too low for our liking, at roughly six per cent, at least in the example we drove. At that level the vehicle's performance will be dulled, taking the edge off the Shark's dedicated Sport mode. On that note, you can flick between Eco, Normal, and Sport modes in both EV and HEV settings. There's also a hidden 'MAX EV' drive mode, which is engaged by pressing and holding the EV/HEV button. It maximises the powertrain's electric capabilities (with slightly reduced power outputs) until charge drops and the engine is required again. 2025 BYD Shark 6 Credit: CarExpert Those drive modes are selected using the roller on the steering wheel's bottom-left spoke. Outside of that, the Shark offers a comprehensive list of standard safety gear, including adaptive cruise control with lane centring, which all seems to be well-calibrated. We experienced only minor hiccups, primarily with the driver monitoring system being slightly too sensitive, and the passive lane-keep system occasionally interfering on narrow roads. The adaptive cruise function does a good job of matching traffic and following lanes, and we weren't left annoyed by any other safety system. Of course, the elephant in the room is the Shark's off-road capability. The test vehicle you see in this review is the exact same car that we used to retest the ute's post-update off-road functionality, which was documented in a video on the CarExpert YouTube channel (below). It seems the lack of low-range gearing and locking differentials still holds the Shark back for any serious off-road work. The Cannon Alpha PHEV is much more capable, and I've experienced the strong off-road chops of the Ranger PHEV too. That said, it's entirely possible that an update to address how the Shark distributes its power could remedy many of these issues, or at least improve the situation and make it more competitive. We suggest this because the Ranger PHEV can scale steep hills in its dedicated EV-only mode, which can't be used in conjunction with low-range gearing, and also because as you can see in our video the Shark wasn't struggling with traction or wheelspin. BYD improved the Shark's sub-standard towing performance compared to early tests, and it's now much smarter in the way it distributes and manages its power flow to maintain charge without relying solely on the small petrol engine. The result is a ute that still drives smoothly and comfortably on-road, but can also now comfortably handle towing in everyday, low-demand environments without completely draining its battery. To see how the BYD Shark 6 stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool The BYD Shark 6 is only available in one range-topping trim. 2025 BYD Shark 6 Credit: CarExpert 2025 BYD Shark 6 Credit: CarExpert 2025 BYD Shark 6 Credit: CarExpert 2025 BYD Shark 6 Credit: CarExpert 2025 BYD Shark 6 Premium equipment highlights: 18-inch alloy wheels Full-size spare wheel Fixed side steps Aluminium roof rack Shark fin antenna Spray-on tub liner Adaptive LED headlights LED tail lights Front and rear fog lights Rain-sensing wipers Heated, folding side mirrors Puddle lights Sound-proof front glass Rear privacy glass Auto-dimming rear-view mirror Leather-wrapped steering wheel Heated and ventilated front seats Black faux leather upholstery with orange accent stitching 8-way power adjustable driver's seat with 4-way lumbar 4-way power adjustable front passenger seat Mud, Sand, Snow, Mountain terrain modes 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster 15.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system Head-up display Voice assistant FM and DAB+ radio Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Satellite navigation Music streaming 12-speaker Dynaudio sound system Dual-zone climate control 2x USB-C ports 2x USB-A ports 50W wireless charger 12V socket 10A household socket Push-button start Keyless entry NFC card To see how the BYD Shark 6 stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool The BYD Shark 6 has a five-star ANCAP safety rating based on testing conducted in 2025. 2025 BYD Shark 6 Credit: CarExpert Standard safety equipment includes: 7 airbags, including: Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) Rear collision warning Blind-spot monitoring Front and rear cross-traffic alert Lane keep assist Adaptive cruise control Intelligent Speed Limit Control Hill descent control Trailer stability control Driver fatigue monitoring Child presence detection Surround-view camera Front and rear parking sensors To see how the BYD Shark 6 stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool The BYD Shark 6 is covered by a six-year, 150,000km vehicle warranty and an eight-year, 160,000km high-voltage battery warranty. Servicing intervals are 12 months or 20,000km, whichever comes first. 2025 BYD Shark 6 Credit: CarExpert BYD's service pricing, accurate as of August 13, 2025, is detailed below: Over five years, the Shark's service costs total $2489 and average out at $497.8 annually. This is more than the Ranger PHEV over the same period, which has its first five services capped at $399 each, but less than the Cannon Alpha PHEV which totals $3070 over five years, for an average of $614 each year. The Shark also has the longest service intervals of the three, as the Ranger and Cannon Alpha require maintenance every 15,000km and 10,000km respectively, but in terms of time intervals all three plug-in utes still have to be serviced every 12 months. For further reference, Ranger V6 diesels offer four years of capped-price servicing, with each visit costing $379. But from 2026, the first five services will each cost $399, matching the Ranger PHEV. To see how the BYD Shark 6 stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool With the updates that have been rolled out, in addition to keen pricing and a long standard tech and equipment list, it's easy to see why the Shark is flying off showroom floors. 2025 BYD Shark 6 Credit: CarExpert Though the negative connotations of 'lifestyle ute' may still linger, the Shark makes a lot of sense as a daily driver. It's comfortable and smooth on the road, its safety tech is unobtrusive, and it can be highly efficient when driven sensibly in the correct modes. It's also large, which seems to be all the rage at the moment, and there's still a big tub out the back for weekend Bunnings runs, plus improved towing capacity even if doesn't match the class leaders. Then there's the price, which has only become more impressive since its two rivals launched. The fact you get this level of technical sophistication and equipment at a price that's more than $12,000 lower than a 'base-spec' Ranger XLT PHEV is astounding. There's actually very little compromise here, if you aren't planning on making the Shark your recreational rock crawler. 2025 BYD Shark 6 Credit: CarExpert Yes, the Shark's off-road capability still needs work, especially when its two local rivals can do it much better, and when one of those two is within touching distance on price – even if its spare wheel takes up tray space. But there are other shortcomings. The Shark's throttle hangs up after accelerating, and its regenerative braking isn't strong enough. There's also the fact the 1.5-litre petrol engine is underpowered for a vehicle this size, which will be a problem if you've used all your battery power at an overnight campsite. As good as a PHEV system can be, it's still essential to have solid combustion power at its core for backup. The Cannon Alpha and Ranger also do better here, as they pack larger 2.0-litre and 2.3-litre engines respectively. If none of that worries you, the Shark is a solid dual-cab ute and a good choice if you're looking to save a buck. 2025 BYD Shark 6 Credit: CarExpert CarExpert can save you thousands on a new BYD Shark 6. Click here to get a great deal. MORE: Explore the BYD Shark 6 showroom Strong value proposition versus rivals Interior feels high-quality Exceptionally smooth and comfortable on-road... ...but it's a bit of a pavement princess Too much throttle hang 1.5-litre engine is underpowered
