JLR’s best-seller is getting a nip and tuck to help it fend off new rivals including next-gen X5 and revised GLE
Land Rover is priming a second major update for the Defender, with a new prototype hinting at a series of design tweaks plus a fresh four-seat interior configuration.
A prototype has been caught testing with alterations including new front and rear bumpers and daytime running lights, plus the addition of a small lip spoiler on its roof.
Inside, it looks to swap the three-seat rear bench for the two individual ‘captain’s chairs’ that were previously exclusive to the stretched Defender 130.
The Defender’s previous refresh, revealed in May last year, brought a revised headlight design with a smaller projector section, plus an array of new safety systems mandated by the EU’s GSR2 legislation.
The new revisions are likely hoped to improve the Defender’s competitiveness against an onslaught of fresh rivals, such as the forthcoming BMW X5 and updated Mercedes-Benz GLE, plus Chinese newcomers including the Denza B5.
JLR has enjoyed significant success with the Defender, which is its best-selling model. During the first three quarters of the firm’s 2025-26 financial year, it sold 107,132 Defenders at retail (ie to actual buyers rather than dealers), compared with 110,296 by the same point in the year prior.
It’s notable that the year-on-year dip in sales measured only 2.9%, despite the cyber attack that hampered JLR’s ability to build and register new cars between September and October 2025.
For reference, JLR sold 66,993 examples of the Range Rover during the same period in 2025-26 and 74,059 Range Rover Sports.
