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NEW Land Rover Defender review – PLUS what’s new for 2026! | What Car?

Watch our colony Rover Defender review to learn whatever you need to learn about this big-selling 4×4. Is it still the best of its kind? And what's brand-new for 2026?

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Comments

43 responses to “NEW Land Rover Defender review – PLUS what’s new for 2026! | What Car?”

  1. @Ryan-ro8vf Avatar
    @Ryan-ro8vf

    Don’t ever get a defender without air suspension, the difference is huge and makes the car comfortable, rather than uncomfortable.

    Reply
    1. @whatcar Avatar
      @whatcar

      We agree!

      Reply
    2. @billybob1511 Avatar
      @billybob1511

      Or if you got one like mine it was terrible on the air suspension, some fault from the factory which the dealer said wasn’t an issue. Sold it after 5 weeks, was unbearable to drive, harsh riding. My dealer didn’t even want to test it to confirm! Buyer beware.

      Reply
  2. @darrenbodfish4591 Avatar
    @darrenbodfish4591

    Great whilst under warranty, change it before it runs out 👍🏻

    Reply
    1. @insceman8515 Avatar
      @insceman8515

      Like any modern electronic laden car!

      Reply
    2. @darrenbodfish4591 Avatar
      @darrenbodfish4591

      ​@@insceman8515some more so than others

      Reply
    3. @MrAndyj007 Avatar
      @MrAndyj007

      @@insceman8515 50X more at risk wth a land rover product ..

      Reply
  3. @gitsme6574 Avatar
    @gitsme6574

    Good to hear that the landrover defender doesn’t have the reliability issues that have plagued the company and lost them many loyal customers like myself!

    Reply
    1. @Hundredthldiot Avatar
      @Hundredthldiot

      Steady on. My 2021 Defender 90 (250D) has been off the road two months waiting for a fix to a high voltage battery issue.

      Reply
  4. @jerrymyahzcat Avatar
    @jerrymyahzcat

    You might want to read the manual as you can prevent the rear door closing on a side slope by just giving it a jiggle and it locks it in position. 45° open if you want or any percentage between closed and fully open.
    And even on a 20° or more side slope you can stop it slamming shut on you.

    Reply
    1. @whatcar Avatar
      @whatcar

      Hello – we have tried this multiple times while living with the car for several months. We can’t get the tailgate to lock in position on anything other than a very gentle angle – so at best it’s extremely fiddly.

      Reply
    2. @petersafwat8228 Avatar
      @petersafwat8228

      @@whatcar No that means your mechanism is broken

      Reply
    3. @timmiller7141 Avatar
      @timmiller7141

      Open back door and press back door button to lock door

      Reply
  5. @davidhayes4814 Avatar
    @davidhayes4814

    The exposed screws are something of a styling icon rather than a cost consideration… like mark 1 Audi TT. You might as well complain that the Crown Jewels have too much exposed metal.

    Reply
    1. @deputydd4364 Avatar
      @deputydd4364

      Completely agree. I was liking the review until this styling point was classed as a negative quality issue! Half the screws aren’t even real. The Porsche 911 charges you even more money to have exterior paint colour inside the car, is that a negative too??!!

      Reply
    2. @sebastianjo752 Avatar
      @sebastianjo752

      And I bet interiors with screw squeak less than interiors with just clips. Look at mercedes everything squeaks.

      Reply
    3. @NewDefenderP Avatar
      @NewDefenderP

      ​@@deputydd4364 How do you mean half of the screws aren’t even real ? All the visible screws in the New Defender are real and have function

      Reply
  6. @darrenprior6339 Avatar
    @darrenprior6339

    Unpopular opinion here but I think the Discovery is LR’s best kept secret. Each time I tried to swap my Disco for a Defender I was put off by the lack of luggage space (in the 110.), the stupid barn door, nowhere to rest your elbow inside, no captains armrests, additional wind noise due to the windscreen rake (or lack of) and general lower level of luxury. Sure it looks great but, as this video showed, it’s more common on the roads than speed humps. Can’t wait for the D6. Fun Fact: The rear door loading width is identical in width to the Suzuki Jimny. Terrible.

    Reply
    1. @billybob1511 Avatar
      @billybob1511

      But where is the Discovery made and is it as reliable as the Defender?

      Reply
    2. @darrenprior6339 Avatar
      @darrenprior6339

      @@billybob1511 I’ve two d5’s. Both were trouble free. As for where it’s built? Both the Defender and Disco are built in the same factory in Nitra, Slovenia

      Reply
    3. @blazzz13 Avatar
      @blazzz13

      @@darrenprior6339 Strange, as I have a D4 and a L405 SDV8 Vogue that always have warning lights on despite being maintained very well. You must have the midas touch. Land Rovers are lovely things to drive but they are not dependable.

      Reply
    4. @darrenprior6339 Avatar
      @darrenprior6339

      @@blazzz13Not my experience and not the experience of many friends of mine who also owns D5’s. Maybe you should buy a D5. Afraid I can’t change my opinion just because you had a shitty experience with something that wasn’t a D5

      Reply
  7. @paulhough845 Avatar
    @paulhough845

    Love the video. Love your matching colour polo shirt too.

    Reply
  8. @fz1fazer999 Avatar
    @fz1fazer999

    The tail door has a hold feature. When opened to the desired position, momentarily apply slight pressure the opposite way and it will hold the door.

    Reply
    1. @whatcar Avatar
      @whatcar

      In our experience this only works when parked at a slight angle. Anything more (i.e a big kerb) and the door doesn’t hold.

      Reply
  9. @Claude-d6x Avatar
    @Claude-d6x

    I know people love to knock Land Rover but I absolutely love them . If only I could afford one .

    Reply
    1. @RaceBannon1 Avatar
      @RaceBannon1

      Owning a Land Rover product is less of an issue than its reliability once off warranty

      Reply
    2. @Claude-d6x Avatar
      @Claude-d6x

      @@RaceBannon1there are tens of thousands of people running Land Rovers with regular servicing and mainly trouble free motoring the same as any other make .

      Reply
    3. @RaceBannon1 Avatar
      @RaceBannon1

      @Claude-d6xwell my friend, I have owned 3 Range Rovers…2001, 2016 and 2018. Naturally all V8’s and the latter supercharged (it’s how they came). Both the 2016 & 2018 were returned to Land Rover NA as lemons. The first had unresolved suspension issues and the 2018 infotainment issues and suspension problems. I will stick with TLC or Lexus but I will admit, the RR’s were the best driving vehicles…the best and worst simultaneously

      Reply
    4. @Claude-d6x Avatar
      @Claude-d6x

      @@RaceBannon1I believe they’ve worked on reliability with the new Defender . They can’t build them fast enough , last year they sold 145.000 . I imagine some vehicles are going to brake maybe because they’re abused or maybe people can’t afford servicing. I was always told it’s not buying the car it’s affording the regular servicing.

      Reply
    5. @RaceBannon1 Avatar
      @RaceBannon1

      @Claude-d6x well I can inform you some makes are certainly more reliable than others. Land Rovers are the least reliable out of the box.

      Reply
  10. @FlyasaDiamond Avatar
    @FlyasaDiamond

    For JLR’s sake, I’m glad the defender is a success. I shouldn’t love it… but I do.

    Reply
    1. @ytdood Avatar
      @ytdood

      The new defender is a monumental success, probably the best LR sold these days, second only to the Range Rover and maybe the Range Rover Sport. They absolutely nailed with this one, but pricing is pretty prohibitive for the masses.

      Reply
  11. @roconnor01 Avatar
    @roconnor01

    I’d buy an ex-demo, base model 2024 (new shape) Toyota Land Cruiser.

    Reply
  12. @cornerliston Avatar
    @cornerliston

    I rather see solid screws than cheap annoying plastic covers. Actually a nice design feature.

    Reply
  13. @anwar_shaik Avatar
    @anwar_shaik

    its selling like hot cross buns in india, a true favourite

    Reply
  14. @STEWARTBrown-k6x Avatar
    @STEWARTBrown-k6x

    Good as always. Wish you had of covered trim levels more. Like what’s for the S. And SE as standard etc . Cos do you get air suspension on se. That a extra on a S . Cos ordering one soon .

    Reply
  15. @RobinHarding-ep1ud Avatar
    @RobinHarding-ep1ud

    Will last two weeks before being in dealership with dash lights on ?

    Reply
  16. @richardmartin1419 Avatar
    @richardmartin1419

    The cynic in me wants to suggest that the Defender has proven markedly more reliable than most of Land Rover’s other products because it isn’t manufactured in the UK.

    Reply
  17. @KienTang-y8u Avatar
    @KienTang-y8u

    Let’s admit it. The outside box is pure styling purposes only. The drag that causes on the mpg is nuts. Can’t justify it but for posing.

    Reply
  18. @JMW80 Avatar
    @JMW80

    Instant like from me -Just for the ingenious use for the external box! -Cheers!🍷👍

    Reply
  19. @scotnicoll4030 Avatar
    @scotnicoll4030

    Having owned a 110 for 4 years (20-24) and 36500 miles I can confirm it as a reasonably reliable vehicle! In that time 1 parking sensor and the rear camera wiring loom were the only issues.

    I can confirm that it was very reliable even in the 2l ingenium guise.

    My version was the HSE with deployable sidesteps (you need these), would I buy one again, absolutely!

    Reply
  20. @kb8570 Avatar
    @kb8570

    TATA from India needs to be congratulated as they invested billions into Land Rover. Hopefully the new Jaguar range that is in development does well.

    Reply

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