Leading up to 2020, popular rumors held that Land Rover was about to bring the Defender back to its lineup. Automotive journalists dreamed about flying to England’s green mountains and terrifying sheep by pushing the revitalized S.U.V. to its limits. Then, Covid-19 had other ideas and closed the world. In the struggles of the Covid era, losing the Defender test drive obviously doesn’t even register, but reviewing the vehicle now becomes much sweeter somehow.

Once behind the wheel of the 2026 Land Rover Defender 110 X-Dynamic SE, it’s difficult to believe the 2020 Defender had its critics. Back then, purists grumbled that the modern reinterpretation of the British classic departed from the rough and tumble identity of Defenders past. Still, the greater share of the automotive world embraced it as an ideal marriage of luxury and capability.

This new 110 X-Dynamic SE variant is a more technologically driven descendant of the original 110,  as it’s equipped with a Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle (MHEV) power train. For the uninitiated, a Defender 110, historically and currently, has four doors (five with the rear hatch), while the Defender 90 is a more compact two-door runner. There’s also a full-size Defender 130 with three rows of seats, but that’s a beast for another day.

New for 2026

The tweaks for this year are mainly aesthetic, with the exception of improved Adaptive Off-Road Cruise Control and torque vectoring. Beyond that enhanced tech, there’s subtle new styling details throughout the cabin and exterior, and an expanded 13.1-inch infotainment screen. That’s about it.

Design

There’s a reason James Bond villains chase 007’s Aston Martin in fleets of black Defenders. There’s something satisfyingly sinister about the S.U.V. in its latest incarnation, and one should drive it every now and then with one eyebrow cocked arrogantly—looking down on lesser cars from its driving perch. The height comes from a stance atop 20-inch wheels, and the vehicle’s sloping hood descends low, like a brooding brow.

In the most general engineering sense, a 2026 Defender takes its ancestors’ principles and advances them with all-wheel drive and computer-enhanced off-roading acumen: Take a rectangle and put a wheel at every corner to reduce unsprung weight amongst its overall 5,595 pounds (sans any payload). Then rock and roll all the way over rocks and through streams. Wash. Repeat. That’s a Defender.

Along the way, the Defender’s drive modes take full advantage of Jaguar Land Rover’s off-road technology as it sends every wheel looking for traction and adjusts the suspension. With the Land Rover Terrain Response System offering modes comprising Eco, Dynamic, Grass/Gravel/Snow, Mud & Ruts, Sand, Rock Crawl, and Wade, the tech takes the geographic and meteorological elements and slays them with a flick of a control. And if the driver prefers, the Defender’s own onboard smarts can pick the mode on the go.

Power Train and Hardware

This Defender 110 X-Dynamic SE features a 3.0-liter, turbocharged inline-six engine with a built-in 48-volt, mild-hybrid system to stretch out the machine’s MPG numbers. All totaled, this Defender version produces 395 hp and 406 ft lbs of torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission and intelligent all-wheel drive put the power down through alloy wheels and electronic air suspension. Disc brakes with ABS—front and back—bring it all to a stop, or help carefully negotiate any encountered hill.

Without itemizing a very extensive list, the buyer can assume there’s electronic everything where it needs to be, while everywhere from your fingers to your backside is heated and cooled on demand. It’s a luxury vehicle, and Land Rover engineers and designers know what they must pack into the frame to keep that badge.

As mentioned, there’s a larger touchscreen in the 2026 edition, and it controls infotainment essentials that include a 15-speaker Meridian Surround Sound System. Driver aids include automatic high-beams, a backup camera, a blind-spot monitor, a cross-traffic alert, a driver-monitoring alert, a lane-departure warning, a lane-keeping assist, a parking aid, and stability-control functionality.

Performance

All Land Rover and Range Rover creations in the 21st century are now expected to take on whatever the pavement or off-road environment brings to them while maintaining comfort and class inside the cockpit. That expectation falls hardest on Defender, with its history of service everywhere from farms to the military.

Put through reasonable paces, the Defender 110 X-Dynamic SE transitions from street driving to natural obstacles with aplomb, whether the operator allows the onboard computer systems to choose the driving mode or opts for manual choice.

The heavier hybrid system doesn’t strip noticeable power from the highway experience, with ample output allowing the driver to leave traffic behind at will. While such a sizable S.U.V. must understeer at least some at speed, the weight balance needed for effective off-roading helps the 110 X-Dynamic SE stay grounded when the throttle’s down. With the MHEV pitching in, the model variant manages 22 MPG highway.

Is It Worth It?

It’s not the boxy, knock-around ride circa the 1960s or 1970s, but it still maintains a distinctive character of defiant “Britishness.” Jaguar Land Rover broke its traditional line concept into four sub-tribes in recent years, with Defender serving as one, alongside Range Rover, (Land Rover) Discovery, and Jaguar. While Jag works to redefine itself and settle into the market once again, the other three carry parent company Tata’s standard into battle. Defender’s role in that family is the rugged, rebellious brother who misbehaves out in the wild while Discovery gets the princes and princesses off to boarding school.

When Land Rover brought the Defender back to life and broke it off into its own branch of the JLR tree, it sent the model solidly into the world of the luxury S.U.V. Yet its engineers and designers still managed to keep its eager toughness. In the case of the Defender 110 X-Dynamic SE, that blend starts at $75,200, and easily approaches $100,000 if one adds all of the desirable amenities. If the buyer values its signature combination of on-road comfort and off-road confidence, it’s time to join Blofeld, Goldfinger, and the rest—at least when it comes to piloting both an impressive and imposing transport.

Specifications