The 2027 Land Rover Defender has arrived with a fresh look at the top of the range and a new number at the bottom of the invoice. Land Rover Australia has confirmed a 27 model year update that adds a Vertex trim, a six-seat layout, more colours and a longer accessory list.
It also adds $4400 to the price of the cheapest Defender you can buy. The entry three-door Defender 90 D250 S now starts at $102,800 before on-road costs, up from $98,400. The base Defender has crossed six figures before a single option box is ticked.
That is the detail every buyer should notice first. The new trims and paint colours get the attention, but the price floor moving is the part that actually reaches your bank account.
The base Defender now lands near six figures on the road
Quoted prices are before on-road costs, so the real number is higher again. Register a base Defender 90 D250 S in most states and you are looking at a drive-away figure comfortably north of $110,000.
For context, a fully specified Toyota LandCruiser Prado tops out around the low $100,000s on the road. The cheapest Defender you can order now starts its climb from roughly the same place before you add anything.
That matters because the Defender has always sold on image as much as ability. Buyers stretch for it. A higher entry price does not scare that buyer off, but it does quietly reset what the badge costs to get into.
What the $4400 rise actually buys you
This is where buyers need to be honest with themselves. The price increase is not tied to a big jump in standard equipment on the base car. It is a model year price move, plain and simple.
The headline additions sit higher up the range. The new Vertex trim, the six-seat option and the extra accessory packs all cost extra on top of the sticker. The entry D250 S buyer pays more and gets broadly the same car.
Understanding the difference between a genuine equipment upgrade and a straight price rise is the whole game here. It also explains why the way a price is quoted matters so much. If you are unsure how the before on-roads figure turns into the number you actually pay, our guide on drive-away price versus list price breaks it down.
The new Vertex trim is where Land Rover wants your money
The standout addition for 2027 is the Vertex grade. It slots in above the S and X-Dynamic SE, and below the Trophy and OCTA, and it is offered on both the 90 and 110 bodies.
Land Rover pitches it as tough luxury. In practice that means more rugged extended front and rear bumpers, a larger profiled grille, revised fog lights, and a Shadow Atlas Matte finish across those pieces. It also gets a gloss-black tailgate spoiler and contrasting yellow front brake calipers.
The visual details go further with exposed rear recovery eyes, body-coloured lower cladding, and new 22-inch diamond-turned Satin Dark Grey wheels. Buyers can option 22-inch gloss-black or 20-inch Satin Dark Grey wheels instead.
Inside, Vertex buyers choose Windsor leather or new Forged textile seats in Ebony or Caraway and Ebony, or Ultrafabrics upholstery in Light Cloud and Lunar. On the 90 the Vertex lands at $176,800 before on-roads, and on the 110 it sits at $171,800 or $181,000 depending on engine.
Read that pricing carefully. Vertex is close to the X grade money, so the real choice is not Vertex versus base. It is Vertex versus X, and versus loading up an X-Dynamic HSE. That is a very different conversation to have with a dealer.
The six-seat 110 is the quietly clever addition
Buried under the trim news is a change that suits Australian family buyers more than any new paint colour. The 27MY Defender 110 now offers a six-seat layout in a 2 plus 2 plus 2 configuration.
The second row swaps the bench for two captain's chairs, each with extra contouring, bolster cushions, individual armrests, a manual recline function and twin floor cupholders behind the centre console. It is a genuine comfort play for the middle row.
Land Rover also claims the layout improves access to the third row, adds legroom for rear passengers, and creates usable cargo space between the two captain's chairs. For a buyer weighing a Defender against a large seven-seater, this is a more meaningful update than any wheel or wrap option.
Australia dodged the power cut Europe copped
Here is a rare win for local buyers. In some overseas markets, the range-topping OCTA has had its BMW-sourced twin-turbo 4.4-litre mild-hybrid petrol V8 trimmed by around 70kW to meet the tougher Euro 6e-bis emissions standard.
Australia keeps the full-fat tune. Our OCTA continues with 467kW and 750Nm, and holds its claimed 0 to 100km/h time of 4.0 seconds. Europe's detuned version now takes 4.4 seconds and leans on a deeper exhaust note to soften the blow.
The OCTA range keeps 6D Dynamics suspension, OCTA Mode, the choice of all-season or off-road tyres, and the option of Chopped Carbon Fibre trim inside and out. The OCTA now adds Woolstone Green paint and a gloss-black tailgate spoiler, while the Chopped Carbon Fibre Exterior Pack becomes an OCTA Black option.
At $305,200 for the OCTA and $314,300 for the OCTA Black before on-roads, almost no one reading this is cross-shopping one. But the point stands. When a global emissions rule waters down a car overseas, it is worth checking whether Australia gets the same treatment. This time we did not.
Accessories and packs: read the margin, not the marketing
The 2027 update leans heavily on factory-fit accessories, and that is where dealers and Land Rover make their money after the base sale. The list is long, and it is designed to be added to.
There is a new Extended Exterior Pack for X-Dynamic SE, X-Dynamic HSE and V8 cars, bringing the Vertex-style extended bumpers, rear spoiler and body-coloured spare wheel cover. New factory accessories include an integrated Expedition Roof Light and a Tail Door Gear Carrier that adds 60 litres and 12kg of tailgate cargo capacity.
Fresh packages pile on top. The Explorer Pack bundles an expedition roof rack, side gear carrier, raised air intake and deployable ladder. The Adventure Pack adds an integrated air compressor, portable rinse system and external side gear carrier, while the Urban Pack covers bonnet decals, black fixed side steps and a dark rear scuff plate.
There is also a new Technology Pack for the S, X-Dynamic SE and X-Dynamic HSE, wrapping together popular options like a domestic power outlet, head-up display, Meridian sound system and the Clear-Sight interior rear-view mirror. Bundling those into a pack can genuinely save money over ticking them individually, but only if you actually wanted all of them.
The buyer trap here is easy to fall into. Each pack sounds reasonable on its own, and three or four of them quietly add the price of a small car to the deal. Decide what you need before you walk in, not while a salesperson walks you through the configurator.
The rest of the 27MY changes at a glance
The Trophy Edition 110, relaunched in 2025 with kit like the Expedition Roof Rack, Deployable Roof Ladder and Raised Air Intake, can now be had in Santorini Black. That colour joins Deep Sandglow Yellow and replaces Keswick Green.
A new Namib Orange exterior colour arrives for the 90 and 110 in S, X-Dynamic SE, X-Dynamic HSE and X trims. The Patagonia White matte wrap spreads to the X and Vertex, on top of the V8 and OCTA it was already offered on.
Every Defender paint can now be had with matte protective film and, for the first time, a gloss protective film. Land Rover says the self-healing film resists scratches, stone chips, scuffs and fading, and can repair micro-scratches over time. Useful on a car people genuinely take off-road, if you value the paint.
'Hey Land Rover' brings AI voice to the cabin
The 2027 Defender also gains a new connected speech service that uses AI-driven conversational intelligence. It is always on standby and wakes to a 'Hey Land Rover' prompt, then answers questions in a natural voice using generative AI.
The naming is slightly odd, given the automaker has dropped its own name from the Defender's official title, yet the wake word still says Land Rover. Whether a chatty voice assistant sways your purchase is another question entirely. Treat it as a nice-to-have, not a reason to pay more.
The 2027 Defender price list
Here is where the range now sits, before on-road costs. The 90 D250 S opens the range at $102,800, with the 90 X-Dynamic SE at $130,400 and both the 90 X and 90 Vertex at $176,800.
In the 110 range, the D250 S is $105,400 and the D250 Hard Top S is $103,700. The D350 line runs from $119,300 for the X-Dynamic SE, to $135,500 for the X-Dynamic HSE, then $171,800 for both the X and Vertex. The two D350 Trophy editions are $124,700 each.
The P425 petrol 110 sits at $132,400 for the X-Dynamic SE, $147,800 for the X-Dynamic HSE, and $181,000 for the X and Vertex. The P300e plug-in hybrid 110 is $136,800 in X-Dynamic SE and $149,000 in X-Dynamic HSE.
The 130 range covers the D350 X-Dynamic SE at $141,600, the D350 Outbound at $147,400, and the P500 V8 at $235,600. The OCTA flagships close the list at $305,200 and $314,300.
What this means if you are buying a Defender in 2026
If you already have a 2026 Defender on order at the old price, you are in a good spot. The 27MY rise makes your locked figure look better, and the car itself is barely different at the entry end.
If you are shopping now, the smart move is to separate the noise from the numbers. The Vertex looks the part, but it costs X-grade money. The six-seat 110 is the update most worth paying for if you carry people. The accessory packs are where a sensible budget quietly blows out.
The Defender is available to order now, with first Australian deliveries due later this year. That gap between order and delivery is your leverage window, because a dealer chasing a sale on a car that is months away is more flexible than one moving stock off the floor today.
The Carseekers take
A price rise dressed up with new trims is one of the oldest moves in the new-car playbook, and the 2027 Defender runs it cleanly. The base car costs $4400 more for no real equipment gain, while the genuinely appealing additions all live in the paid options.
None of that makes the Defender a bad buy. It stays one of the most capable and desirable large off-road SUVs on sale, and Australia keeping the full OCTA power is a real plus. The point is to buy it with clear eyes and a fixed budget, not led by the configurator.
Work out the exact grade and packs you want before you engage a dealer, then hold that line. If you want the range side by side and a straight read on where the value sits, compare the Land Rover Defender with Carseekers and let the specialists chase the deal rather than the dealer chasing you.
Considering finance for your next car? Loanseekers can help you explore car loan options.
The finer details
Your questions answered.
When does the 2027 Land Rover Defender arrive in Australia?
The 27 model year Defender is available to order now, with first Australian deliveries expected later in 2026. If you order early, the gap before delivery is often your best window to negotiate.
How much does the 2027 Land Rover Defender cost in Australia?
Pricing starts at $102,800 before on-road costs for the Defender 90 D250 S, up $4400 on the previous model. The range tops out at $314,300 before on-roads for the 110 P635 OCTA Black.
What is the new Defender Vertex trim?
Vertex is a new tough luxury grade on the 90 and 110, sitting above the S and X-Dynamic SE and below the Trophy and OCTA. It adds extended bumpers, a larger grille, yellow brake calipers and 22-inch wheels, priced from $171,800 before on-roads.
Is the Defender OCTA less powerful in Australia?
No. Some overseas markets cut the OCTA's V8 by around 70kW to meet tougher Euro 6e-bis emissions rules, but Australian cars keep the full 467kW and 750Nm. Our OCTA holds its 4.0 second 0 to 100km/h claim.
Should I buy a 2026 Defender before the 2027 price rise?
If you can still order at the old price, the entry car is barely different, so locking in before the $4400 rise makes sense. If you are buying new anyway, focus your money on the six-seat option or genuine equipment rather than cosmetic packs.
Does the 2027 Defender come with a six-seat option?
Yes. The Defender 110 now offers a six-seat 2 plus 2 plus 2 layout with two captain's chairs in the second row, each with armrests, recline and cupholders. Land Rover says it also improves third-row access and rear legroom.
