Do you want the good news, or the bad news first about the 2027 Land Rover Defender?
Actually, forget the question. The doctor said if I can't find a new way to relate more positively to my surroundings, I might die. So, you get the good news first.
The new-for-2027 Vertex trim sits near or at the top of the lineup, depending on which body style you spec. It adds colour-matched body cladding, new front and rear fascias, and rolls on a new 22-inch wheel design. Inside, Ebony Forged Textile is a new accent option for 2027; you can spec "Windsor Leather and "Forged textile" seats to complement the look, or white Ultrafabric seats that are hopefully easy to keep clean.
Playing around with the configurator, I'll take a Defender 90 Vertex in Woolstone Green — a new colour for 2027, among others — with tan Forged Textile seats — meme spec, baby — plus the "small" wheels, all-terrain tires, a spare tire cover, and nothing else, because at $107,200 before options, it ain't cheap.
If you need more doors, the 2027 Defender 110 Vertex kicks off at $109,200 before options, and if you need more seats, the 2027 Defender 130 Vertex will set you back $117,500, all before options.
If you'd rather not go for the top-spec trim, Land Rover offers a similar look as part of the new Extended Exterior Pack. It's available across the various body styles as a $1,580 option on the X-Dynamic SE and HSE trims, and the V8 Defenders.
Elsewhere in the lineup, Land Rover now lets you dress up the the Defender 110 Trophy Edition in an all-black look, Namib Orange is a fun new addition to the Defender 90 and 110 colour palates, all colours can now be supplemented with gloss PPF — in addition to matte — from the factory, and they've introduced a handful of new accessories.
Quality-of-life updates for 2027 include a new, optional six-seat layout for the Defender 110. It swaps out the second-row bench for a pair of Captain's chairs and even improves access to the optional third row. Land Rover has also improved the Defender's voice recognition system,
Rounding out the updates to the 2027 Defender are a handful of powertrain revisions — and that's either good or bad news, depending on where you live. The 2.0-litre turbo-four has been replaced by a new "P300" version of the 3.0-litre inline-six, putting out 296 horsepower and 346 pound-feet of torque.
Overseas, the 2027 Defender Octa keeps its twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 but receives a brutal, 93-horsepower cut. It now puts out 533 horsepower (540 PS) and 553 pound-feet of torque — but hey, you can now spec the Octa in Woolstone Green, too!
Fortunately for us, Octas destined for the Canadian and U.S. markets remain at 626 horsepower — and we can still get Woolstone Green! Pricing kicks off at $177,400 for the 2027 model year.
Order books for the updated 2027 Land Rover Defender are already open, and deliveries will kick off towards the end of the year.