Land Rover Defender undergoes updates to secure its position as JLR's top-selling vehicle; can you identify the modifications?

Long-awaited mid-life facelift debuts for Land Rover's best-selling Defender model, after five years on the British market.

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2025 May 30 . 4:37 AM

2 min read

Five-year tenure of Land Rover's best-selling Defender model in the UK prompts an anticipated... — Five-year tenure of Land Rover's best-selling Defender model in the UK prompts an anticipated mid-cycle makeover.

Land Rover Defender undergoes updates to secure its position as JLR's top-selling vehicle; can you identify the modifications?

Land Rover's flagship vehicle, the Defender, has undergone a mid-life facelift, adopting a more refined yet maintains its iconic charm. As JLR's top-selling product, the Defender demonstrated impressive global sales last year with 115,400 units sold, surpassing the figures for both the Range Rover (77,000) and Range Rover Sport (79,800).

To accommodate rapid sales, the 2025 Model Year (26MY) changes have been executed subtly, keeping up with the "less is more" approach. Changes are minuscule, extending only to minor styling tweaks and cabin updates.

From the outside, the boxy silhouette remains, but new headlight designs, fog lights as standard, smoke-tinted rear light clusters, and a gloss black grille bar add modern touches. The interior, however, has seen the most significant improvement, featuring a redesigned, larger 13.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system that improves user interface and cabin tech experience.

New functional additions include an infrared camera behind the steering column, powering the driver attention monitoring system. This system helps ensure road safety, an essential feature mandated by the European Union's latest GSR2 legislation, though not yet applicable to UK-sold models. New paint options and the addition of adaptive off-road cruise control as an optional extra round up the updates.

Despite the increase in display size, prices for the updated Defender start from £57,135, due to the arrival of a new entry Defender90 S. However, certain models, like the X-Dynamic SE, have seen a price increase, rising from £59,790 to £61,740. The Defender continues to be produced exclusively at its Nitra plant in Slovakia, bypassing potential tariff implications on US-imported vehicles.

Mark Cameron, managing director of Defender, shared, "We have continuously strived to make adventures more satisfying with the latest changes, ensuring our iconic 4X4 is better than ever." The Defender 90, 110, and Defender 130 with the option of seven or eight seats remain available for customers.

In the automotive industry, Land Rover's Defender, a popular choice in the transportation sector, has seen a business boost with impressive sales figures, outperforming both the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport.
As the Defender undergoes a facelift for the 2025 Model Year, the insurance industry may want to take note of the new infrared camera behind the steering column in some models, designed to power the driver attention monitoring system for improved road safety.
The finance sector might observe the latest changes in the Defender's lifestyle offerings, such as the addition of adaptive off-road cruise control as an optional extra and the availability of new paint options, contributing to a more technologically advanced automotive experience.
Despite evolving with modern touches and improving cabin tech, the Defender's base price remains affordable for many, starting from £57,135, with the introduction of a new entry Defender90 S model.