So where to begin with the Defender this July. It has certainly been a hive of activity behind the scenes that’s for sure. The epic Defender D7X-R, which we have written about several times before, wowed the crowds at the Goodwood Festival of Speed as it took on the famous hill climb and tackled the off-road arena. However, it was back at base where the more interesting events happened.

A whole host of changes were announced for the 2027 model year Defender. First on the list was the introduction of a new edition of the Defender. Called the Vertex, the marketing information cited it as “a new character for a different adventure”. In the hierarchy of the Defender Range, the Vertex takes its place alongside the X Specification. With redesign front and rear bumpers, a new grill and fog light arrangement aim to give the Vertex “A bolder profile”.

The rear towing eyes are now colour matched to the front brake callipers which for the first time for a Land Rover product are a striking yellow. And talking of colour matched the subtle wheel arch plastic trims and lower body which are normally black, are now painted in the body colour which can be Fuji white, Santorini black, Woolstone green, Borasco Grey or Carpathian Gey. All colours are available with the standard gloss finish or with a matte protective wrap.

The recently announced Trophy Edition has dropped the Keswick green version and replaced it with Santorini black with glass black steel wheel and Sandglow yellow graphics.

Next up for the refresh treatment is the Defender Octa. When first launched the headline figures were the 620+ PS engine and sub 4 second o to 60 time, however Land Rover seemed to have taken a less is more approach. The engine has been de-tuned to 540 PS and the o to 60 time is now 4.2 second. Still no slouch, the P540 Octa now has different exhaust manifold to give a deeper exhaust note. Exterior wise, the chopped carbon fibre exterior pack is offered as is the very attractive Woolstone Green finish.

Every once in a while, Land Rover offer a bold orange colour to some of its products. The Range Rover Sport, Discovery Sport, Evoque and Discovery 5 have all had this treatment in the past and now it’s the turn of Defender. Called Namib Orange, it is offered on the 90 and 110 Defenders.

Interior wise, the Defender 110 has a new seating configuration. By removing the central bench seat and adding a pari of Captain chairs, a six-seater variant is now available, with rear access to the third row being aided by the gap between the middle seats.

Under the bonnet, the range has been rationalised. The previous 5 litre V8 is only available is selected markets now and the 4-cylinder P300 and been replaced by a P300 6 cylinder, but again only in select markets. New to most markets though is the P380. Based on the 6-cylinder ingenium petrol engine, the P380 comes with Land Rovers MHEV system to give improved real-world economy. This engine is available in the 90, 110 and 130 body styles.