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DEFENDER WINS BEST PREMIUM SUV AT WHAT CAR? AWARDS 2026

22 January 2026

MEDIA ADVISORY: NOT FOR PUBLICATION

  • Defender named Best Premium SUV by What Car? judges
  • Tough luxury 4x4 praised for having luxury credentials while staying true to adventure heritage
  • Award follows recent Top Gear accolade for Defender

London, UK – Thursday 22 January 2026: Defender has been named Best Premium SUV at the What Car? Awards 2026, reaffirming its position as one of the most capable, versatile and desirable vehicles on the market.

Recognised for its unique blend of rugged capability, modern refinement and tough luxury, the Defender impressed the What Car? judging panel with its market‑leading breadth of capability and design credentials. The award is a latest in a long line for Defender, as expert automotive journalists continue to praise how the luxury SUV remains true to its heritage of adventure and tackling the impossible.

I’m thrilled to be able to add another accolade to Defender’s trophy cabinet, especially from the What Car? Awards. We’re extremely grateful to the What Car? team for recognising Defender’s position as the most capable car on any terrain, while also offering clients a true luxury experience on the road.

Leonie Raistrick
UK Brand Director, Defender

The modern Defender is still very much at home in the rough stuff – and thanks to electronic aids, much easier to drive off road than the old model. But at the same time, on‑road refinement and comfort are now superb, with the ride particularly good if you specify the optional air suspension. The Defender 110’s shape yields a hugely practical interior, too. And the driver benefits from a towering seating position and superb visibility.

Steve Huntingford
Editor, What Car?
Mark Cameron
Mark Cameron

 

 

The award was collected by Mark Cameron, Global Managing Director, Defender (pictured), in a ceremony at the JW Marriott Grosvenor Hotel in London, where hundreds of members of the automotive industry and media gathered to celebrate the best cars on sale in the UK today across a wide variety of categories.

Further information

Notes to Editors

About Defender

Defender embraces the impossible. Each member of the Defender family is purposefully designed, highly desirable and seriously durable. A modern‑day hero that respects the past but at the same time anticipates the future.

Available in 90, 110 and 130 body styles, with up to eight seats, each has a charisma of its own.

As part of our vision of modern luxury by design, Defender 110 is available as an electric hybrid. 

Defender Hard Top means business, with 90 and 110 body styles for professional capability.

The tough luxury Defender OCTA is the master of extreme performance – taking performance and capability to another level on and off‑road. 

A beacon of liberty that can trace its roots back to the first Land Rover in 1948, Defender is a brand that supports humanitarian and conservation work with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Tusk Trust. 

The Defender brand is underpinned by Land Rover – a mark of trust built on more than 75 years of expertise in technology and world‑leading off‑road capability.

Defender is designed and engineered in the UK and sold in 121 countries. It belongs to the JLR house of brands alongside Range Rover, Discovery and Jaguar.

Important notice
JLR is constantly seeking ways to improve the specification, design and production of its vehicles, parts and accessories and alterations take place continually. Whilst every effort is made to produce up‑to‑date literature, this document should not be regarded as an infallible guide to current specifications or availability, nor does it constitute an offer for the sale of any particular vehicle, part or accessory. All figures are manufacturer’s estimates.

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