Defender, Tested: In Saudi Arabia at the 2026 Dakar Rally

Hail, Saudi Arabia — The Land Rover Defender Dakar D7X-R arrives at the world’s most unforgiving rally defined not by what it has gained, but by what it has willingly given up.

The trick 6D Dynamics suspension? Gone. The plush rear seats? Deleted. Even the thunderous 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 — familiar from the Defender OCTA — has been deliberately restrained, its airflow curtailed in the name of durability rather than theatre.

The Dakar Rally has no use for indulgence. None at all.