DEFENDER READY FOR DEBUT IN DAKAR RALLY AS 2026 WORLD RALLY‑RAID CHAMPIONSHIP BEGINS

The all‑new Defender Dakar D7X‑R will take on the world’s most challenging rally‑raid with a world‑class driver and co‑driver line‑up including Dakar‑legend Stéphane Peterhansel alongside Mika Metge; determined Rokas Baciuška and Oriol Vidal; and trailblazing Sara Price with Sean Berriman. 

On the eve of Dakar beginning, Defender Rally have also announced two new partners: YETI and Bell & Ross. Defender Rally are also bringing the Defender Dakar D7X‑R to Fortnite and Rocket League.

From 03‑17 January, and with only one rest day, the drivers will face almost 5,000km of timed stages over extreme terrain in the Defender Dakar D7X‑R which, derived from the award‑winning Defender OCTA, is built to compete in the ‘Stock’ category of the W2RC – the perfect platform to showcase Defender’s capability. 

The Defender Dakar D7X‑R features modifications including a wider track, increased ride height, new suspension and enhanced cooling to handle the extreme terrain and weather but, in adherence to the strict ‘Stock’ category regulations, is closely based on the production Defender OCTA. The Defender Dakar DX7‑R bodies are built on the production Defender assembly line at JLR’s state‑of‑the‑art facility in Nitra, Slovakia, and adopts the same robust D7x body architecture, transmission and driveline layout as the Defender OCTA, the most capable Defender ever made. It will also be powered by the same 4.4‑litre twin‑turbo V8 engine which, mechanically unchanged, will run on an advanced sustainable fuel.*