Max Davies
2026 Suzuki Jimny Rhino brings unique appearance, merch – but it'll cost you
The Suzuki Jimny Rhino is finally here, but it commands a hefty price increase over the five-door XL it's based on.
24 Hours Ago
The Land Rover Defender has been named Australia’s best off-road SUV in the 2026 CarExpert Choice Awards.
It beat out two finalists: the Ford Everest and Toyota Prado.
After running a range of large SUVs through a series of off-road tests earlier this year as part of our 4WD SUV megatest, we crowned the Land Rover Defender our off-road SUV winner.
This was based not only on scoring for each of the tests we conducted, but also our evaluation of the ease with which its 4WD controls are operated and how much driver input was required.
Looking for your next car? We'll help you research and compare so you choose with confidence.
The Defender proved the easiest vehicle to operate in every one of our off-road tests, and its ability to automatically lock and unlock its differentials allows you to concentrate on the trail ahead.
It was this combination of four-wheel drive system intelligence and a capable platform that made us ultimately pick the Defender as our off-road winner, so naturally it also takes the crown for best off-road SUV in this year’s CarExpert Choice Awards.
If you’re after something that can not only tackle the tough stuff but also prove liveable in the daily grind, the Defender well and truly delivers thanks to its comfortable interior and a range of excellent powertrains. As demonstrated in our megatest, it’s a capable tow vehicle, too.
There's even a wide range of body styles, a rarity in this segment, ranging from the 90 'shorty' all the way up to the extended 130 with seating for up to eight.
The Defender is truly a jack of all trades, and its tough styling is well and truly backed up by its ability.
2026 CarExpert Choice
- Winner – Land Rover Defender
- Finalist – Ford Everest
- Finalist – Toyota Prado
To see all the CarExpert Choice winners, click here.
From Breaking News to your next move
Go deeper on the cars in our Showroom, compare your options, or see what a great deal looks like with help from our New Car Specialists.
You might also like
Max Davies
2026 Suzuki Jimny Rhino brings unique appearance, merch – but it'll cost you
The Suzuki Jimny Rhino is finally here, but it commands a hefty price increase over the five-door XL it's based on.
24 Hours Ago
Tace Clifford
Top 10 mid-size PHEV family SUVs in 2026
Here are our picks of the best plug-in hybrid medium SUVs for growing Aussie families keen to lower their fuel costs.
1 Day Ago
James Wong
2026 Xpeng G6: Preliminary details confirmed for relaunched Model Y rival
Initial specifications for the updated Xpeng G6 have been confirmed for Australia ahead of a July 1 relaunch for the Chinese EV brand.
3 Days Ago
CarExpert
Why the Chery Tiggo 4 is a CarExpert Choice winner – again
There’s more to Chery’s smallest and most affordable model than just a low price and standard equipment galore.
4 Days Ago
James Wong
Cupra Formentor, Leon score custom ABT body kits, Australian launch unclear
Spanish VW subsidiary Cupra and performance tuner ABT have launched new aero and design packages for the Formentor and Leon ranges, though Australian availability is unconfirmed.
7 Days Ago
Matt Campbell
2026 Jaecoo J5 review
The Jaecoo J5 is good enough to steal the best-value small SUV crown from its Chery Tiggo 4 stablemate – and convincingly, too.
15 Days Ago
Related
Don't let Google decide who you trust
Add CarExpert as a Preferred Source on Google so your search results prioritise writing by actual experts, not AI.