Defender's New Atlas Colors: Which Trims Get Them and What We Know About Price
Two of the six new paints are orderable on most trims, two are OCTA-only, and two aren't on sale yet. The base Defender S can't get any of them.
Land Rover has added six Atlas paint colors to the Defender. Two of the six can be ordered on most US trims today, two are limited to the OCTA, and two are not on sale yet.
The bigger catch is the trim walls. The colors skip the cheapest Defenders entirely, and Land Rover USA has not published what they cost. As 2027 prices creep up across the market, here is what you can actually order, and on which Defender.
The six Atlas colors
Defender groups the six into three pairs, according to its November 10 announcement:
- Mara Red — a reworked version of the old Masai Red, named for the savannah of southwest Kenya.
- Pantelleria Blue — a new take on the classic Pageant Blue, named for the Italian volcanic island. OCTA only.
- Galway Green — a returning heritage color, named for County Galway, Ireland. OCTA only.
- Buckingham Blue — a returning heritage color, last offered on Defender from 2006 to 2013.
- Aira Green — new, a metallic green with smoky gray undertones named for the Aira Force waterfall in England's Lake District. Not on sale yet.
- Jenolan Gold — new, a neutral metallic gold named for the Jenolan Caves in Australia's Blue Mountains. Not on sale yet.
All six are metallics. Some early coverage described Mara Red as OCTA-exclusive; both the press release and Land Rover USA's Atlas page say only Pantelleria Blue and Galway Green are limited to the OCTA.
Which US trims can get them
Atlas colors are offered across the lineup, including the new Vertex, with four exceptions: the Defender S, the 130 Outbound, the Trophy Edition, and the OCTA Black. The Trophy Edition comes only in Deep Sandglow Yellow or Santorini Black, and the OCTA Black is painted Narvik Black. Starting prices below are Land Rover USA base MSRPs and exclude the $1,950 destination charge.
| Model | Starting MSRP | Atlas colors |
|---|---|---|
| Defender 90 S | $61,000 | Not available |
| Defender 90 Vertex | $88,500 | Mara Red, Buckingham Blue* |
| Defender 110 S | $65,000 | Not available |
| Defender 110 X-Dynamic SE | $74,400 | Mara Red, Buckingham Blue* |
| Defender 110 Trophy Edition | $87,400 | Not available |
| Defender 110 X | $96,000 | Mara Red, Buckingham Blue* |
| Defender 110 Vertex | $96,000 | Mara Red, Buckingham Blue* |
| Defender 130 S | $74,000 | Not available |
| Defender 130 X-Dynamic SE | $83,600 | Mara Red, Buckingham Blue* |
| Defender 130 Outbound | $86,400 | Not available |
| Defender 130 Vertex | $105,000 | Mara Red, Buckingham Blue* |
| Defender OCTA | $158,800 | All four on sale, incl. Pantelleria Blue and Galway Green* |
| Defender OCTA Black | $169,200 | Not available |
*Aira Green and Jenolan Gold are slated for the same eligible trims once they go on sale.
In practice, the cheapest Defender you can paint in an Atlas color today is the 110 X-Dynamic SE at $74,400 before options and destination. On the two-door 90, the only route is the Vertex, which starts $27,500 above the 90 S.
What they cost
This is the open question. Land Rover USA lists no Atlas pricing on its public pages, and the press release gives none. The only official figures so far come from Australia, where CarSauce reports the paint at A$10,146 on eligible 90, 110, and 130 models and A$9,043 on the OCTA. Australian option prices don't translate directly to US MSRP, but they suggest a premium option, not a routine paint upcharge. Ask the dealer for a configured price before you put down a deposit.
A few related choices come bundled or sit nearby:
- Roof: every Atlas color comes with a black contrast roof as standard; a white contrast roof is optional.
- Protective film: gloss or matte protective film can be added on top. Land Rover says the film repairs minor micro-scratches with UV exposure.
- Not to be confused: Shadow Atlas Matte is the finish of the extended bumpers in the Extended Exterior Package and on the Vertex. It is a trim finish, not one of the six Atlas body colors.
How they're made
Atlas colors are the first painted on the new Universal Paint Line at JLR's plant in Nitra, Slovakia, following additional investment there. The line uses seven-axis overhead robots with automatically changing spray nozzles and adds a step to production. Land Rover claims the finishes withstand four times the industry-standard grit-blasting test and survive 72-hour water-submersion cycles. Those are the company's own test results; no independent data exists yet.
The pitch is also scarcity. Land Rover USA's Atlas page says fewer Defenders will carry these colors. If resale matters to you, remember that unusual paint can narrow the pool of buyers later; our look at which cars hold their value best explains why.
The rest of the 2027 Defender palette
The Atlas colors sit above the regular Defender paints, which include Namib Orange (new this year), Tasman Blue, Woolstone Green, and Carpathian Grey. Defender X, Vertex, and OCTA buyers can also choose Patagonia White Matte Wrap, applied over Fuji White. The Vertex itself is a styling-led trim: extended body-colored bumpers and cladding, a gloss black tail door spoiler, 22-inch wheel options, and yellow brake calipers.
If you're weighing a Defender against a cheaper body-on-frame alternative, our Wrangler vs. Bronco comparison covers what those two offer for 2027. And if you're shopping the wider JLR lineup, note that Range Rover is dropping the Evoque and Velar.
What we don't know yet
- US prices for the Atlas paints and the protective films.
- When Aira Green and Jenolan Gold go on sale in the US. Land Rover says both may change before launch.
- Whether Land Rover will cap production of each color. "Fewer Defenders" is a marketing promise, not a number.
We'll update this guide when US pricing appears and when the two new colors reach the configurator. You can preview all six on Land Rover USA's Atlas colors page.
