Confused? We are too.
Land Rover’s latest Defender has been criticised for being more luxurious than necessary given its utilitarian roots. Also, the fact that it might be too expensive could lead to a decrease in sales of other Jaguar Land Rover models (JLR). Although the eight-seat derivative was recently seen raises similar concerns, it is not stopping Tata Motors from making the SUV more sophisticated.
A new report by Autocar claims that the MLA platform, which will debut at the end-of-the year along with the next generation Range Rover, will also be used on the fancy Defender set to arrive on the market in 2025. Rumored flagship model will have a more rugged interior than the current model. It will also use improved material to avoid clashing with the next generation Range Rover.
The MLA-based Defender is expected to be larger than the three-door 90 and five door 110 models. It could also produce an electric version that can compete with the Mercedes EQCG due 2024. It is technically possible to make a three-row Defender 130. However, it could limit sales of the next Discovery.
The new Defender line-up is expected to start at less than PS60,000 in the UK. This would make it approximately PS10,000 more expensive that the Defender 110. The five-door Defender model starts at $50,500 in the USA, while a V8 Bond Edition can be purchased for as high as $114,000.
The on/off-again pickup truck could be part of the Defender family that Land Rover already has a powerful V8 supercharged model. Rumours of a even more powerful SVR-badged model with 600 horsepower from a BMW engine are being circulated. In the meantime, tests with a hydrogen-fueled prototype are underway.
Autocar continues to state that Land Rover had plans for a new Defender flavor in 2025. This would be an entry-level Defender model based on the EMA platform, which is designed to accommodate EVs and a range-extending gasoline motor. The idea was scrapped and the EMA architecture will only be used for the Evoque, Discovery Sport and replacements.