The smaller, all electric Land Rover Defender could be launching as early as next year, and it should still be plenty capable.
A smaller, fully electric Land Rover Defender is still on the way. This idea of a baby Defender was initially broached in 2023, but now there’s further confirmation of the car’s impending presence, thanks to a new report from Autocar that confirms some of the details.
First and foremost: the new vehicle's rumored name is the Defender Sport. It would be a logical choice; Land Rover has followed the “Sport” naming scheme in the past for cars like the Discovery or Range Rover and their smaller Sport counterparts. Defender brand director Mark Cameron told Autocar that work on the small, electric Defender is “well advanced” at this point. It’s slated to sit on JLR’s “EMA” platform—underpinnings it will share with other future Land Rover EVs. The report makes no mention of alternative powertrain offerings, so expect this little Defender to be electric-only.Details are thin, but there are a few to be gleaned. For one, Cameron noted it won’t be as capable as the bigger Defender.'The size of the vehicle and platform will probably reduce wheel travel and articulation compared with a current Defender,” Cameron said.That’s to be expected, but don’t think for a second that a vehicle with the Defender name on it will forget its off-road heritage. “Our design and engineering teams have created that red line, the circle that every Defender had to have,” Cameron told Autocar. 'We've got to make sure everything we do as Defender has the DNA of the brand: epic built-to-last, go-anywhere capability.'From a size perspective, the smaller Defender is meant to be around 177 inches in length per the report. That’d put it in the same ballpark as the two-door Defender 90, though this “Sport” will offer four doors. It’s going to resemble the bigger Defender, but expect concessions made in the name of range. “The capability we have in our vehicles carries a penalty that works against you when you think about range for an EV,” Cameron said. “My job is to make sure we retain Defender's DNA,' adding that 'otherwise we become another SUV brand, and there are plenty of those.'Lastly, Cameron commented on the development cycle for this Defender product. It’s an area Land Rover is refusing to compromise on, specifically when it comes to a product that bears the “Defender” name.'What has disrupted our industry hugely are shrunken test cycles due to some of the Chinese brands,' Cameron told Autocar. 'Their speed to market is just incredible. But we have always maintained that we need to have at least two winter test cycles and two hot weather test cycles for a Defender. We're looking at ways to shrink our product development time, but we don't want to compromise on quality and longevity and all the things you have to deliver as a luxury brand.'So be patient, and your pint-size Defender EV will arrive in due time. The original report had it pegged for a 2027 release; this latest drip of news doesn’t provide a timeline, so perhaps the original timing of a 2027 reveal is still in the cards. The car was spied testing last year in fairly heavy camouflage meant to conceal its design ... though its boxy, Defender-esque shape still shined through.
Defender Off-Road Luxury Sport Ev Electric
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Utah lawmakers work to mandate fetal development videos in schoolsCaitlin is a trending intern for Deseret News. She covers travel, entertainment and other trending topics.
Read more »
Community-driven housing development in Back of the Yards marks milestoneA community driven development hopes to make homeownership a reality for many families on Chicago’s Southwest Side.
Read more »
Matrix 5: Update on the Upcoming Film's DevelopmentA fifth film in the Matrix franchise is in development with Drew Goddard writing and directing. Despite the last film's lackluster performance, Goddard is taking his time with the script, emphasizing quality over speed. This will be the first film without direct creative input from the Wachowski sisters, potentially offering a fresh perspective.
Read more »
DUI driver crashes $100K Land Rover into backyard swimming pool — see the crazy photosToday's Video Headlines: 03/01/26
Read more »
‘World’s first commercial fusion power plant’ development to get boost with new agreementProxima Fusion has signed the agreement to put the world’s first commercial stellarator fusion power plant on the grid in Europe.
Read more »
The new baby Defender will have true "go-anywhere capability" – here's everything we knowWork "well advanced" on Defender's smaller sibling – and bosses say it'll be nearly as good off road
Read more »