The Autoblog spies have caught new images of the upcoming Defender crossover. Expected to be called Defender Sport or Defender 80, the so-called “baby Defender” has been spotted with an external spare wheel for the first time, helping cement its image as a real Land Rover. Well, a real Defender – JLR spun off Land Rover, Range Rover, Discovery, and Defender as sub-brands. Unlike the recently revealed Range Rover Electric, which shares its architecture with the combustion-powered Range Rover, the baby Defender is being launched atop an all-new platform, JLR’s Electric Modular Architecture, which will also underpin a new Range Rover. However, as we recently learned, the baby Defender won’t only be available as an EV.
JLR’s Defender Sport/Defender 80 Coming As A Hybrid Too
Autoblog/SH Proshots
According to recent reports out of England, JLR has taken note of the relatively lackluster demand for EVs, and while perceptions towards all-electric cars continue to improve, it’s worth squeezing everything out of the new platform with a hybrid version of the Defender Sport/Defender 80. Interestingly, Mercedes is making similar moves with its baby G-Class, which will be aimed at the same crowd as the baby Defender, deciding to add a hybrid alternative because that’s what American buyers want. JLR has said the EMA platform will support hybrid power, with an all-electric version to follow. Thus, we expect the baby Defender to launch as a hybrid sometime in 2027, and the EV to follow in the second half of the year. A similar strategy is likely for the next Range Rover Velar and Evoque, which are also expected to arrive on the EMA platform next year.
Related: Land Rover’s Next Defender May Not Arrive Until the 2030s
Unfortunately, output figures have not been leaked or hinted at yet, but we presume JLR won’t hold back too much, knowing that Mercedes-Benz’s mini G-Class will surely be potent. What we do know is that the smaller Defender will try to emulate the original in terms of off-road ability, likely adopting a dual-motor setup to gain all-wheel drive, something every Land Rover-like product should have. As a smaller vehicle, there will be inherent compromises, specifically in terms of wheel articulation and travel, but those who buy a crossover of this size aren’t typically as interested in bashing trails as those who opt for the mid-to-full-size SUV.
Autoblog’s Take
Autoblog/SH Proshots
The shape and proportions of this smaller Defender are true to those of the existing Defender 90, and that is a good start. It looks like the lighting units will be very similar, too, and given how popular the boxy SUV is, particularly in America, this has a good chance of being a strong success. Toeing the line between being a more affordable, attainable product and retaining a sense of prestige and luxury will be tricky, and the baby G-Class will surely make life more difficult for the baby Defender, but we can’t cast any judgments until we see what it costs, how much space it has, and how well it performs on and off the beaten path. Hopefully, expectations of an early 2027 launch are accurate.
Autoblog/SH Proshots
