We’ve heard countless rumors about the upcoming Land Rover Defender, but there hasn’t been much in the way of specifics. That’s changing today as Car Magazine has provided a pretty extensive report on what to expect.
According the magazine’s sources, the Defender will be launched in 2020 and initially offered in three body styles. These are slated to include two-door variants, with hard and soft tops, as well as a four-door model with a metal roof.
All will ride on a new aluminum monocoque architecture which is lighter than stiffer than the previous box-on-frame setup. The model is also slated to receive an independent rear suspension, but fans shouldn’t fret as the company will reportedly offer an assortment of axle, suspension and tire choices to ensure the Defender can tackle everything from a day of shopping to hardcore off-roading.
Engine options remain unconfirmed, but entry-level models are expected to offer turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinders in both petrol and diesel guise. There should also be more powerful inline six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines on higher-end variants.
Interestingly, the report also mentions a Defender Sport. That particular model is slated to arrive in 2026 and it will reportedly be built at the company’s new plant in Nitra, Slovakia to keep costs down.
Little is known about the model, but the report says the Defender Sport will be a lifestyle vehicle with better on-road performance. That isn’t much to go on, but the magazine says people should “Think of it as a modern Suzuki Jimny / Jeep Wrangler for the well-to-do in-crowd.”
Engine options could presumably be shared with the standard Defender, but there’s also word of an electric version of the Defender Sport.
There are still plenty of unanswered questions about the upcoming Defender, but we should learn more about a year from now when the model is officially introduced.
The #BEST4x4xFAR is onderweg. #Defender pic.twitter.com/9A2NbeipGx
— Johan Van Der Krieke (@johankrieke) October 2, 2018