Land Rover Said To Be Developing Budget Off-Roader And Luxury Defender

Update: In a statement, Jaguar Land Rover said the following of the report: “We are aware of a story that speculates about the future of Land Rover products. Jaguar Land Rover do not comment on stories of this nature, but we’re confident that the Defender family we have launched will meet the needs of every customer out there no matter how varied their requirements.”

Land Rover is said to be readying a series of changes to its line-up with the introduction of an entry-level off-road model and a luxurious variant of the new Defender.

According to Autocar, which doesn’t cite its sources, the entry-level model could be priced at around £25,000 (US$32,800) in the UK and feature a design akin to the more expensive and larger Defender. The model, currently codenamed L860, could also feature an interior reminiscent of the Defender albeit with less features in order to keep the price low. It remains to be seen what it could be called, although something as simple as ‘Land Rover 80’ has been suggested.

In-Demand Off-Roader: Land Rover’s Short 2020 Defender 90 Sets Foot In America, Starts From “Around $50k”

Underpinning the vehicle could be Tata’s Omega-Arc (Optimal Modular Efficient Global Advanced Architecture) platform, which debuted beneath the skin of the Tata Harrier. This platform is essentially a cheaper and more up-to-date version of the Land Rover D8 platform used by the Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Discovery Sport.

Among the powertrains thought to be on the cards include an Ingenium 1.5-liter three-cylinder turbocharged engine as well as a handful of mild-hybrids. More powerful four-cylinder engines are also a possibility.

As for the reported luxury Land Rover Defender model, it may arrive as an all-electric model and sport bespoke styling. Inside, various upgrades could be made to make it that much more luxurious and fitting of a price tag exceeding six figures.

Carscoops has reached out to Land Rover to see if there is any truth to this report and will update this story when we hear back.