Two very different new directions are being planned for the all-new Land Rover Defender, according to Autocar.
The UK publication says the born-again off-road icon (pictured) will spawn an entry-level five-door SUV to slot below the Defender 90 and 100 as soon as 2021, potentially badged simply as the Land Rover 80.
At the other end of the scale, Autocar reports that a sportier, more luxurious ‘Defender Sport’ flagship will be launched with an all-electric powertrain within the next five years.
Based on an all-new platform and believed to be codenamed L860, the baby Defender is tipped to be priced from around £25,000 ($A48K) – much closer to what the old Defender was sold for Down Under before it was discontinued in 2016.
The third model in the new Defender family (there will been no ute after all), is expected to become available with mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains based abound a 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine.
Meantime, the battery-powered Defender Sport, which our sources alluded to back in 2017, will bring enough luxury to take on the likes of the Bentley Bentayga and new Aston Martin DBX while still being as off-road capable as the Defender 110, say Autocar sources,
According to Autocar, the Defender Sport EV is still in the early stages of development, but will be the most upmarket and family-focussed variant available.
Whether the more affordable baby Defender or upmarket electric Defender Sport will be offered Down Under remains to be seen, but they’re almost certain to be global models available in our booming SUV market.
So far, nine variants of the new Land Rover Defender 110 have been confirmed for Australia, including six trim levels and three powertrain options – two 2.0-litre four-cylinder twin-turbo diesels and a 3.0-litre turbo-petrol inline six.
Pricing will start from just under $70,000 for the 2020 Defender 110, which arrives in June 2020, with the cheaper two-door Defender 90 to join the party in late 2020 priced from around $55,000.
How much does the 2020 Land Rover Defender 110 cost?
D200 – $69,990
D240 – $75,900
D240 S – $83,800
D240 SE – $91,300
D240 First Edition – $102,500
P400 S – $95,700
P400 SE – $103,100
P400 HSE – $112,900
P400 X – $137,100
* Prices exclude on-road costs