The Defender stands out for its off-road attitude, but somehow it still maintains an elegant, premium design. The luxury brand is preparing to launch its first EV, an entry-level “baby” SUV that could see significant demand.
Is Defender launching an entry-level EV?
Those Defenders are hard to miss nowadays. Land Rover has given the brand a new look for the 2026 model year, and it will soon introduce its first fully electric SUV.
Defender already has a unique, hardcore style, distinguishing it from Range Rover, as well as other luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz and BMW.
Land Rover wants to capitalize on it. The Defender is already available in several variants and three different sizes, but a smaller, electric version of the SUV is in the works. According to AutoWeek, it will likely be called the Defender Sport.
The entry-level Defender EV is expected to be roughly 4.5 meters in length, or about the size of a BMW X1. It will sit between the Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque in JLR’s lineup.
Since JLR has yet to reveal a successor for the Discovery Sport, the new entry-level EV could be it. You can expect to see design elements like aggressive wheel arches and a higher-riding stance.
The Defender Sport will be available as an EV, but a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant can not be ruled out. It will be one of the first to ride on JLR’s EMA platform, which was initially designed as an EV-only platform.
The EMA platform will underpin other upcoming electric vehicles, including the successor to the Range Rover Evoque. It could even spawn a Discovery EV model, but that’s if the Defender Sport doesn’t replace it.
First, JLR will launch the first electric Range Rover SUV later this year. The Range Rover Electric already has over 61,000 signed up on the waitlist ahead of its arrival.
Top comment by Chris PNW
I think the global buying public is growing weary of very expensive and mechanically unreliable vehicles when the Chinese appears to be able to bring a product of similar capability at a lower price.
Does Land Rover/Jaguar still maintain a viable cachet in the automobile industry when there is so much competition in every segment? Like Honda, Mazda, Subaru, etc., these relatively smaller players are finding it difficult to remain competitive without an alignment with a bigger manufacturer. The market is changing and certain brands are struggling to maintain global market presence.
Earlier this year, JLR’s chief commercial officer, Lennard Hoornik, told Autocar that the electric Defender SUV is proving to be more challenging than the company had anticipated.
Hoornik explained that “Electrifying the current ‘L663’ car, on its D7x platform, is not what we want.” Although it “is brilliant at what it does,” JLR’s COO said, “it’s not easy to find the extra space you need within that chassis for batteries.”
According to Hoormik, JLR remains committed to launching an electric vehicle under each of its brands, including Range Rover, Defender, Discovery, and Jaguar.
Would you buy a smaller, entry-level Defender EV? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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