Land Rover Defender To Make A Comeback In September

• New Defender will feature a boxy, no-nonsense design like its predecessor.
• Likely to get diesel and petrol engine options with latest off-road gadgetry.
• Likely to be underpinned by the Discovery’s JLR D7u platform.
• Likely to be revealed in September 2019; could come to India by 2021.

The Land Rover Defender is set to make a comeback this September. The latest iteration of the Defender, which is likely to be showcased in September this year, arrives three years after the last-gen SUV was discontinued. Spy shots of the latest Defender have surfaced on the internet, giving us an insight into what the next-gen mud plugger could look like.

As seen in the latest images, it is clear that Land Rover hasn’t ditched the old Defender’s basic and no nonsense design. Despite being heavily camouflaged, the test mule reveals plenty of details. At the front, the new Defender sports a sleek grille flanked by twin projector headlamps. It also gets a chunky bonnet, which adds some visual bulk to the front end. At the side, the Defender gets chunky wheel arches with what looks like 18-inch wheels. The boxy theme continues with an upright roof and straight lines complimenting the side. At the rear, the split tailgate houses the spare tyre. The spy shots also reveals a tough looking rear bumper and a set of sleek LED tail lamps.

Using an aluminium chassis along with an aluminium body, Land Rover promises that the new Defender will be a lot more capable than its competition and will feature independent suspension all around. Likely to be underpinned by the same JLR D7u platform as the current-gen Discovery, the Defender is also likely to share some of its other components as well. Like the last-gen SUV, the new Defender will be offered in both three and five door layouts.

On the engine front, we expect the Defender to come with a 2.0-litre diesel engine. While other engine options have not been confirmed yet, there are chances that Land Rover might introduce a hybrid option for the new Defender. Expect the Defender to get off-road gizmos such as Land Rover’s Terrain Response System, a low range gearbox, locking differentials, hill descent control, and more.

Jaguar Land Rover is yet to narrow down on a date for the new Defender’s unveiling event. While some reports suggest it could take place at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, others say JLR could showcase it outside one of the major auto shows that happen around that time of the year. The Defender will go on sale in early 2020. While Australia is pegged to be the first market that could receive the new Defender, the hardcore off-roader will also go on sale in the US after a gap of 20 years! And unlike the last-gen Defender, the new SUV is likely to be sold here in India as well, probably by 2020. If launched, it could take on the next-gen Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, which is yet to be launched here.