The next expansion of the Defender family is set to arrive next year in the form of a smaller, all-electric model widely expected to be called the Defender Sport. It will be the smallest Defender yet and the first electric vehicle in the line-up.
The new model has already been spotted testing in the UK and is being developed on JLR’s new electric architecture. While it will sit below the current Defender 90 in size, brand bosses insist it will remain true to the core attributes that define a Defender.
- Smallest model and the first EV in the Defender line-up
- Four-wheel drive likely via dual-motor setup
- Designed to retain strong off-road capability
Defender brand expansion begins
First all-new model under Defender’s standalone brand strategy
This will be the first entirely new product since Defender was repositioned as a standalone brand under JLR’s ‘House of Brands’ strategy, alongside Range Rover and Discovery.
Defender brand director Mark Cameron said development of the new model is “well advanced”, although he stopped short of confirming launch timing or the official name. The current Defender range includes the 90, 110 and 130 body styles, along with the high-performance Octa and the Hardtop commercial variant.
Cameron said the past three years have focused on defining what Defender stands for as a brand. Every future model, he said, must retain the “go-anywhere capability” and durability that define the nameplate.
He added: “Over the past couple of years, our design and engineering teams have created that red line, the circle that every Defender had to have.
New electric platform, different constraints
Built on JLR’s EMA architecture
The Defender Sport will be built on JLR’s new EMA (Electric Modular Architecture), which will also underpin future models such as the next Range Rover Evoque and Velar. Larger Range Rover and Defender models will use the MLA platform, while Jaguar’s future EVs sit on a separate bespoke EV architecture, named JEA.
The new Defender Sport is expected to measure just over 4.5 metres in length. Because it uses an underfloor battery layout, it will not replicate the exact wheel articulation and travel of the current ladder-frame-based Defender models. Cameron acknowledged that the platform creates “vehicle constraints”, particularly in terms of suspension travel. However, he stressed that it will still be class-leading in key Defender attributes. The model is expected to retain four-wheel drive, likely via a dual-motor electric setup.
Cameron said the Defender’s upright, boxy design makes EV efficiency and range more challenging. However, he stressed that retaining core Defender DNA, such as off-road drivability and torque delivery, remains non-negotiable.
Multiple powertrains to continue
Petrol, diesel and hybrid to remain
While the Defender Sport will mark the brand’s first EV, internal combustion engines will continue in the wider Defender line-up for the foreseeable future. Cameron cited varying global demand for electrification as a reason to retain petrol, diesel and hybrid options. The US is Defender’s largest market which is not keen on electrification, and diesel continues to account for a majority of UK sales.
The current Defender already offers a plug-in hybrid, although its electric range is limited due to platform constraints. Future generations built on newer architectures are expected to expand electrified options further. He also suggested the Defender brand could grow significantly in the coming years, potentially expanding both upwards and downwards in size depending on market demand.
