The next few years are slated to be monumental for Land Rover. Not only are the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport getting a refresh in 2018 with the Discovery and Evoque set for overhauls in 2020, but most importantly, the next generation Defender will be unveiled in 2018 ahead of its 2019 release, according to Automotive News.
Speaking to Land Rover design chief Gerry McGovern, Automotive News also reported that the new Defender family “will include a family of vehicles to be sold in all global markets. It will come in several body styles and it will be instantly recognizable as a Defender, but without appearing retro.”
It’s the “global markets” phrase that’s key. It hints that Land Rover is looking to sell the Defender all over the world, including markets it traditionally has not, namely, the United States ( the last Defender sold here was in ’97). In another break from tradition, the next generation Defender will reportedly share the same unibody platform as the Range Rover instead of using a body-on-frame architecture.
If you’re a traditionalist and that last sentence brought you down, know that Land Rover is planning a two-door soft top and a four-door wagon with power coming from JLR’s family of gasoline and diesel engines. Whether or not that diesel option makes it to the States is a different story.
So between the G-Wagen’s 2018 overhaul, the new Bronco set for 2020 and the new Defender breaking cover next year, the world of modern overlanders is set for some what of a revival.
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