Land Rover has gradually expanded the Defender range since launching the second-generation model for the 2020 model year. The off-roader will receive a mid-cycle update in 2025, according to a recent report, and the range will allegedly grow to include an electric model.
Without citing sources, British magazine Auto Express wrote that the 90, 110, and 130 variants will be offered as EVs in the coming years. It sounds like going electric will require making significant changes under the body: The publication believes the updated Defender will switch to the MLA Flex architecture that underpins the latest Range Rover and Range Rover Sport. It stopped short of providing technical details but adds that the electric Range Rover tentatively due out in 2024 will offer about 300 miles of range from a 100-kilowatt-hour battery pack.
The availability of an electric powertrain doesn’t mean the gasoline-burning Defender will disappear from the catalog. And while a handful of powertrain-specific styling cues will differentiate the EV from other models in the range, the updated Defender will look largely the same as the model currently in showrooms. Newer in-car technology will be part of the update as well, though the interior won’t change much, either.
Land Rover hasn’t commented on the report. If it’s accurate, the battery-powered Defender will make its debut in 2025 and likely won’t land in showrooms until the 2026 model year. One of its most direct rivals would be the electric Mercedes-Benz G-Class due out in 2024.
Source: www.autoblog.com