Confirmed: Jaguar platform supports Land Rover Defender Sport off-road EV set to land in 2027
A smaller entry-level battery-powered Land Rover Defender is firmly on the agenda for the British brand, according to a new report, and could arrive in markets such as Australia as soon as 2027.
Expected to benefit from sister brand Jaguar’s investment in its new all-electric architecture, Autocar reports the compact off-roader — widely tipped to be called the Defender Sport — will be among the first models to use the new platform.
Speaking to the British publication, Defender brand director Mark Cameron said progress on the smaller electric 4×4 is “well advanced”, even though the large Jaguar EV limousine the architecture is based around has yet to launch.
Designed to sit below the current petrol, diesel and hybrid-powered Defender 90, Cameron hinted the smaller model might not quite match the extreme off-road capability of its larger sibling.
“The size of the vehicle and platform will probably reduce wheel travel and articulation compared with a current Defender,” Cameron said.
However, he stressed the incoming EV would still retain the core off-road attributes expected of a vehicle wearing the Defender badge.
“Our design and engineering teams have created that red line, the circle that every Defender has to have,” Cameron told Autocar. “We’ve got to make sure everything we do as Defender has the DNA of the brand: epic, built-to-last, go-anywhere capability.”
The smaller model is expected to rival the upcoming electric ‘baby G-Class’ from Mercedes-Benz.
Rather than adopting a three-door layout like the Defender 90, the new model is tipped to resemble a scaled-down Defender 110 with a five-door body.
While the familiar upright styling of the larger Defender is expected to carry across, some aerodynamic compromises may be required to maximise electric driving range.
Those could include a slightly lower roofline, smoother front-end styling and a lower ride height — changes that could marginally reduce off-road ability.
“The capability we have in our vehicles carries a penalty that works against you when you think about range for an EV,” Cameron said.
“My job is to make sure we retain Defender’s DNA, otherwise we become another SUV brand — and there are plenty of those.”
What the brand says it will not compromise on is the durability testing expected of a Defender, even as some rivals accelerate their development cycles.
“What has disrupted our industry hugely are shortened development cycles from some of the Chinese brands,” Cameron said.
“Their speed to market is incredible. But we have always maintained that we need to have at least two winter test cycles and two hot weather test cycles for a Defender.
“We’re looking at ways to shrink our product development time, but we don’t want to compromise on quality, longevity and all the things you have to deliver as a luxury brand.”
Evidence of the smaller electric Defender undergoing testing — along with the confirmation that development is well advanced — suggests Land Rover remains on track to launch the entry-level EV off-roader in 2027.
