Photo: Dejan Hristov on Behance
Land Rover made a name for itself with the Series I, II, and III produced from 1948 until 1983. Following a short rebranding to Ninety and One Ten, the off-road utility vehicle turned into the Defender in 1990 thanks to the introduction of the Discovery.
Fast-forward to the present day, and the Defender is a unibody rather than a body-on-frame 4x4 with air suspension and so much technology that not even Land Rover is capable of fixing a check engine light. Not content with only one superstar in the lineup, the British automaker is expected to roll out a baby SUV in two years’ time.
Currently called Baby Defender as a placeholder for the real deal – if it will ever happen – “the new model will feature more of a stripped-back interior as well as less space and equipment.” Those words come courtesy of What Car, and the British publication failed to mention if these details are solely speculation or an insider’s tip.
Rumored to start at “close to 25,000 pounds sterling” or $32,560 at current exchange rates, the smaller sibling could potentially kickstart a sub-brand of more affordable models. This wouldn’t be surprising given the existence of the Ford Bronco Sport and Bronco, and the same can be said about the Discovery Sport-Discovery duo.
The only thing which comes as baffling with the report from What Car is – of course – the front-wheel-drive part. Adding insult to injury, “the new car will primarily be sold with a 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine” from the Ingenium family. You know, the three-pot turbo introduced this year in the Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque.
AWD and plug-in hybrid options are also expected, and in terms of rivals, competing SUVs would include the Jeep Renegade or maybe the Compass in Trailhawk specification. There’s no denying the Baby Defender would be an interesting proposition in the segment for European markets, especially because Ford doesn’t sell the Bronco Sport in this part of the world. But still, the nameplate mentioned throughout this story would exacerbate the identity crisis of the big boy Defender.
In the meantime, we'll sit tight waiting for more info while admiring a speculative rendering of the Baby Defender by pixel artist Dejan Hristov.
Currently called Baby Defender as a placeholder for the real deal – if it will ever happen – “the new model will feature more of a stripped-back interior as well as less space and equipment.” Those words come courtesy of What Car, and the British publication failed to mention if these details are solely speculation or an insider’s tip.
Rumored to start at “close to 25,000 pounds sterling” or $32,560 at current exchange rates, the smaller sibling could potentially kickstart a sub-brand of more affordable models. This wouldn’t be surprising given the existence of the Ford Bronco Sport and Bronco, and the same can be said about the Discovery Sport-Discovery duo.
The only thing which comes as baffling with the report from What Car is – of course – the front-wheel-drive part. Adding insult to injury, “the new car will primarily be sold with a 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine” from the Ingenium family. You know, the three-pot turbo introduced this year in the Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque.
AWD and plug-in hybrid options are also expected, and in terms of rivals, competing SUVs would include the Jeep Renegade or maybe the Compass in Trailhawk specification. There’s no denying the Baby Defender would be an interesting proposition in the segment for European markets, especially because Ford doesn’t sell the Bronco Sport in this part of the world. But still, the nameplate mentioned throughout this story would exacerbate the identity crisis of the big boy Defender.
In the meantime, we'll sit tight waiting for more info while admiring a speculative rendering of the Baby Defender by pixel artist Dejan Hristov.
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