Land Rover hinted at it to Motor Authority. Now it
appears to be true. At a press event for the Land Rover Range Rover Velar in
October, Land Rover told Motor Authority an electrified Defender
off-road SUV wasn't
off the table without confirming or denying such a powertrain. Now, a
report published by Motoring on Thursday claims not only will electrified
options be part of the powertrain lineup, but an all-electric option will
be available as well.
Sources close to Jaguar Land Rover told the publication that
a battery-electric Defender is confirmed for production and the SUV will
utilize at least one electric motor with a powerful battery pack. When we
pressed for information on an electrified Defender this past
October, Chris Marchand, executive vice president for Jaguar Land Rover
North America, told MA electrified powertrains and off-roaders are
not mutually exclusive, seemingly dropping a hint before this new report.
The new Defender will not utilize the company's front
and all-wheel drive transverse-engine D8 architecture or the steel and
aluminum iQ-Al platform. Rather, the off-road icon will use a new variation of
the Discovery, Range Rover, and Range Rover Sport's aluminum platform. Sources
added the platform will indeed be closely related to the Discovery's platform.
And the new Defender won't be a one-trick pony, either. Land Rover will develop
a broad model range to cover hardcore off-road, luxury, and performance
variants of the SUV. The iconic Defender 90 and Defender 110 names will remain,
thanks to two separate wheelbases measuring 90 and 110 inches.
As for the new Defender's design, the report said to expect
a "controversial"
look to help the nameplate not only retain its rugged history, but
also attract new customers.
An all-electric Land Rover Defender will fall in line with
the brand's call for electrified
options for all new vehicles starting with the 2020 model year.
We don't have a set date, but the report said
the Defender will be part of the brand's massive 70th-anniversary celebration
in late 2018 before going on sale in 2019.
source: https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1114431_report-next-land-rover-defender-to-offer-all-electric-option
by Sean Szymkowski
http://www.boscheuropean.com
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