Captured for the first time by Britain’s Autocar on UK roads, the heavily camouflaged five-door prototype was spotted near Jaguar Land Rover (JLR)’s headquarters in Coventry, and aside from the #Best4x4xFar hash tag on the tailgate, bears only minor resemble to the DC100 concept shown back in 2011.
Instead, the test mull features a Discovery-esque boxy exterior design and while adorned with black-and-white masking in addition to plenty of pre-production body panels, sports a few Velar touches notably the headlights and a more rounded front facia.
According to the publication, a search of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s website revealed the model in question to be powered by a 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine, likely the same Ingenium unit powering the Discovery Sport, Velar, Range Rover Evoque and various Jaguar models. It will however also be offered with a petrol and plug-hybrid drivetrains, and have cylinder options ranging from four to six.
“It is quite clear the Defender is our icon and we have been working to bring it back. It is a founding element of our brand and I was excited to try the test car. I won’t talk about timings but it is coming. The decision to stop making it was the saddest day but we had to make that decision to invest in the factories and to build for the future. Now we are ready to return,” JLR CEO Ralf Speth told the publication.
Speaking at the Paris Motor Show when asked about the prototypes, JLR Marketing Chief, Felix Bräutigam, confirmed that more are sightings are bound to occur in the coming months as testing intensifies.
“These are what we call Pilot build cars and testing will increase on public roads from now. The first four cars are ready, and now the line is running you can expect the number of test cars to grow exponentially,” he said.
“In time, as you’d expect, the Defender will go through all the usual test routines, from cold weather testing in Arjeplog in Sweden to extreme hot weather testing in Death Valley in the USA. It’s exciting for us to be able to now be one step closer to bringing the car to market. We are talking about the rebirth of an icon and not just as a single car, but as a whole family”.
Like the previous Defender, the newcomer, known internally as L663, will be available in short-wheelbase 90 and long-wheelbase 110 bodystyles with a convertible also likely to rival the Jeep Wrangler, although the interior is anticipated to be vastly different with the latest in-car tech and safety systems.
Australia’s motoring.com.au has meanwhile alleged that the Defender, which will continue to feature a low range gearbox, will ride on the same platform as the Discovery, and therefore equipped with a four corner independent suspension in order to broaden its appeal beyond being simply viewed as a hardcore off-roader.
Slated for unveiling towards the end of next year with production and sales commencing in 2020, the Autocar article claims that the Defender would retail from around £40 000 (R778 151) to £70 000 (R1 361 765).
