Land Rover’s shrunken 2028 Defender EV has made its spy debut in prototype form.
The boxy SUV launches in 2027 and could be called Defender 80 or Defender Sport.
SUV shares JLR’s EMA platform with Evoque EV and will rival Merc’s baby G-wagon EV.
JLR has been forced to temporarily pause its deliveries to the US due to Donald Trump’s import tariffs – tariffs that could make life difficult for the all-electric 2028 baby Defender EV that’s been spied testing for the very first time.
Due to launch in 2027, the chunky-looking electric SUV is much smaller than the Defender we know today, which will also get its own EV variant. And while it shares some visual similarities, like the wide hips when viewed from the back, plus flared fenders, an upright tail, and a long, flat roof, it will have its own style.
Compared with the current Defender, this Skoda Kodiaq-sized prototype has a sportier rake to its windshield, slimmer headlights, and the C-pillar leans forward, rather than straight up. And under the skin, it’s a totally different animal, riding on the new EMA platform JLR will deploy for various new EVs, including the Evoque, Velar, and Discovery Sport.
The company has so far only confirmed those three vehicles, but these pictures prove a Defender spinoff is also on the cards, and that move makes perfect sense since the Defender is the strongest sub-brand in the carmaker.
Featuring 800-volt tech for rapid charging that could allow the EVs to chow down on 350 kW for sub-18-minute refills, the models will all be built at JLR’s Halewood plant on Merseyside in the north west of England and use batteries produced in its new Somerset facility several hours further south.
Some rumors suggest the baby Defender could be called Defender 80 or Defender Sport when it hits the road ready to battle Mercedes’ upcoming baby G-wagon. The second of those names would make sense for a couple of reasons. Land Rover already used the Sport suffix on a Discovery spinoff, so buyers should easily understand it, and this prototype’s rising waistline and slanted C-pillar are two design details seen on the Discovery Sport.
Whatever it’s called, we’re expecting the smaller Defender to debut in 2027 as a 2028 MY vehicle, where it’ll undoubtedly be a hit in the UK, which is still lapping up EVs. But unless the current US tariff situation changes, this baby Defender could have a very grown-up sticker price in American showrooms.
Jaguar’s managing director claims they weren’t trying to alienate buyers with the brand’s relaunch.
However, he reiterated that change was necessary for the company’s survival.
Unlike other automakers, it won’t be backtracking on its plan to be an EV-only company.
Much has been written about Jaguar’s rebrand. In the car world, it was perhaps the most talked-about event of 2024, with the story making the leap from social media into mainstream media, as everyone seemed to have an opinion on it. Only 32 percent of Carscoops readers liked the company’s new look in our own poll, while Jaguar’s own Chief Creative Officer reportedly had to tell journalists that his team had “not been sniffing the white stuff.”
Aside from the new logos and bold expressions of change, what seemed to upset people the most was a somewhat ambiguous advert that featured no cars – just models wearing loud clothes with bold colors. This caused some commenters to wonder if the Jaguar of old had gone “woke.”
But now that the dust has settled, and with the conversation finally coming back to the all-new car it will offer, Jaguar’s boss has spoken openly about that controversial relaunch. Speaking to Auto Express, the brand’s managing director Rawdon Glover admits that the company misjudged how the messaging would be received but stands by the need to shake things up.
Jag Doesn’t Want To Push Old Customers Away
One of the biggest criticisms leveled at Jaguar when the campaign kicked off was that they risked alienating the traditional, stiff-upper-lip customer base. While it was predictable that a number of Jaguar fans would be turned off by the switch to EVs, no one could have predicted how different the brand appears to have changed.
However, its managing director wants to set the record straight: Jaguar wasn’t trying to be woke. “We definitely weren’t saying ‘we’re about diversity’,” explains Rawdon Glover. “The creative concepts and the individuals were chosen because they were very modern, striking, and bold. And we presented a car that was very exuberant, bold, and modern.”
“If an individual [posts] ‘I really don’t like this because it’s woke’ then the algorithms just feed that,” he added. “So a whole load of people commented about us who we certainly didn’t set out to inflame or upset: they’re not a target audience that will ever buy the car. But there’s a difference between Jaguar as a brand and JLR as a corporate entity, which is absolutely an advocate for DE&I.”
He reiterated that JLR is an advocate for DEI but the core message of the Jaguar relaunch was lost during the social media hullabaloo. That now infamous video, sans car, perhaps led to an information gap, which was quickly picked up by social media algorithms. There was no explanation as to why the Jag of old had to be reinvented, nor was there information about the new push upmarket.
“Social media is not a great channel for nuance and explanation,” says Glover. “It’s much more binary: I love it, I hate it, it’s this, it’s that. Delivering that message and taking people on that journey requires us to tell that story over and over again. That’s my key learning from it.”
While sticking to his guns that the company needed a fresh clientele, Glover says that it was never its intention to alienate their existing customers. “What got lost is that we do care about our existing clients. Why would you not want to bring as many of your current base along as possible? We’ve been investing a lot of time bringing our existing fans, customers, and classic enthusiasts along on the journey – it’s really important to us.”
The Change That Is Needed
Perhaps Jaguar doesn’t want to push old customers away with their marketing efforts. However, it’s hard to deny that their new upmarket strategy won’t do that for them. With only the F-Pace still in production, global car sales sunk to just 33,000 last year, way down from its 181,000 record in 2018. But the automaker is ready to get used to a new normal, with Glover claiming they’re comfortable selling even less once their new range goes on sale next year.
And sell fewer cars they probably will. With the new four-door GT expected to cost between $140,000 and $170,000 when it launches, Jaguar anticipates that roughly 85% of its current customers will be priced out—leaving just 15% to make the switch. But as Glover points out, the old strategy wasn’t doing the brand any favors anyway.
Yes, that record year of 181,000 units may seem impressive in isolation, but rather less so when you consider that BMW managed to sell 2.1 million cars in the same year. “We do need to create and attract a new client base,” Glover conceded. “Changing brand perception takes a long time. And it needs to be underpinned by a super-compelling product because marketing will only take you so far.”
Still Going EV-Only
The first production car that heralds its new era has yet to be fully revealed, but Jaguar promises it will embrace the design language seen in the Type 00. For the electric grand tourer, Jaguar hopes to achieve a range of 430 miles (692 km) on the more stringent EPA test cycle and much faster recharge times. Part of how it will achieve this is from a new Nickel Manganese Cobalt battery being developed by Agratas, a company owned by Jaguar parent company Tata. The car will ride on an in-house-designed platform, roll on 23-inch wheels, and will be the most aerodynamic model the firm has ever made.
Glover is keen to point out that, unlike some its rivals, Jaguar will not backtrack on its promise to sell only EVs: “No, we won’t be putting a plug-in hybrid in that lovely long bonnet,” he pledged. The commitment comes at a time when the likes of Porsche, Volvo, and Lotus are all reconsidering their options when it comes to the future of EVs.
Other details revealed include how it’s not just the car that is going upmarket, but the whole buying experience, too. There will be new retail and experience stores with a lounge-like feel. There’s even talk of prospective buyers being served food created by Michelin-starred chefs and that the new cars will feature optioned virtual reality as an option. However, Jaguar will also have much fewer dealers, with its network being shrunk by around 75 percent.
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