Land Rover’s baby Defender is back in front of our spy photographer’s lens, and you’d be forgiven for wondering what’s changed. The camouflage is still doing its job, the shape looks familiar, but there’s one very Defender-like detail we haven’t had such a good look at before. Yep, that’s a spare wheel hanging off the tailgate.

It might seem like a small detail, but the rear-mounted spare is a visual hallmark of both today’s Defender and the classic model that preceded it. Adding one to the compact SUV helps separate it from the endless stream of similarly sized premium crossovers, most of which have swapped spares for cans of tire foam in the pursuit of saving a few lbs – and a few g/km of CO2 as a result.

Same Bones As The Range Rover GT

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Unofficially dubbed the Defender Sport, though its true name is still under wraps, the newcomer goes in completely the opposite styling direction to JLR’s upcoming electric Range Rover GT. The pair share EMA architecture and running gear, but whereas the GT adopts a dramatically low, fastback profile, this SUV embraces an upright roof, squared-off tail and chunky proportions to maximize practicality and Defender attitude.

More: The Electric Range Rover Costs $25,000 More Than The Gas One And Tows A Ton Less

The EMA platform was conceived around electric power, with an 800-volt electrical system and rapid charging. Previous prototypes have supported that story with blanked-off grilles and no visible exhausts, and this one appears to follow the same recipe.

Hybrid Option Added

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But times have changed, and so has JLR’s plan. It openly acknowledged that the rush toward EVs hasn’t happened as quickly as anticipated (especially in the crucial US market) and that hybrids have proved surprisingly popular. So it’s updated the EMA architecture to also work with hybrid (but not plug-in) powertrains.

Whatever powers it, the baby Defender should have some interesting company when it arrives, potentially in 2027. Mercedes is preparing its own smaller G-Class, giving buyers two compact interpretations of some seriously recognizable off-road machinery.

There’s another familiar name headed its way too. China’s Chery has revived the Freelander, although the new model isn’t a Land Rover despite borrowing a badge and design cues strongly associated with the British brand’s past. But you won’t get a rear-mounted spare on the Freelander…

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In the next couple of years, Land Rover was expected to launch a new generation of the Defender and, with it, introduce an all-electric model. A new report claims these plans have been delayed by two years, although this pause will not impact the long-awaited baby Defender.

Jaguar Land Rover boss PB Balaji is being pressured to cut costs, especially with the Trump administration’s tariffs in place. It also appears content with the success of the current Defender, and evidently doesn’t feel the need to rush ahead with its replacement.

Read: The Baby Defender Was Supposed To Be Electric, JLR Just Changed Its Mind

While the existing Defender, launched in 2019, remains relatively fresh, JLR has previously said its architecture cannot support an all-electric version. As such, a new model will be needed should the automaker choose to offer it as an EV, like it will with the new baby Defender. With the delay, The Times reports the new Defender won’t launch until the 2030s, although a specific date isn’t yet known.

Company staff have reportedly been told that the two-year delay is due to the current model’s success. Roughly 110,000 examples are being sold each year, or roughly a third of JLR’s total volumes.

The current Land Rover Defender is subject to a 15 percent tariff when imported into the United States because it’s assembled in Slovakia.

Jaguar Land Rover’s plans for the baby Defender have also changed in recent months. Initially, the EMA-platform-based compact SUV was set to be sold exclusively as an EV, but it was recently revealed that the vehicle’s architecture is being modified to support hybrid powertrains as well. Limited details are known about the new hybrid model, but it will not be a plug-in hybrid, instead utilizing a more traditional setup. This change has happened amid ongoing shifts in consumer demand in some markets away from EVs and towards hybrids.