Next-gen Land Rover Defender delayed by at least two years – report

Due to cost-cutting and fears about electric vehicle (EV) adoption rates, the next-generation Land Rover Defender reportedly won't be unveiled until at least the early 2030s. 

Although no firm date for new Defender had previously been announced, it was widely expected to be launched in 2028 or 2029, but sources have told The Times the redesigned off-road SUV has been pushed back by at least two years. 

The new Defender will be offered with a pure-electric drivetrain, something that reportedly isn't possible with the current model’s D7x platform.

JLR (Jaguar Land Rover) is reportedly selling the delay internally as a measure of the current car's success, with around 110,000 Defenders finding new homes per year, or almost a third of the 350,000 vehicles sold by JLR during the financial year ending March 2026.

According to The Times, the true reasons for the delay relate to cost-cutting at JLR, and the slower-than-expected and uneven take up rate of EVs, as well as uncertainty about incentive carrots and regulatory sticks regarding zero-emissions vehicles.

North America accounts for around 28 per cent of Defender sales and, according to Kelley Blue Book, EVs accounted for just 5.8 per cent of new cars sold in the US during the second quarter of 2026.

By comparison, the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association says EV sales in Europe and the UK made up 22.2 per cent of the market during the first half of the year. There, electric was the second-most popular drivetrain choice, behind hybrids which drove 36.9 per cent of all new vehicles sold.

On top of this, the current Defender is built in Slovakia, and is currently subject to a 15 per cent tariff when sold Stateside.

Thanks to a deal negotiated by former UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, the first 100,000 cars exported from the UK to the US, which are mostly other models from the Land Rover range, are hit with a smaller 10 per cent tariff. 

To get around this, JLR signed a deal with Stellantis in June to jointly develop and produce a new US-specific Defender model in the States.

Launched in 2019, the 'L663' Defender brought the nameplate back to life after a three-year hiatus. While the original had a body-on-frame setup and traced its roots back to the original post-World War II Land Rovers, the current Defender has a unibody design.

For those wanting an electric Defender, JLR is pushing ahead with plans to launch a smaller Defender model, widely tipped to be known as the Defender Sport. It will not only serve as the entry point into the entire Land Rover range, but will also be available as an EV.

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