Land Rover to expand global markets of new Defender to China

Land Rover will sell its new Defender in China, expanding the global markets for the new generation of its iconic off-roader.

The addition of the Defender to Jaguar Land Rover’s Chinese line-up will help the automaker to boost its performance in a market where it has seen sales plummet in the last few months.

In a recent presentation to investors, Jaguar Land Rover said the Defender would include “China-specific features.”

The Defender is expected to debut at the Frankfurt auto show in September and go on sale early next year.

The SUV will also be sold in the U.S. besides China and its European home market.

Land Rover described the new Defender as “tough, capable, and unstoppable.”

The Defender be launched with conventional and mild-hybrid versions of JLR’s Ingenium range of engines. A plug-in hybrid model will join the range after its launch, JLR has said.

JLR said in April that the Defender would be built along alongside the Land Rover Discovery large SUV at the company’s new plant in Nitra, Slovakia.

Pictures of the prototype confirm that the new model keeps the same squared-off shape as the original off-roader. The new car will rival dedicated off-road vehicles such as the Jeep Wrangler, Toyota Land Cruiser and cheaper versions of the Mercedes-Benz G class.

The new Defender replaces an iconic model that went out of production early 2016. During its 67-year run, the SUV’s rugged, boxy design and off-road capabilities made it an icon.

Land Rover Design chief Gerry McGovern has said the new model's appearance will keep an emotional connection to the previous generation and would still be a tough vehicle like the original. But it will have features to appeal to a new generation of buyers, he said.