Land Rover Defender Sport will be EV-only and priced from £40k
The Land Rover Defender Sport is expected to launch by the end of 2026 and will come with an electric-only powertrain.
A prototype was spotted testing in near-production form recently, albeit under heavy camouflage. Nonetheless, the Defender lineage was evident in its upright, boxy design borrowed from its larger sibling, with a few visual changes.
The Land Rover Defender Sport’s front end features what appears to be a slimmer LED light bar, along with a smaller version of the Range Rover‘s bumper. Off-road tyres, flared wheel arches, blacked-out wheels and matching lower bumpers complete the Baby Defender’s rugged look.
Unlike the regular Defender, the Defender Sport will ride on parent company JLR’s electric-only EMA platform, offering batteries between 70kWh and 90kWh, and is expected to return from 300 to 320 miles. For now, the littlest Land Rover will be the only car to be underpinned by the EMA architecture, but we expect it to be fitted to the next-generation Range Rover Velar.
By positioning the battery flat on the car’s floor, the Land Rover Defender Sport EV is expected to offer plenty of interior space, and the cabin’s layout will reflect that of the full-sized car, albeit with larger display screens and a new user interface. In another first, the Defender Sport will be the first Land Rover to use this updated system, which will be added to newer models in the future.
What’s more, reports suggest that while the Defender will only offer two-row seating, there could be an option of a sixth seat between the driver and front passenger.
The switch to electric means the four-wheel-drive Defender Sport should be just as capable off-road as its internal combustion-powered brandmates, thanks to precise, instant torque delivery and a lower centre of gravity.
When it goes on sale in early 2027, the Land Rover Defender Sport is expected to be priced from £40,000 to £50,000. This means competitors will include everything from high-spec models of the Skoda Enyaq and upcoming Subaru E-Outback, to the BMW iX3, Volvo EX60, and the Mercedes GLC.
