Land Rover will offer three variants of the new Defender and four personalization options to widen the appeal of the venerable off-roader, according to people familiar with the project.
The variants will include an eight-seat version while the personalization options will target a range of customers from off-road fans to buyers looking for a high-riding urban runabout.
The three variants will be:
- The three-door Defender 90. This will have five- and six-seat versions and will grow in length to 170 inches from less than 158 inches in the previous generation.
- The five-door Defender 110. This will have five-, six- and seven-seat versions. It will increase in length to 187 inches.
- The Defender 130. This variant will be a five-door, eight-seat passenger vehicle that is 201 inches. Previously, the Defender 130 was sold only as a double-cab pickup.
The Defender's 90, 110 and 130 nomenclature originally referred to the wheelbase of the various versions in inches.
The Defender 90 was described in a leaked Web presentation as the "halo" model that remains closest to the Defender's original iconic boxy shape. It will be aimed at customers who are "young, affluent, fun-seeking and individual."
The 110 is the "definitive Defender" aimed at adventurers, couples and self-employed people. The range-topping “Premium Explorer” 130 will be pitched at families with an "active lifestyle."
Land Rover built more than 2 million Defenders before its 67-year production run ended in 2016.
The second-generation Defender will be unveiled on Sept. 10 at the Frankfurt auto show. The 90 and 110 variants will go on sale next year, followed by the 130 about 12 months later.
The new model will be built at Jaguar Land Rover's new plant in Nitra, Slovakia. It is underpinned by the D7u platform already used by the Discovery, which is also built in Nitra.
The change means the new Defender will become an all-aluminum unibody SUV. The original Defender, launched in 1948, featured an aluminum bodyshell bolted on a steel ladder frame.
