Defender: Next month at the Frankfurt auto show, Land Rover introduces the second-generation Defender. The legendary off-roader is expected to be a high-volume, high-profit global vehicle that will be offered in at least three body styles. If the new version re-creates the successful lineup of the first-generation Defender, which ran from 1948 to 2016, there will be a seven-seat safari wagon; a shorter-wheelbase, five-seat version; and a three-door Jeep Wrangler-like model with an optional convertible top. Eventually, a pickup could be added — a natural for North America.
Hybrid powertrains and diesel engines are planned. Unlike the previous generation, the new Defender will use independent suspension instead of live axles. Pricing has not been announced, but the Defender will be a premium vehicle with tremendous off-road capability. Sales will start next year.
Discovery: The midsize SUV was redesigned in 2017 and is due for a freshening next year. Expect most changes to be on the inside.
Discovery Sport: A redesigned version that shares its underpinnings with the Range Rover Evoque is expected to debut next year. Speculation in England is that the redesigned Disco Sport could have an optional 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine from BMW.
Range Rover: The vehicle that started the luxury SUV segment in 1970 faces its biggest challenge 50 years later. Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, Porsche and other upscale brands are muscling onto Range Rover's turf. A redesigned Range Rover on a new lightweight architecture is due in late 2021. Power will come from a variety of engines, including some sourced from BMW. Mild and plug-in hybrid versions will also be available.
The Range Rover Coupe, though it has been canceled, indicates the leap upmarket that Land Rover design chief Gerry McGovern intends for the next Range Rover's interior.
It focused on craftsmanship and featured diamond-quilted two-tone leather upholstery (the front and reclining rear seats were different colors), and featured a large wood-trimmed console running the length of the interior. An evolution of some of those features could enable the Range Rover to compete with the Bentley Bentayga and Rolls-Royce Cullinan.
Meanwhile, the current Range Rover soldiers on, and the 2020 version is available with Jaguar Land Rover's new 3.0-liter turbocharged inline six-cylinder Ingenium engine and several other improvements.
Range Rover Evoque: Redesigned for the 2020 model year, the smallest Range Rover is riding on a new architecture that has been designed to accept a battery-electric drivetrain. That version could arrive by 2021. The new model is slightly larger in a few key areas than the original and takes its styling cues from the Range Rover Velar. It is available with a mild hybrid powertrain.
Range Rover Sport: A lightly freshened 2020 model with the new Ingenium inline six-cylinder engine with stop-start and mild hybrid system is on sale. A redesign, including a battery-electric version, could appear in late 2021.
Range Rover Velar: Though it has sold well, there may not be room for a next-generation Velar when the next Range Rover debuts in about 18 months. Jaguar Land Rover, to return to profitability, wants fewer nameplates that sell in higher volumes. It's possible that the Velar could morph into the long-rumored Road Rover crossover.
