Tag Archives: Land Rover

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The Land Rover Defender EV will not hit the market before 2030

In an interview with Autocar, Jaguar’s chief commercial officer Lennard Hoornik hinted that the Land Rover Defender won’t hit the market until 2030.

Land Rover has conducted research into electrifying the Defender, which has shown a lack of space for batteries. “We said we would do an electric model for each of our new brands, Range Rover, Defender, Discovery and Jaguar. We remain committed to that. But finding the space in the current Defender is really, really difficult. We’ll have to use something different,” Hoornik said.

Hoornik also added that electrifying the current L663, which is based on the D7x platform, is not something the company wants to do. “The L663 is brilliant at what it does and we already have a four-cylinder plug-in hybrid version, but it’s not easy to find the extra space in the chassis that you need for the batteries, given the axle and the capabilities that are required,” Hoornik said.

It is not known whether a new platform will be developed or whether JLR will use an existing one for the future Defender EV.

Source: Autocar

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2025 Land Rover Defender Octa

British Land Rover has introduced a new version of its Defender SUV, the Land Rover Defender Octa. It is the most powerful version of this model that will be presented for the first time at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, which begins on July 11.

The car, which has been considered one of the best off-road vehicles for decades, received an improved chassis, steering system and adaptive suspension adapted to engine power, for minimal longitudinal and transverse tilting of the body, redesigned elements of the front and rear ends of the body, wider fenders, as well as 22- inch wheels and Brembo brakes. 20″ all-terrain tires (Goodyear Advance All-Terrain) are also available as an option, and it should be noted that thanks to the large clearance of the floor from the ground, the Defender can pass through water up to 100 centimeters deep.

The spacious interior, covered in leather, is equipped with contoured front seats with integrated headrests, and customers can choose from several different leather colors.

When it comes to the powertrain, the Defender Octa is powered by a 4.4-L V8 engine assisted by a mild hybrid system, with 635 hp (473 kW) and 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) of torque mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission that sends power on both axles. This means that the previous 5.0-L V8 option with 525 hp (391 kW) is not offered.

Land Rover Defender Octa, which is considered Land Rover’s answer to the most powerful Mercedes G-Class, costs over 156,000 euros (Edition One).

Source: Land Rover

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2025 Land Rover Defender Octa
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The new Freelander is an EV but not a Land Rover

From 1997 to 2015, Land Rover produced a compact SUV built on a body-on-frame chassis, the Land Rover Freelander. 14 years later this model is coming back but as a series of electric vehicles that will be produced in China.

Land Rover in China has a partner company and EV manufacturer, Chery, which will produce electric cars based on its own platform but as a separate sub-brand. The goal is mainstream electric vehicles, more affordable than what Land Rover currently offers. Design-wise, the cars will be a combination of Land Rover and Chery.

These two companies have been cooperating for years, since 2012, and the result of that partnership is the Discovery Sport, Evoque, E-Pace, and extended XF and XE models. Little is known about the Freelander, but some media in China say it could be mechanically related to the Exeed, a Chery sub-brand that will arrive in Europe by 2026.

It should also be noted that initially the cars will be sold only in China, but there are plans to export them to the global market.

Source: Land Rover