Next-gen Land Rover Defender - IAB Rendering

Land Rover will launch an all-new Defender in 2020. IAB's automotive illustrator has come up with a rendering to give us a near-accurate preview of the next-gen Land Rover Defender.

Like its predecessor, the 2020 Land Rover Defender has a very boxy body, but there's little in common with it in terms of design. This was expected, as Land Rover’s Design Director Gerry McGovern had said that the company didn't want the new generation model looking like a thoroughly updated version of the previous generation model.

At the front, the 2020 Land Rover Defender seen in the rendering has a high-set, flat bonnet, a compact radiator grille flanked by rectangular headlights with LED DRLs, a simplistic bumper and a skid plate. On the sides, the straight lines, squarish windows and plain door design further emphasise the traditional bare-basics nature of the SUV, while the more pronounced wheel arches give a significantly more beefed-up look. At the back, a side-hinged tailgate with a spare wheel mounted on it is expected. Inside, there will be a completely redesigned dashboard, a large infotainment screen, a digital instrument binnacle and a chunky multifunction steering wheel and many comfort creatures essential for a perfect family vehicle.

The all-new Land Rover Defender sits on the D7u platform that underpins the Land Rover Discovery, Range Rover Sport and Range Rover as well. So, unlike the old model, it's a monocoque product. The engine options should include 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol and diesel units as well as a 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol unit featuring 48-volt mild-hybrid technology - all from the Ingenium family.

Though all the design and development of 2020 Defender has taken place at JLR's Gaydon base in the UK, its production will take place alongside the Discovery at the company's new £1 billion manufacturing plant in Slovakia, starting in early 2020. The all-new model has been reportedly subjected to "rigorous test extremes", including temperatures as low as -40-degree Celcius and as high as 48-degree Celcius and altitude as high as 13,000 ft. This proves that engineers have left no stones unturned to make sure the all-new model sets a new benchmark in ruggedness and off-roading capabilities.

Also Read: Lifestyle will propel the design of the new Land Rover Defender, says McGovern [Update]

The previous generation Land Rover Defender never made it to India, but the next-gen model will likely be launched here, by 2021.