Land Rover teases 2020 Defender in front of Lady Liberty
Land Rover has confirmed that the 2020 Defender will come to America.
Land Rover has released a second photo teasing the return of its iconic Defender 4x4, this time emphasizing its availability stateside (Don't worry, Canada; you're in too!) by posing its camouflaged display model in front of the Statue of Liberty.
Taking a page out of the same manual Mercedes-Benz followed when teasing the new G-Class a year ago, Land Rover is slow-rolling the Defender's introduction one tantalizing photo at a time.
Fortunately, earlier spy shots have given us a little more to work with. We expect to see both Defender 90 and long-wheelbase Defender 110 variants, and while both will clearly be packaged as boxy, rough-and-ready off-roaders, they'll offer the full suite of modern comfort and convenience features.
Rumors suggest the availability of a 2.0-liter diesel variant overseas, but we have no reason to believe that will make it to U.S. soil. Our models will likely be powered by forced-induction four- and six-cylinder engines. A larger-displacement diesel (a la Discovery) and a possible hybrid powertrain can't be completely ruled out either, but we're skeptical about the return of a V8.
Firm details will have to wait until we get closer to its 2020 on-sale date. "All will be revealed in 2019," the company promises, but no precise introductory date has been furnished. Stay tuned.