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According to Nick Collins – the executive director of vehicle programmes at Jaguar Land Rover – there is currently enough customer demand to justify the addition of such a model to the Defender range.
The Land Rover Defender line-up may soon get a dual-cab pick-up (or ute) variant, according to the brand’s executive director of vehicle programmes Nick Collins.
Speaking to British publication Autocar earlier this week, Mr Collins said he believed there was presently enough “customer demand” to justify mass production of such a model. He further noted that there would be “no structural limitations” in converting the car’s monocoque chassis to a dual-cab layout.
“We always said the Defender would be a family…watch this space,” Collins told the outlet.
However, a spokesperson for Jaguar Land Rover Australia told CarAdvice the model wasn’t expected anytime soon; “We always look at opportunities out of the UK, and assess new models for the Australian market. With that said, this isn’t something currently on our radar.”
If such a model were to be introduced, it would be unlikely to compete on price against the mainstream body-on-frame dual-cab class (dominated by the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, Isuzu D-Max, Nissan Navara, Mitsubishi Triton, and Mazda BT-50).
Instead, expect a Defender ute to be pitched as a competitor to the Jeep Gladiator and high-spec versions of the now-defunct Mercedes-Benz X-Class, priced somewhere between $80,000 and $140,000 plus on-road costs depending on engine and trim level.
The Land Rover Defender range currently comprises the three-door short-wheelbase 90 and the five-door 110, priced from $78,590 and $82,590 respectively (plus on-road costs).
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