It’s been a decidedly long wait, hasn’t it? But it seems Land Rover is finally preparing to reveal its all-new Defender, with the Whitley-based automaker releasing the first official teaser of the reimagined automotive icon.
Interestingly first posted to Land Rover USA’s social media pages (including Facebook, as embedded below) rather than the global or UK accounts, the teaser shows the boxy, camouflaged Defender (complete with rear-mounted spare wheel) being either reversed off or driven onto a trailer.
The short caption that accompanies the image? “Do not unwrap until 2019”. This, of course, suggests the covers will come off fairly early in the new year.
The new-generation Defender is expected to run on the automaker’s latest all-aluminium platform, ditching the original’s ladder-frame chassis. Late in 2017, Gerry McGovern, the British brand’s design director, promised the new model would retain the original’s off-road capability, but warned it wouldn’t necessarily look much like its predecessor.
While spy photographers have snapped the short-wheelbase Defender 90 and the larger five-door 110 derivative, an earlier report suggested Land Rover would also include a bakkie in the upcoming range, positioned to take on the Mercedes-Benz X-Class.
