Land Rover Defender will have a new top version: the SUV was driven on camera

It is assumed that such a Defender will receive an SVX addition to the name. The new product is expected to appear in the middle of next year.

The British manufacturer Land Rover has been producing its legendary model since 1948, although initially it was simply called Series I, II, III, and the prefix — 88 and 109 — indicated the size of the wheelbase (in inches). Later, in 1983, the SUVs were renamed Land Rover 90, 110 and 130, with the index again marking the distance between the axles. Seven years later, the model was given the name Defender: it remains recognizable to this day, despite the fact that the era of the “classic” Defenders ended at the beginning of 2016. The fact is that the name was inherited by another model — an SUV with a different appearance appeared in Europe in 2020, in February 2021 a new Defender with a V8 was presented, and the extended Defender 130 debuted in the spring of 2022.

Pictured: Land Rover Defender SVX prototype

Rumors that the British brand is working on a new top-end Defender version appeared back in the summer 2021. Then it was assumed that the model would receive the addition of SVR to its name: the Range Rover Sport has a corresponding version (the development of such top-end versions of Land Rover cars is carried out by the Special Vehicle Operations division). Now information has appeared “following up” those assumptions made two years ago.

Land Rover Defender will indeed have a new top-end version: a camouflaged prototype of the corresponding new product is currently being tested on public roads, with pictures from us shared by colleagues from the Spanish publication Motor.es. It is assumed that it may receive the addition SVX to the name (the appearance of a variant with such an abbreviation was talked about even before the premiere of the current Defender).

The prototype in the pictures is based on the current five-door Land Rover Defender 110 SUV, its wheelbase is 3022 mm (119 inches), and its length is 5018 mm. The main part of the exterior details is hidden behind camouflage: the optics are partially visible, which will obviously remain the same as those of the “regular” versions of Defender. It can be assumed that the SVX version will receive massive wheel arch linings, BF Goodrich off-road tires, as well as a more voluminous front bumper.

There is no information yet on how the interior of the new product will change: in the picture, the interior details are also hidden using camouflage. The interior will probably be decorated with details such as badges and emblems indicating the top version, and the graphics of the digital instrument panel and infotainment system may also change.

The car can get increased ground clearance due to different suspension settings, different springs and shock absorbers. According to preliminary data, the Land Rover Defender SVX all-wheel drive SUV will be equipped with a 4.4-liter V8 biturbo engine produced by BMW, its power will probably be 635 hp.

In the photo: current Land Rover Defender 110 1/3 In the photo: current Land Rover Defender 110 2/3 In the photo: the current Land Rover Defender 110 3/3

Official information about the new version of the SUV will appear closer to its debut, which is scheduled for the middle of next year. It is not yet known what the SVX strike price will be. In the home market, the current Land Rover Defender 110 starts at £72,205.