Land Rover Defender Hard Top a ‘better option than ute’

Two examples of the new Land Rover Defender Hard Top have landed in Australia – a short-wheelbase 90 two-door and the longer 110 five-door – as the British brand finalises local pricing and specification for the tradie-friendly commercial version of the reborn 4x4 off-roader.

As carsales has reported, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) Australia has already homologated the 2021 Land Rover Defender Hard Top for sale in our market, but is now in the final stages of its product planning and discussions with its dealer network before the model’s official launch.

Speaking to carsales at the launch of the new 2021 Land Rover Defender 90, JLR Australia managing director Mark Cameron said both the Hard Top 90 and 110 commercials were under evaluation, offering a payload of 670kg and 800kg respectively and available in both two-seat and three-seat configurations.

“The vehicles have only just landed, and it is too early to advise an on-sale date,” he said.

A spokesperson added that “we’re going through a few scenarios on pricing but also just finalising the spec on this car, and we’ll be running these in and showing them around for dealers”.

Asked whether he was encouraged by what he’s heard from head office in the UK about a separate ute version of the new Defender, Cameron said “we don’t comment on future product plans, but should a Defender ute be added to the family we believe there would be strong interest in Australia”.

But he also emphasised that the Hard Top could prove to be a “better option” than a hard-core Defender 4x4 ute.

“We believe it [Defender Hard Top] will be of great interest to the market as a commercial vehicle, and in many ways we see it as a better option than a traditional utility,” he said.

The forthcoming INEOS Grenadier that’s specifically designed as a rival for the Defender will be offered as a go-anywhere dual-cab ute as well as a five-door wagon.

That’s sure to be a consideration for Land Rover, which previously said that the monocoque chassis underpinning the new Defender was no hindrance to developing a pick-up derivative.

JLR’s Australian top brass declined to comment when asked about the INEOS Grenadier and its potential for steering Land Rover loyalists away from the brand.

“We won’t be commenting on vehicles available from other manufacturers. We have very high demand for all our Land Rover products,” Cameron said.

Similarly, there was little comment forthcoming on speculation that Land Rover is developing a high-performance, desert-racing SV version of the Defender – a rival for the likes of the Mercedes-Benz G 63 and 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor – or other family offshoots such as a three-row 130 version.

“We do not have any information about any SV version of a Defender or what features it may or may not include,” said Cameron. “[And] we do not have any news on a 130.”

As we’ve reported, JLR Australia is, however, considering the viability of a plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) version of the Defender dubbed the P400e, but there’s nothing on the horizon and it could still be years away.