Volkswagen considering electric Wrangler rival

Volkswagen is plotting a rugged pure-electric SUV rival to vehicles like the Jeep Wrangler and the Land Rover Defender, it has been revealed.

Confirming plans were being considered for a tough zero-emissions utilitarian 4x4, VW's head of strategy, Michael Jost, told Germany's

To help win support for such a vehicle, Jost said Volkswagen's designers have already been commissioned to sketch how such a vehicle would look. The sketches will then be used to build enthusiasm, and win support, among senior Volkswagen execs.

Claimed to tap into the aesthetic of proper off-road vehicles, VW's take on a Defender is likely to sport tough looks, squared off lines, a decent ride height and proper protection from the bush off road.

Inside there would be a stripped-back, hard-wearing interior that features washable seat covers.

If approved, like the recently revealed plans to revive the dune buggy, the off-roader will be based on the Volkswagen Group's MEB platform already slated to underpin 27 pure-electric vehicles by the end of 2022.

The highly versatile platform would allow for all-wheel drive and would package both the power pack and electric motors out of harm's way.

If greenlit for production, the VW Jeep-like SUV would go head-to-head with the Rivian R1S that was revealed at last November's LA motor show, although the German car-maker's offering is expected to be considerably smaller and less powerful than its savagely fast potential US competition.