Land Rover considering a Defender pickup truck

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), along with Stellantis, is considering a Defender pickup truck for the US market, according to a report by The Times. This comes just a few months after JLR and Stellantis signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed specifically at collaborating for product development opportunities for buyers in North America.

1. The Defender Pickup is aimed at the US market
2. Likely to be localised in the States to avoid import tariffs
3. To be one of several new models JLR is planning for the region

Land Rover Defender pickup: What we know so far

While the two brands have signed an MoU, exact details regarding the upcoming Land Rover pickup truck are expected to emerge towards the end of 2026. Former executive director of Vehicle Programmes at JLR, Nick Collins, admitted to Autocar UK in 2021 that not only is “there a customer demand” for such a pickup truck but also that one “can be made from a monocoque as there are no structural limitations”.

However, it remains to be seen which platform the Defender Pickup truck actually uses. For perspective, JLR and Stellantis have at their disposal the Defender’s monocoque platform and the body-on-frame designs used by Stellantis-owned brands such as Jeep and RAM. Buyers looking for high-end pickup trucks in North America currently have popular options that include range-topping variants of the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500 and RAM 1500 – all of which are body-on-frame models.

While the Defender SUV range sold worldwide rolls out of JLR’s Slovakia facility, The Times report indicated that the Defender Pickup truck is likely to be produced locally in the US to avoid import tariffs. The US is a “priority growth market” and will lead to “exclusive offerings” in due course, PB Balaji, chief executive officer of JLR, said. JLR’s plans for North America stretch beyond just one model. “Working with Stellantis allows us to explore complementary capabilities in product and technology development that support our long term growth plans for the US market,” Balaji added.

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