Filed under: Truck, Land Rover, Luxury, Off-Road



American consumers will remember the Land Rover Defender as a utilitarian SUV that was sold in the US for a short time. What many may not realize, though, is that in its home market the Defender is arguably one of the most versatile vehicles around, available in a number of different body styles ranging from a three-door hardtop to a chassis cab. Naturally, there's a pickup variant.

As Land Rover continues to wrestle about what to do with the next Defender, it throws into question the future of Land Rover's hauler. Now, a report from What Car? is claiming that we'll see a new Defender-based pickup in 2017, and that it will rival Volkswagen's Amarok.

What Car? spoke with Gerry McGovern, Land Rover's design boss, who indicated that a pickup will join the Defender's replacement, but only after more conventional five- and seven-passenger SUVs are launched. Unlike the current Defender pickup, this new model would follow more of a luxury theme as well, although just how luxurious Land Rover could go without alienating the rough-and-tumble bunch that value the Defender's spartan nature remains unclear.

Even if a new Defender Pickup is launched, much like the Amarok, we shouldn't count on it making a trek across the pond (although there's still hope for the standard model), according to Motor Trend. Blame America's Chicken Tax for that.Land Rover Defender pickup coming in 2017? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Dec 2013 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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