This Is The Defender Pickup Land Rover Refuses To Build

Three years after the previous model was discontinued, the reborn Land Rover Defender made its world debut at the 2019 Frankfurt Auto Show. Initially, only the 110 variant will be available, but a smaller 90 version will be introduced at a later date. Land Rover was also originally planning to add a pickup to the new Defender lineup, but these plans have now been scrapped.

Speaking to CarSales at the 2019 Frankfurt Auto Show, a senior Jaguar Land Rover source acknowledged that a presentation leaked a few years ago showed a double-cab version of the Defender that was planned for 2020 but confirmed there are no longer plans to put it into production.

"Why would you buy a dual-cab ute when you see what you can put in the back of one of these – this is already a ute with a roof," the source said. Originally, the Defender pickup was going to be based on the rumored 130 variant, which will have the same wheelbase as the 110 but feature up to eight seats and measure 200.7 inches long, making it over a foot longer than the 110.

A Defender pickup truck may no longer be part of Land Rover's plans, but this hasn't stopped render artist X-Tomi Design from envisioning what it could have looked like. Based on one of the higher 2020 Defender 110 trims, it adopts a two-door single-cab design and a compact bed housing a spare wheel. It's a shame Land Rover is no longer planning to produce a Defender pickup as it could have been a formidable rival to the Jeep Gladiator with its advanced off-roading capabilities.

Deliveries for the 2020 Land Rover Defender will start next year with pricing starting at $49,900, so expect the larger 130 to command a higher price tag.