SPIED: Is Land Rover testing a Baby Defender?

When one is in the market for a go-anywhere 4x4 SUV, one name immediately stands out: the Land Rover Defender. With its long and storied history and pedigree off the beaten path, it stands to reason why it has become such a revered name in the 4x4 community.

In more recent times, however, the Defender has started to become a common sight on the road rather than going off-road. Combined with the fact that more and more 4x4 SUVs have to walk a fine line between being good in both on-road and off-road driving conditions, automakers have started to build smaller versions of their popular go-anywhere SUVs.

Land Rover is no different, as the automaker was recently spotted by our spy photographers testing something special at the Nurburgring. That's right, Land Rover is busy testing what could be the Baby Defender.

Based on its size alone, the pint-sized Defender could be called the Defender 80 and may replace the Discovery Sport. Despite camouflage livery hiding most of the vehicle, the supposed Baby Defender does not have the traditional round headlights of its bigger sibling. Instead, it features what appears to be a set of horizontal LED headlights, accompanied by a wide front fascia.

It also has a boxy shape with a flat roof, which gives it a traditional SUV design when viewed from the side. Meanwhile, flared wheel arches with huge wheel wells house massive alloys wrapped in low-profile tires. Also worth mentioning are the small taillights that are placed on the far corners of the vehicle. For now, it looks like they're prototype units that could be replaced once testing goes further.

Platform-wise, the supposed Baby Defender will utilize the brand's EMA platform, which is already seeing use in the Range Rover Velar and Range Rover Evoque. Powertrain details remain a mystery, although it has been reported that there could be electric variants, as well as dual-motor drive systems, complete with all-wheel drive capability. When paired with an 800V architecture, the vehicle can support quick charging capacities of up to 350 kW.

With Land Rover busy testing out the Baby Defender, its market launch is expected to happen sometime in 2027. Hopefully, we get more details about Land Rover's newest baby in the coming months.