Next Land Rover Discovery to share Discovery Sport’s platform, new Range Rover to underpin Defender – report

The next-generation Land Rover Discovery, Discovery Sport, Range Rover Velar, and Range Rover Evoque – which are all slated for launch within three to four years – will be underpinned by JLR’s Electrified Modular Architecture (EMA), according to a new report from Automotive News Europe.

Meanwhile, it is claimed the next-generation Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, and Land Rover Defender will sit on the hybrid-orientated Modular Longitudinal Architecture (MLA), originally slated to debut with the ill-fated Jaguar XJ project.

Both platforms are compatible with traditional internal-combustion engines, but designed from the ground up with electrified powertrains in mind.

The Automotive News Europe report aligns with confirmation from Jaguar Land Rover earlier this year that MLA and EMA platforms would underpin its future vehicles – though at the time it wasn't clear which chassis would underpin which model.

Currently, the Land Rover line-up is split across five distinct platforms – the Range Rover Velar is underpinned by the D7a architecture, the Land Rover Defender sits on the D7x architecture, the Land Rover Discovery, Range Rover, and Range Rover Sport share the D7u architecture, while the Range Rover Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque sit on an updated D8 architecture.

An earlier report from Automotive News Europe suggested some future electric Land Rover variants would feature a petrol-powered range-extender, much like the one offered in the BMW i3.

When approached for comment by CarAdvice, a spokesperson for JLR in Australia said: “There’s certainly nothing further to report publicly [on future product plans] at this time.” This story will be updated when more detail become available.

Earlier this year Land Rover confirmed it had dropped plans to launch a bespoke electric Range Rover nicknamed the 'Road Rover.'

However, the wider Jaguar Land Rover group claims to be targeting complete carbon neutrality by 2039.

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