{"id":42536,"date":"2026-06-27T17:13:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-27T17:13:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/42536\/"},"modified":"2026-06-27T17:13:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-27T17:13:13","slug":"jlr-could-go-after-fords-bronco-with-simpler-stellantis-based-defender","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/42536\/","title":{"rendered":"JLR Could Go After Ford\u2019s Bronco With Simpler Stellantis-Based Defender"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n On the other hand, it could skip the bargain off-roader fight and build a billionaire-grade SUV from the new Ramcharger instead <\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.carscoops.com\/author\/chris-chilton-cc\/
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by Chris Chilton<\/a><\/p>\n

58 minutes ago<\/p>\n

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JLR signed deal to build Defender-branded vehicles in the US with Stellantis help.<\/p>\n

One theory is that an ultra-tough Defender could challenge Ford\u2019s Bronco in US.<\/p>\n

But premium Ramcharger-based SUV may better suit wealthy American buyers.<\/p>\n

JLR says America is its biggest opportunity for growth, and a new partnership with Stellantis<\/a> could help unlock it. The pair signed a deal in May that could allow Defender-branded vehicles to be built in American Stellantis factories, sidestepping tariffs and better targeting the wants of US drivers. But what new kind of Defender can we expect?<\/p>\n

The Brit brand\u2019s executives revealed to investors that future Defender<\/a> variants developed with Stellantis technology could help it \u201ctap into adjacent segments\u201d where it currently has no presence. The company hasn\u2019t said exactly what those products might be, leaving plenty of room for speculation.<\/p>\n

Related: JLR May Build A Stellantis-Based Defender In America<\/a><\/p>\n

One theory put forward this week by Automotive News<\/a> is that JLR might launch a simpler, more rugged Defender aimed squarely at tough, off-road vehicles like the Ford Bronco<\/a>, and also the Ineos Grenadier, which only exists because Land Rover retired the original Defender.<\/p>\n


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\n Urban Automotive and Heritage Customs\u2019 Land Rover Defender pickup conversion.
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A stripped-back Defender positioned below today\u2019s model could make sense. Stellantis already has body-on-frame platforms, serious off-road expertise, and a growing portfolio of rugged SUVs. A more affordable Defender could give Land Rover another shot at customers currently considering Broncos, Wranglers, and Grenadiers. And a pickup variant \u2013 something the current Defender doesn\u2019t offer \u2013 would be a logical spinoff for America.<\/p>\n

The same investor presentation emphasized America\u2019s extraordinary concentration of wealth. CEO PB Balaji pointed to the huge number of \u201cmillionaires and billionaires\u201d in the country while arguing that JLR<\/a> has barely scratched the surface of its potential. He also noted that the company sees significant room for expansion in the market.<\/p>\n

And If It\u2019s Not A Bronco Rival?<\/p>\n


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That makes us wonder about another possibility. Stellantis is preparing a Ram Ramcharger SUV<\/a> for launch later this decade. Reports suggest it will share plenty with the Jeep Grand Wagoneer while developing its own identity, likely including V8 power and a more performance-oriented character. Could JLR use it as the basis for a larger, tougher, ultra-premium Defender aimed at affluent American buyers?<\/p>\n

This is just speculation on our part, but a vehicle like that would fit neatly between today\u2019s Defender and the most luxurious Range Rover<\/a> models. Imagine a full-size off-roader with unmistakable Defender styling, serious towing capability, V8 power, and a six-figure price tag. That sounds much closer to JLR\u2019s profit goals than chasing Bronco buyers.<\/p>\n

Whatever form these new products take, America is clearly becoming the center of JLR\u2019s strategy. North America already accounts for roughly 28 percent of the company\u2019s global sales, and executives want the business there to grow dramatically so that US sales are eventually as big as the company\u2019s 350,000+ global registrations today.<\/p>\n


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JLR, Ford<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On the other hand, it could skip the bargain off-roader fight and build a billionaire-grade SUV from the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":42537,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13129],"tags":[16192,13572,16196,16193,29024,13573,2405,21497,12112,236],"class_list":["post-42536","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-stellantis","tag-jaguar-land-rover","tag-jeep","tag-land-rover","tag-land-rover-defender","tag-land-rover-scoops","tag-ram","tag-reports","tag-scoops","tag-stellantis","tag-usa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42536","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42536"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42536\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42537"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42536"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42536"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42536"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}