Big-ticket Range Rover, 3-row Defender on the way

Two big additions are coming soon to the Land Rover lineup: the next-generation Range Rover — which is moving far upmarket to take on the Bentley Bentayga and other super high-end SUVs — and the next model in the Defender lineup, the three-row Defender 130.

Farther down the road, as Land Rover and Jaguar take different paths, the number of architectures underpinning Land Rover vehicles will shrink to two, EMA and MLA.

Discovery Sport: The next big change for the midsize crossover comes in 2024, when the Disco Sport is redesigned and moved to the EMA platform; a hybrid version is confirmed, and a battery-electric powertrain is likely.

Discovery: Around 2025, the Disco midsize SUV will be redesigned as it moves to the EMA platform; electrified powertrains are planned.

Defender: The hot-selling rugged off-roader gets a thumping 518-hp V-8 engine option for 2022. An eight-passenger Defender 130 is expected to be unveiled late this year or early next. It should arrive in the U.S. in 2022 as a 2023 model. A Defender pickup is in the works, but because of the 25 percent tariff on pickup imports, it likely will not come to the U.S. The Defender's first freshening could come in 2023.

Range Rover Evoque: The compact crossover, Jaguar Land Rover's bestselling vehicle, was reengineered last year, so there will be no major changes until 2024, when it is redesigned and joins the Discovery Sport on the EMA platform. A battery-electric version is possible around 2025. A stretch version launching in China this month is not likely for the U.S.

Range Rover Velar: The midsize crossover's future is uncertain, although it could be freshened in 2023. With JLR's intent to reduce model complexity and overlap, it is not clear where the Velar fits. A softer, more luxurious model of the Range Rover Sport could replace it. Some of the Velar's styling features, such as flush-fitting door handles, will be seen on the next-gen Range Rover.

Range Rover Sport: The redesigned next generation of JLR's second-bestselling vehicle is expected to be shown in 2022, with sales starting in 2023. The large SUV will ride on the MLA platform and feature evolutionary styling.

Range Rover: The redesigned fifth-generation Range Rover is expected to go on sale next year, likely in the second half. It will be new from the wheels up, and it will be going into direct competition with SUVs from Bentley, Aston Martin and others in the $175,000 to $250,000 range. It will have the most opulent interior ever installed in a Range Rover. Look for evolutionary exterior styling that preserves the same classic — and basic — Range Rover design cues, but futuristic and highly stylized lights and instruments. The interior will feature high-quality materials with a custom-made look. The big Rover will likely get a full-electric version by the end of the decade.