Land Rover To Come To Market With Smaller SUV To Battle Ford’s Baby Bronco

As Ford (F) hints at a baby Bronco SUV, another competitor could steal some of its limelight also with a smaller version SUV headed toward the market. Land Rover is reportedly in the works with a smaller and more affordable version of its Defender SUV that is expected to arrive in 2021.

According to a report by Autocar, the new Defender model from Land Rover is thought to come with a price tag around £25,000 or about $33,000, making it the least expensive model in the company’s lineup.

It has been speculated that the smaller Defender SUV will be an entry-level, four-door vehicle that fits below Land Rover’s Discovery Sport line. It is unknown how Land Rover will market and brand the SUV without drawing customers away from its larger SUV models.

The engine on the new Defender is expected to be a 1.5-liter three-cylinder turbocharged powertrain with a plug-in hybrid variation also being considered by the company while styling of the SUV will most likely take on some similarity from Land Rover’s larger Defender model, the news outlet said.

Adding the smaller Defender to its SUV portfolio makes sense for the automaker as it contends with stricter emissions requirements that could reportedly be offset by a large volume, lower emissions vehicle.

Shares of Ford stock were down 0.11% as of 2:59 p.m. EST on Monday.