THE replacement for the iconic Land Rover Defender has been spotted out on the road for the very first time.
After the British marque ceased production of the much-loved 4×4, fans mourned the loss of one of the most loved off-roaders of all time.
But Jaguar Land Rover now look set to give new life to the Defender, with spy shots revealing the prototype being tested on British roads.
It’s the first time the likely new shape and dimensions of the production model have been seen by the public eye.
And according to the company, motorists can expect delivery of the fresh off-roader within the next two years.
Felix Bräutigam, Jaguar Land Rover’s chief marketing officer, told Auto Express: “It’s exciting to now start getting one step closer to officially announcing the rebirth of an icon.
“Our first, really excited customers should have their cars by 2020.
“We will stage it properly; the train has left the station but we are not rushing to a specific date.”
The new version has taken inspiration from modern Land Rover and Range Rover models to give it a much updated shape.
And experts say the four-door won’t be a “retro copy-cat” of the original model, but something re-imagined to progress the badge.
While official specifications are yet to be released, the new Defender is likely to have two wheelbase options, with the smaller of the two given a possible value as low as £40,000.
Land Rover released a special edition Defender in January to mark the brand’s 70th anniversary – two years after the original model went out of production.
Just 150 special editions of the Defender Works V8 were made, with a whopping £150,000 price tag.
And in a real nod to the past, it was the first V8 Defender made in over 20 years, with a hefty 5.0-litre 400bhp engine under the bonnet
That made it the fastest and most powerful Defender of all time, with a 0-60mph time of 5.6 seconds and a top speed of 106mph in sports mode.
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The Defender has been a favourite among celebrities since it was first introduced as the automaker’s very first model.
The Queen, Royal family, Winston Churchhill and even the Pope have all used the off-roaders in the UK, while it has also featured heavily in the British military and appeared in numerous Hollywood films including the James Bond franchise.
In June, the Defender used by Daniel Craig as Bond in Spectre sold for an incredible £250,000.