JLR-Stellantis Partnership’s Will Reportedly Lead to a U.S.-Made Land Rover Defender Pickup TruckRoad & TrackZac PalmerTue, September 15, 2026 at 3:32 PM UTCAdd us on GoogleUSA-Made Land Rover Defender Pickup Coming: ReportLand RoverThe first potential idea of a collaborative product to arise from the JLR-Stellantis partnership has surfaced, and it looks to be pickup-related. According to a report from British-based publication The Times, JLR is looking to develop a Land Rover Defender-branded pickup truck.As of today, the Defender lineup consists of the SUV in 90, 110, and 130 sizes. If a pickup joins this fray, it could expand the footprint and sales potential of the Defender line by a sizable margin, especially in the United States.(Road & Track reached out to both JLR and Stellantis to ask them about this report. JLR declined to comment; we'll update this story if we hear back from Stellantis.)AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Times doesn't cite any specific insiders to attribute this news, and claims "the finer details of the plans" are still to be determined by brand bosses at JLR and Stellantis, so what this pickup ultimately takes form as is still anybody's guess. One thing that is certain in the report, though, is that the vehicle in question will be built in the U.S. to avoid the chicken tax. This would be a big switch-up for the Defender brand, as all other versions of the vehicle are assembled in the U.K.Will Sabel CourtneyA Defender with a bed out back makes a certain amount of sense, but how Stellantis and JLR would execute such a plan is the biggest mystery here. Ram is the obvious partner to work with for this project, but both the full-size 1500 and incoming Dakota are body-on-frame vehicles, while the Defender uses a unibody construction. There's always the possibility that JLR and Stellantis develop an entirely new product together, but as of now, it's unclear who will be sharing what with whom when it comes to platforms and powertrains. Also unclear is what size of truck any Land Rover pickup would be.Timing for the pickup is another unanswered question. JLR and Stellantis only signed this memorandum of understanding in May this year, so it would stand to reason that any vehicle coming as a result of this partnership is years, not months, away. Whatever form it ultimately takes, we'll be following along with intrigue to see what this British-American tie-up brings forth.You Might Also LikeIf You Can Only Own One Car, Make It One of TheseThese Are the Most Popular Cars by State
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