Fans of the Land Rover Defender’s blocky styling and off-road chops can look forward to a smaller form factor arriving soon. There will be one key difference, though: an electric powertrain, making it the first Defender powered by batteries - at least from Land Rover. It's part of Land Rover's plan to establish the Defender nameplate as a sort of sub-brand with its own expanded lineup of rugged vehicles, similar to what it has done with the Range Rover nameplate over the past two decades.Speaking recently with Autocar, Mark Cameron, the person overseeing the process, said the key will be to ensure any vehicle badged a Defender carries the nameplate’s DNA of being “built to last” and delivering true “go-anywhere capability,” and that that will extend to the so-called baby Defender. Cameron didn't specify an exact date for release, but according to Autocar it will land in 2027. Incidentally, that's when Mercedes-Benz is expected to launch its rival baby G-Class. Prototypes Already On The Road CarBuzz/Valnet Camouflaged prototypes for the so-called baby Defender have already been spotted on multiple occasions. They point to a vehicle with the Defender’s familiar two-box shape but with a more aerodynamic front end that extends slightly farther forward, likely reflecting its use of Land Rover's more urban-oriented EMA architecture, and its electric powertrain's need for improved aero efficiency (there are flush door handles, too).The EMA (Electrified Modular Architecture) complements Land Rover’s larger MLA (Modular Longitudinal Architecture), found in the latest Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models, and was developed as a native EV platform. It is expected to debut in a next-generation Range Rover Velar also out testing, and eventually underpin future versions of the Range Rover Evoque and Discovery Sport twins as well.CarBuzz/ValnetFor the baby Defender, the EMA platform is expected to support a vehicle length of just over 177 inches, making it about three inches shorter than the two-door Defender 90. In his interview with Autocar, Cameron said the platform’s floor-mounted battery will limit off-road attributes such as extended wheel travel and articulation compared with the current Defender, but that the vehicle should still lead its class in capability. We're sure Mercedes will have something to say about that. More Defenders Could Be In Pipeline CarBuzz/Valnet A potential name for the baby Defender is the Defender Sport, which fits the pattern Land Rover has used for smaller versions of the Range Rover and Discovery. However, Defender 80 is also rumored, which would fit the naming strategy Land Rover uses for the various sizes of the current Defender, like 90 for the two-door, 110 for the standard four-door, and 130 for the stretched four-door.In his interview with Autocar, Cameron also said he's working on laying the groundwork for the build-up of the Defender sub-brand over the next decade and that a variety of powertrain types is important given Defender's global reach. He also said that the US is the biggest market for Defender and that models more suited to this market make sense, perhaps hinting that the oft-rumored Defender pickup might be in the pipeline. There are already a number of firms here building pickup conversions for the Defender, and no doubt Land Rover will want a piece of that pie.