It looks like Land Rover’s new rumored Defender mini-me is coming to fruition. Spy shots recently surfaced of a test mule running about, thanks to our friends at Britain’s AutoCar.
The prototype was caught driving around on UK soil, supposedly not far from the automaker’s HQ in Coventry. While it appears heavily camouflaged — as most prototypes are in their early developmental stages — some obvious details can still be made out.
The new mini-Defender certainly looks more compact
The current Land Rover Defender is easily distinguishable from its competitors, thanks to its clean, boxy shape and midsize proportions. When visibly compared to the prototype in AutoCar’s spy photos, one can obviously see that the new car is considerably smaller in nearly every dimension.
But the Defender’s overall squarish design theme clearly remains. Such details include the very upright and flat-roofed greenhouse, and vertical trunk line drop-off.
The vehicle’s front-end isn’t as boxy, as exhibited by the roundish and protruding front fender and curved bonnet. It rather appears to incorporate some of the elements from the current Range Rover models.