JLR and Stellantis plan US‑made Defender Pickup as part of North America push

Jaguar Land Rover and its Stellantis partner are studying a Defender Pickup truck for the United States, a move reported by The Times. The two companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding a few months ago to cooperate on product development for North American buyers. Detailed specifications for the new pickup are expected to surface by the end of 2026. Former JLR Executive Director of Vehicle Programmes Nick Collins told Autocar UK that there is clear customer demand and that a monocoque chassis could be used without structural limits. It remains undecided whether the truck will use the Defender's monocoque platform or a body‑on‑frame architecture similar to Stellantis‑owned Jeep and RAM models. Current high‑end pickups in the region – the Ford F‑150, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500 and RAM 1500 – all rely on body‑on‑frame construction. While the Defender SUV line rolls out of JLR's plant in Slovakia, the Times report says the pickup would likely be built in the United States to dodge import tariffs. JLR CEO PB Balaji called the US a "priority growth market" that will see exclusive offerings, and added that collaboration with Stellantis lets both firms explore complementary product and technology capabilities for long‑term growth in the market.