MT CONFIDENTIAL

The platform developed for the Jaguar I-Pace will be a one-hit wonder, according to sources in Coventry. Next-gen Jaguar Land Rover EVs, including the XJ, will be built on the company’s new Modular Longitudinal Sources in Solihull are tight-lipped, but JLR’s all-new off-roader is built on a heavy-duty variant of the aluminum-intensive D7u architecture that underpins the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport, which suggests a high-performance V-8 could fit under the hood of the reinvented icon. JLR has moved aggressively to offer a huge range of accessories for the Defender. And with the proliferation of aftermarket companies making big money rebuilding old Defenders, a factory-built hot Defender seems like a no-brainer. The M-Byte will be available in AWD and RWD form, with 71-kW-hr and 95-kW-hr battery packs providing up to 250 miles and 325 miles of range, respectively. Roughly the size of an Audi Q7, the M-Byte will seat five and has a target base price of about $45,000, thanks to its low-cost all-steel body structure. The M-Byte is the first of three BEVs Byton is planning. Coming next is a three-box sedan called K-Byte, which will be followed by an unnamed three-row crossover. No details yet from the Indian-owned company, but the vehicle is believed to be a stylish high-performance crossover.