This would go down well among SA’s bakkie-lovers. The high-end double-cab market has players like the Ford Ranger Raptor and BYD Shark - but imagine one based on the vaunted Land Rover Defender?
That prospect is a reality, not from the manufacturer itself, but from a collaboration effort between two independent, UK-based modifiers.
Urban Automotive and Heritage Customs are laying claim to the world’s first coachbuilt Defender bakkie. They christened it - perhaps unsurprisingly - the Defender Pickup. The model is built on the long-wheelbase 130 model, using the V8 derivative.
The official launch of the Defender Pickup took place on 30 October 2025 at an invitation-only event for selected guests, customers, and industry partners at Heritage Custom’s base in The Netherlands.
Two flavours are available, Heritage and Urban. The former staying true to Heritage Customs’ coachbuilding heritage with a classical look, while the Urban edition reflects a more modern aesthetic in line with Urban Automotive’s “OEM+” ethos.
A production version of the Urban Edition will make its UK debut on the Urban Automotive stand at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July 2026.
“The classic 110 Defender crew cab has always been, in my view, one of the most desirable Defenders ever made. I had a strong sense that we could capture that same spirit with the new Defender 130,” said Jan-Pieter Kroezen, CEO of Heritage Customs.
So, can you get your own Defender Pickup in Mzansi? It is possible, but expect to pay quite a premium.
“Urban Automotive and Heritage Customs can supply cars to customers anywhere in the world, it’s an international business,” said company spokesman John Rawlings.
“They either source the car, do their modifications and then bill the customer for the whole thing or the customer brings their vehicle to them - a more expensive option if the owner is in SA.”
“They also supply Urban parts to distributors around the world to fit to cars in the local country, but the pickup is a coachbuilt conversion that would have to be done at Heritage Customs in Holland.”
