Land Rover Defender - not retro

[xray]

I have been waiting for the Defender to come out, but this might be the nail in the coffin for classic style and capability of the Defender.

"I don't think we should be doing a pastiche of what we have been doing before," McGovern said. "If [the loyalists] are expecting a facsimile of the old one with all this new technology, then I don't think they'll be pleased." There is sound reasoning in his sentiments, especially considering the new vehicle should be a standalone product instead of merely doing fan service.


https://www.autoblog.com/2017/12/01/land-rover-design-boss-defender-fans-may-not-like-the-polarizi/

Land Rover has had plenty of opportunity to move the Defender along like Jeep has, but looks like it going to end up being a lifted clone of the Discovery with some hints of Defender DNA.

Sponsored

 

[BillyHW]

It's going to have diamond-encrusted wheels and cost $500,000 in the Royal Family Croquet Club Edition.

 

[Rockmaninoff]

Land Rover has had plenty of opportunity to move the Defender along like Jeep has, but looks like it going to end up being a lifted clone of the Discovery with some hints of Defender DNA.

Rest assured, it will be more capable than the last retro Defender and will come with a supercharged V8 down the line. As lousy as they are, people put the past Defenders through enough in every part of the world in which they're not banned. So, just because you rarely see one in USA, they shouldn't be under estimated. Add a SC V8 to a lighter, modern and more capable unit and you'll get one hell of a ride and Jeep will hopefully come up with a V8 option then.

 

[The Great Grape Ape]

Rest assured, it will be more capable than the last retro Defender and will come with a supercharged V8 down the line. As lousy as they are, people put the past Defenders through enough in every part of the world in which they're not banned. So, just because you rarely see one in USA, they shouldn't be under estimated.

Would be nice if people reciprocated that understanding with regards to the lack of Jeeps worldwide due to export vs domesti market/brands not other attributions.

As a former D90 owner (still wish I had kept it just for the cottage) I loved it, but while a RR Sport or even an Evoque might now be able to tackle tougher environs than the D90 did stock for stock, the lack of mods and the increase in maintenance requirements/costs and lessening of self-maintennace will mean that a beefed up Discovery or Evoque still won’t really merit the Defender nameplate in most people’s opinions, especially former Fefender owners. The Freelander was nice, and almost tempted me back into the LR fold in N.Am. before the JKU arrived, but it was always just a robust CUV that was trying to punch above its weight even in those Camel Trophy uses.

I suspect that while this new ‘Defender’ will be far more capable than the Freelander, it will likely suffer from that same over-inflated expectations and then overly-critical reaction to whatever ends up wearing that Defender badge.

Add a SC V8 to a lighter, modern and more capable unit and you'll get one hell of a ride and Jeep will hopefully come up with a V8 option then.

With Jeep’s luxury options on the export Sahara Overland edition, one can only hope that that focus/attention/market might provide that push, but I still doubt it until I see it.

 

[GRAK]

I have been waiting for the Defender to come out, but this might be the nail in the coffin for classic style and capability of the Defender.

"I don't think we should be doing a pastiche of what we have been doing before," McGovern said. "If [the loyalists] are expecting a facsimile of the old one with all this new technology, then I don't think they'll be pleased." There is sound reasoning in his sentiments, especially considering the new vehicle should be a standalone product instead of merely doing fan service.


https://www.autoblog.com/2017/12/01/land-rover-design-boss-defender-fans-may-not-like-the-polarizi/

Land Rover has had plenty of opportunity to move the Defender along like Jeep has, but looks like it going to end up being a lifted clone of the Discovery with some hints of Defender DNA.

Yeah. They didn’t get it then and don’t care now. Par for the course. Damned shame.

 

[xray]

Rest assured, it will be more capable than the last retro Defender and will come with a supercharged V8 down the line. As lousy as they are, people put the past Defenders through enough in every part of the world in which they're not banned. So, just because you rarely see one in USA, they shouldn't be under estimated. Add a SC V8 to a lighter, modern and more capable unit and you'll get one hell of a ride and Jeep will hopefully come up with a V8 option then.

In the SVX version of the Defender it'll be a V8 for sure, but the regular ones with be probably turbo-4 Ingenium or probably a diesel that won't make it to the us. Anyway, any changes they make to the capability will just be in a more sophisticated 4 wheel drive system, at the expense of reliability. They already said it'll be very close looking to the current body styles for the LR line.

Also, the big change is probably IFS, no solid axle. That alone will disqualify for any sub-continent duty, and it'll just be a very capable Evoque with a few nods as a Defender. It'll be nothing how the Wrangler is still mostly a Wrangler every 10 years.

 

[HungryHound]

I have been waiting for the Defender to come out, but this might be the nail in the coffin for classic style and capability of the Defender.

"I don't think we should be doing a pastiche of what we have been doing before," McGovern said. "If [the loyalists] are expecting a facsimile of the old one with all this new technology, then I don't think they'll be pleased." There is sound reasoning in his sentiments, especially considering the new vehicle should be a standalone product instead of merely doing fan service.


https://www.autoblog.com/2017/12/01/land-rover-design-boss-defender-fans-may-not-like-the-polarizi/

Land Rover has had plenty of opportunity to move the Defender along like Jeep has, but looks like it going to end up being a lifted clone of the Discovery with some hints of Defender DNA.

Marketing is so convinced by focus groups, they often don't consider the make-up of focus groups. Soccer moms are probably not the best for giving true offroad advice.

Sponsored