deep

My brother in law, a lifelong Ferrari fan, bought a Kia EV6 (I think that's right) and is besotted with it. To be fair, it feels like a very big, smooth V12 to drive but, otherwise, just yuk. The interior is particularly awful, the exterior clearly a matter of taste...

Looks like a taxi...

I take the rear seats out of all my vehicles...

Starting price is under$NZ60,000. To put that in perspective, I doubt you could get any new Defender under $100,000. In many ways, I think it could be considered a direct competitor with a 90, though a good bit smaller than a 110.

The world of vehicle styling has long abandoned the concept of form following function and now it seems everyone is scrambling to convey an image, except they're mostly confused about what that image is!! It's not all bad everywhere though. I had a look at a GWM Tank 300 yesterday. They're a mixed bag in photos but, in the flesh, they've nailed it. It genuinely looks like it's designed for its purpose, rather than for an image (it helps that this properly diff-locked display vehicle was actually fitted with decent mudgrip tyres). Despite the excess of computer trickery, I found it highly appealing and half the price of the vehicles we talk about here.

So, no more Discovery in the line-up?? What have I missed here?

Brilliant!

Even more comfortable without them, depending on what roads you were on.

The email came through this morning. It specifically states it's made for the Australian and New Zealand market; that it is in fact a Quartermaster chassis and it's being sold as a cab and chassis with "aluminium and steel trayback bodies". It's a welcome and logical move, just a shame that it seems to be only the restrictive crew cab at this stage.

Keep the bits that have already been approved - probably a pragmatic approach in this modern age? The lights are well protected and the bumper does its job with minimal protrusion. Like most Grenadier things, it seems well-considered and executed.

The Chinese are on a roll and not necessarily copying anyone any more (I mean, you could accuse every manufacturer of copying, with the same sort of logic). The Aussie press puts out a lot of information about them and it seems they are becoming genuinely desirable - or at least no less desirable than anything else these days, which is the key point. Check out the GWM Tank 300 as a good example. Well made, decent credentials off-road (including diff lock) and fairly practical. Give it five years and they will dominate large sections of the international market, like it or not. Ironically, it won't be a relatively low price that makes them popular either.

I had a look at a video last night that analysed the Fusilier based on the scant information currently available. The bloke agreed it was likely indespension and low, so I might be on the mark after all. Sadly, but understandably, Ineos is already branching into the mainstream...

Looking at the pictures provided and reading between the lines, does this look more like a Freelander2 type vehicle than a smaller Grenadier? Narrower, lower, smaller wheels, possibly independent suspension and possibly a monocoque? Or am I way off the mark?

Obviously, the full battery version works in a different language! However, the one with the petrol motor could be interesting. A good friend's sister had a Nissan car with that system - a small petrol motor solely charging the battery and drive being only electric. Apparently, the motor turns on fairly regularly and revs its little heart out for a while, until the battery has enough charge, then turns completely off. It's a sensible system, because the charging motor only runs at peak efficiency and the electric drive loses little energy. I can't remember what he said the miles per gallon were but I remember it was outstanding. A bigger, heavier Fusilier with more wind resistance won't be outstanding but I'll bet it's well above 30 miles per gallon in general use. I'm definitely keen to see how that pans out. I'm also encouraged by the comment that their hydrogen vehicle would be ready now, if there was a refuelling network available...

I did see a couple of his earlier videos. Good owner perspective. This doesn't look good (no time to watch right now though).