Anderzander

What does “De-contented” mean? It strikes me that folk seem to think that rejecting the new Defender is a rejection of creature comforts and modernisation. Where’s that come from? I think a functionally focused vehicle can have creature comforts and some technology. I don’t see them as mutually exclusive. There are plenty of people out there disappointed by the LR offer who aren’t obsessed with being able to hose out a hand made box powered by a 200tdi. I just think that the new Range Rover Defender isn’t functionally focused - it’s a luxury car with copious electronics to improve its off-road performance. Perhaps the Granadier will have that functional focus is promises - and be built with a level or electronics aids to augment that - and I expect it will certainly be built with modern engineering standards too. Tractors and Unimogs are modern now - but purpose is at the heart of their architecture, not luxury. I think the Grenadier won’t be a million miles from that.

Enter the Honda Crossroad !

Yes, great news. i think we are going to have something to look at pretty soon.

Well done 👍🏻

Before the Range Rover flipped from being fundamentally an off road capable design with overlaid luxury to a luxury car with electronics to give it off-road capability.

Further up the thread there is a quote from Land Rover along the lines of ‘its not just a D5 platform - it has bigger ball joints...’ If it was a tyre I think it would 80/20 road bias - what do you think?

It is looking great 👍🏻 Will you use those little tubes across the end for a bolt and pin to secure them against that rear body?

Yes - I like those, though some can be a bit garish 😊 But I love the engineering on them and if you read about the major redesign they had in 2016 they went to enormous lengths to keep it a clear successor. Keeping indicators on top of the wings, the flat front windscreen, etc etc. Didn’t they say they even engineered it so the doors shut with the same feel ? I was told that Land Rover didn’t go that route as they are a smaller company than Mercedes and can’t afford to produce a ‘halo’ product - with high production costs and low sales.

It can cost more than £100k - the base model with a tow bar is just under £50k - the top model is over £100k. You’ve misread my message though if you think I’m averse to the modernised aids and comfort that come on a basic modern car.

Basic cars don’t cost £100k

What I think the Evo article misses is that it’s not just modernisation - it’s brand realignment. They have built a Range Rover Defender. They have compressed almost all of their products into the luxury half of the brand - because that is where the greater profit lies. That’s why we have seen the Range Rover models multiply and I would imagine that’s why the freelander went - or morphed into the Evoque. Gerry McGovern said one of the first things he changed was to have engineering report to design - rather than the other way. He flipped the function over form to form over function, which has undone the series and Defender DNA. For me that’s the shift that makes the new model feel like an ending. They’ve not just modernised - they’ve rebuilt their business model.

Thanks Steve - that’s a great web site, it even shows the mounting hole spacings. I’ll have a measure and a proper look. Looks like I’ll be in £50+ to do it though. It may work out cheaper to get a big piece of ply for the floor!

Great piece of writing - lots of truth in it, but I don’t think he nailed it.

The Range Rover Defender - with 85 ECU’s

Has anyone found and fitted bigger wheels to their engine crane? i need to use it outside on an uneven surface and it seems a bigger wheel would make a big difference.

I’ve just configured the base model - with the petrol engine and all the off road options and it’s £52k

Seems odd though as the Jimny and G Wagon have had recent significant change - I’d have thought that they would need fresh approval after that degree of change. The 110x starts at £78k

Jimny, G Wagen, and the Jeep seem to have them ?

Nice work !

@deep I hope you are right ..... my confidence in that is low.

I thought the 110 looked like a new mini clubman. If they looked at the Rubicon, they looked away again pretty quickly. They’ve not strayed far from their current portfolio at all have they. They’ve built a road focused luxury vehicle - with its selling point being that it has some capability through its electronics.

😢

Oh bugger

Being a utility vehicle too it will retain a lot of 2nd hands value 👍🏻