Jump to content

Thoughts and musings on the new defender


Recommended Posts

I have still not seen one on the road yet. I have however noticed an awful lot of Freelander 1s around lately :huh:.

The "new" Mini is not British at all. It has Union flags on it to capitalise on the British icon that the original Mini became.

Summed up by the stickers often seen in original Minis...…" True Brit, not German *hit"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

from Leisure Wheels magazine

"Defender adventure in Namibia, done and dusted. We piloted the new Land Rover Defender for 800km through Namibia's tough as nails Kaokoland. This was no la-de-da gravel road drive - we traversed some really tough 4x4 terrain. Full adventure and a comprehensive Defender 4x4 driving report in the upcoming May issue"


normal_87511806_3069781089708526_4153937

normal_87455200_3069783096374992_3935659

normal_87171693_3069783383041630_8101574

normal_85070136_3069783189708316_3590027

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

"800km done and dusted in Namibia in Land Rover’s new Defender. Land Rover didn’t hold back on the difficulty of the terrain either - there were some gnarly 4x4 tracks along the way. No worries for the Defender"
By @leisurewheels_4x4mag

 

 

Edited by Naks
Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, FridgeFreezer said:

TBH does anyone care that much these days about any new vehicle? Apart from the odd bit of excitement like the Tesla Truck thing I can't say I've noticed anyone get excited about a new vehicle from any of the major manufacturers for a long time.

I think cars now in general are so clinical and uninspiring that for most they're just an everyday commodity. Your so far removed from the driving experience that most of them are no different to driving on an xbox. When I started driving you had to nurse your first car around and tinker with it to keep it going. It had a personality and you got to know its ways.

I think thats why fewer young folk are interested in cars, they're just a box that works and the only way they can make them appealing is to make it connect to an iphone to continue their online life or make them appear more exclusive so others think your something special. I think that's why the most expensive cars are the most hideous. To make people stand out and be noticed rather than for being nice to look at. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, Naks said:

"800km done and dusted in Namibia in Land Rover’s new Defender. Land Rover didn’t hold back on the difficulty of the terrain either - there were some gnarly 4x4 tracks along the way. No worries for the Defender"
By @leisurewheels_4x4mag

 

 

That's one situation in which I'd definitely prefer to be in my old 110, with the wheels planted on the ground for much more of the time and a lot more give in the suspension.  Coming uphill, though, the traction control would give the new one the edge.  In an ideal world, we would have had the fancy diff and traction control in a long travel, coil sprung package but marketing forces are against an ideal world!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The whole needing to have someone spot on such easy terrain is embarrassing.  Either there is very little compression travel on that suspension of the air system is preventing the travel from being used. The two wheels holding up the vehicle should be compressed to near the bump stops if it was setup correctly. I thought these were supposed to have more travel than the existing models.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My opinion , for what it matters , I think the long wheelbase looks good , more pleasing on the eye than the short wheelbase(the whole 90,110,130 marketing thing I find odd but meh,whatever ) I really like the look of the blue one on the previous page BUT it does look just like a discovery except for a few minor details , I can’t see it being anything but a pleasure to drive both on road and off (light off road anyway ) and no doubt the cabin is a nice place to be . 
The off road adventure in the above article looks severe enough that I could have done it in my Kangoo trekka ! but I guess that’s all just marketing bs . So it looks nice , it’s expensive, I doubt I will ever own one and I’ve yet to see one on the road . I’m just meh about the whole thing really , it’s a shame there will be no more utility land rovers, guess we have to wait for the Ineos ,the LR(and Ineos) 4x4 forum 😉
 

in fact the green one even looks a bit like my Kangoo , same hideous green !

Edited by Ozzy50
Doh!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, deep said:

That's one situation in which I'd definitely prefer to be in my old 110, with the wheels planted on the ground for much more of the time and a lot more give in the suspension.  Coming uphill, though, the traction control would give the new one the edge.  In an ideal world, we would have had the fancy diff and traction control in a long travel, coil sprung package but marketing forces are against an ideal world!

You don't want coil independent suspension in a 4x4. You think they lift wheels off the ground a lot with the cross linked air suspension. A coil one is likely horrific by comparison.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quote
  • Orders open: With Land Rover experiencing unprecedented demand for Defender 110, order books open for the Defender 90
  • Unstoppable capability: Short wheelbase and minimal overhangs result in excellent off-road geometry, making New Defender 90 the most capable Land Rover ever made
  • Six-seat practicality: Thanks to innovative front central jump seat, New Defender 90 has room for six people in a body shorter than many compact family cars
  • Success story: Defender 110 orders have exceeded initial targets and customers have completed a record 1.21 million configurations on the Land Rover website
  • Most accessorised: Over half of all Defender 110 models specified online have been fitted with one of the four Accessory Packs, with the Urban Pack the most popular
  • Order online: Defender 90 is priced from £40,290 in the UK. Commercial derivatives will arrive later this year priced from £35,000 (plus VAT) in the UK

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, Red90 said:

The whole needing to have someone spot on such easy terrain is embarrassing.  

You don't know who's behind the wheel. I have been on such a trip with Land Rover and most people on these trips are motoring journalists. They usualy know how to drive a BMW around a fast track without getting into too much trouble, but very few have real off-road experience. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

49 minutes ago, Anderzander said:

Most accessorised: Over half of all Defender 110 models specified online have been fitted with one of the four Accessory Packs, with the Urban Pack the most popular

Of course it was ;) 

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Waldorf said:

You don't know who's behind the wheel. I have been on such a trip with Land Rover and most people on these trips are motoring journalists. They usualy know how to drive a BMW around a fast track without getting into too much trouble, but very few have real off-road experience. 

It has nothing to do with the driver.  It is the vehicle. It should not be so unstable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the fact that it didn't fall over despite all the slamming on of the brakes and bouncing around means that it's stable enough for what it will be used for, I think they could've driven it smoother to reduce passenger clenching. I wonder is there is a safety sensor on the seat to monitor that? A clenchonometer? 

The advantage I would say is has over the other comparable vehicles, like the nissan quashqai / x-trail, kia sportage / sorrento, ssangyong korando / rexton etc, is the angles the bodywork gives and the 4wd computerisation. 

**pokes and runs away**

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 hours ago, Chicken Drumstick said:

You don't want coil independent suspension in a 4x4. You think they lift wheels off the ground a lot with the cross linked air suspension. A coil one is likely horrific by comparison.

I don't know how you know what I do or don't want but you are correct.  I don't want independent suspension on my Land Rover at all.  I am happy with it on my Mercedes though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. By using our website you agree to our Cookie Policy