soutie Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 Not sure if anybody else had spotted the photos and article in the Telegraph on the new defender. My only comment is what are they going to call the new utility vehicle that replaces the Defender as the new Defender will be a poser mobile and not a vehicle used by the working classes. http://www.telegraph...r-Defender.html http://www.telegraph...n-pictures.html Peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Barrett Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 I think I like it. Sort of I think. But it isn't a Defender and shouldn't be called it. They should have a bit of respect for the Defender name and retire it, giving the new car a different name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeSheds Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 How you gonna get two wet farm-workers, four sheep and a bail of straw in THAT? I agree with Ian - it's not a 'Defender' and shouldn't be called that. Perhaps 'Disco' would be more appropriate, not 'Discovery' - just 'Disco' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 It looks a bit like a ragtop RRS or Evoque - probably very saleable, but not as a replacement for the Defender! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve King Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 I don't like it, but I suppose it kind of fits in with other modern Land Rovers.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hybrid_From_Hell Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 Chavtastic The WAGs and Celebs will love it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBMUD Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 Try to remember that it is still a Concept car (look it up if you do not know what that is), not even a prototype. The finnished product could look quite different. In this case I doubt it but there is still room for a lot of design changes. Try to be open minded and positive, but remember that the law will have a lot to do with what the new Defender looks like, not Maurice Wilks and his ruler! ...and if you personally do not buy (or make the buying decision) brand new Defenders then you frankly have no right to whine about it as LR are quite justified in not giving a damn what you think! Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 If you consider how much usable storage space there is in a Freelander compared to a Defender and how relatively comfortable it is - I think its time the body ergonomics of Defenders were brought into the 20th Century. Part of the design is undoubtedly to meet current safety regulations (rounded corners etc) and the requirement to minimise drag. Also considering how impressive D3 / RRS's are off road 'out of the box' - I feel quite happy with something which is a hybrid of the two. A Defender which is quiet & comfortable to drive with plenty of space for straw bails, oily gearboxes or suitcases & golf clubs - but still retains decent off road capability and doesn't look like something you've built in your shed - I think will sell like hotcakes! Surely that's a better future for the defender than Tata deciding it costs too much to make, doesn't meet current regs and doesn't sell very well - so just dropping it! I think the choice is probably as simple as that. There was a render of the new Defender with a hard top and sensible tyres - which looked much more like the kind of thing you would see driving across a field in Wales with someone throwing bails out the back. Once companies start producing add on bits and upgrades, I'm certain some will look just as 'extreme' as the current crop of Defenders. I look forward to seeing what the actual car turns out like - and I'm certain that 20 years in the future, most of us will be driving one and not remember what the fuss was about! The current Defenders will look as basic as Series Land Rovers do now. Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brighouse shed Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 autocar have atest drive of this yellow jobby plus some pics of a white one which looks more the part. Also has a comment that the marketing bod is very upset at all the pseud car comments and that they are aiming at forces utilities farmers etc. So hopefully we shall see the concept morph into something more defender like. i still wait to see the proper off road test not the hazardous beach test... my bl***y citroen C5 can ride on a beach but struggles a tad down gulleys and across hillsides though i think that's because I have road tyres on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diablo Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 ...and if you personally do not buy (or make the buying decision) brand new Defenders then you frankly have no right to whine about it as LR are quite justified in not giving a damn what you think! Chris But those buying second hand keep the value of used Defenders high, which makes them more popular to buy new.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hybrid_From_Hell Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 We have to face it - the Defender is a old dinasourus, and it prob would cost fortunes to make anything similar its only that the tooling has been paid for thatr makes it viable. They are not exactly going to have a wide market with it, other than farmers etc and they tend to run them into the ground, the money is in Yummy Mummys, fleet cars etc etc so they are at least facing up to market pressures. The defender as is is so out of date its truicky to know where to start, you'd have probs if you made one geting it throught the current homologation testing ! But it would be nice if the replacement / new LR products didn't look so chavvy Include there the Sport (Horrible drug dealers wagon) envogue thing (hit up ar*e by truck and looks just plain odd) and this Mind you I am probably just taling B*llox and all will sell buckets. Its prob even more importnat they sort out relaiblity, 35th out of 35th manufactuer reliablity is not exactly a "Winner" But don't think the new defender will be anything like thje old one - thats past into history, but the values could maybe rise on late good cond ones for those that need the more basic Def ? Nige Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landmannnn Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 Try to remember that it is still a Concept car (look it up if you do not know what that is), not even a prototype. The finnished product could look quite different. The only flaw is that the LRX concept vehicle gave birth to the evoque, they look very similar. (if you can bear to look at it long enough to make the comparison) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmerboy_y2k Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 The only flaw is that the LRX concept vehicle gave birth to the evoque, they look very similar. (if you can bear to look at it long enough to make the comparison) And the Evoque is so popular that new orders are quoted as may delivery at the very earliest, it must be what the public want and having seen an evoque go round land rover experience north yorks off road course on tues i was impressed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brighouse shed Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 Living on the M62 I am comforted that british workers are working their dangly bits off in Liverpool to produce at least 8 transporters full of evoques a day plus at least 4 full heading north on the M6 mid afternoon. the evoque is weird i hated the sport (blacked out 5 series syndrome) but, this is kinda cute and on my list for new company car if tax is not silly. I still think there is a way to go on development, the shape i think is going to be close to concept, which as they get rid of 26 inch nobby wheels and chrome front gets better, but i sense a determination within the design team to make this the "go anywhere" machine that Land Rover used to be before the 'go anywhere' was a school car park or henley picnic site Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soutie Posted November 17, 2011 Author Share Posted November 17, 2011 It is interesting, as some have stated, that Land rover have had to defend the concept vehicle. Here is their reply in the Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/motor-shows/los-angeles-auto-show/8896532/LA-Auto-Show-Land-Rover-defends-the-Defender.html Peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brighouse shed Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Interesting statement. Am I getting old or do I remember when the DC10 was shown it was stated that this is a concept car and the final design would evolve? This comes across as a defence of a bad design that is not going to be changed as we are already tooled up and making it. we will see as they say hopefully someone in LR is beavering away redesigning the thing, My concern is that concept cars used to be quite challenging even good old BL with design cues for the next ten years but very few finished cars ever looked like the concept. we now seem to get concepts that are pretty much the final car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V8 Freak Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 I actually like it for the new shape, probably going to be fuel efficient etc. and it's got to be different to meet safety guidelines cost efficient to build. They are doing what they need to do to get the majority buying their product. It's not a Milner Race car or a Whitbread challenge truck... It's going to be a mass produced eurobox type vehicle.... We are not it's target audience... What do they care that 20,000 or so enthusiasts in the UK won't be ordering one if several million people around the planet are prepared to? As we die and are replaced, others will carry the flag for the old Defender but when off-road is restricted to parking on your drive or driving across your own land at some point in the future people will only need these sorts of cars! There will always be an alternative to traverse Australia or the freeways of America and those entering into competition will make their own vehicles with Force 9 axles (Or whatever is available then) and they will still be unique machines, generally one-offs! So I guess we continue to plough stupid amount of money into our old trucks to keep them alive and doing what we do.. Laugh when we see one of these new cars slow down at the entrance to a Green Lane and then move on quickly just in case.... Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forkrentfitter Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 living in felixstowe and knowing how many rrs and vouges get exported each week through the port the concept shown will no doubt sell,if it safeguards jobs and secures export orders then it is no bad thing,i have owned various lr products for the last twenty years currently both a 110 and a 90 and yes i think it is time to move into the 21st century. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dantd5 Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Most likely they have modified all the "Faulty Sh#t" we hav ebeen spending months to upgrade!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superpants Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Some Interesting figures that explain the trends: September 2011 sales figures for landrover UK 7596 China 3510 N America 2976 Italy 1075 Russia 1049 I guess from these that farmers in the UK now make a very small proportion of sales, so no suprise that the big selling markets will get the type of cars they want. Unfortunately I don't have breakdown by model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landy-Novice Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Some Interesting figures that explain the trends: September 2011 sales figures for landrover UK 7596 China 3510 N America 2976 Italy 1075 Russia 1049 that cant be bad for 1 month? they where only selling about 20,000 a year, and in this month alone they sold around 16,000. maybe they have taken this into account and realized that the dc100 needs to be, how would you it? 'REFORMED' i find it to similar to the freelander and hasn't got any of its own characteristics. anyway, anyone know what axles this has? and they said they where doing a military version, a slight preview? and also found beauty and the beast! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveG Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 So does it look better if it has a snorkel, winch and some AT's on??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveG Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Personally I'm not too concerned about LR delivering a capable off-roader. I've driven P38, LR322 RR's and Disco 3 off road and all can perform well off road. They have their limitations, but most are as capable as a showroom fresh 110 XS with side steps, mud flaps and low hanging exhaust. I'm more concerned in them making it look good! Personally I'd like to see LR build it in India and be really competitive on price globally. This will have more to do with them appealing to farmers than how it looks and it's off-road ability. They majority of farmers I know are happy with their car orientated pick-ups! Just my opinion Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landy-Novice Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 is that a plastic roof rack??? :hysterical: :hysterical: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
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.