o_teunico Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverik Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 You know, I don't think its the actual vehicle that offends me - althought it looks a cross between a freelander and a mini..., its more they're discontinuing the Original Defender body... Not suprised it will be built in India either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill van snorkle Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Wouldn't have one if it was given to me ! Well I would actually, then I'd flog it and buy a JK Rubicon and fit portal axles to it with the change I'd have left over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
o_teunico Posted February 11, 2014 Author Share Posted February 11, 2014 .Wouldn't have one if it was given to me ! And one like this one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diablo Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 That video is 2 years old, so wouldn't 100% trust it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disco2hse Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Last I heard, they had scrapped plans for that model and returned to drawing board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrRob Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Very old video. DC100 concept vehicles. Not the new Defender!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill van snorkle Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 And one like this one? Can you do one with a stylised lightweight type front end similar to WildFing ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blanco Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 My source says UK built but three wheelbases, and not really a true utility anymore.... more of a car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBlue90 Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Well, in a young chaps opinion, I don't care where the things built in all honesty, India has a better economy than us so it was going to happen anyway. I think it's a new way of thinking for the old defender range and I'll welcome this new looking thing into my garage... next to my 90TDI of course I just hope they do a pickup! And actually stick SDV6 and SDV8's in this time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbs Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Didn't one of the comics say they were going to be building the defender in Sri Lanka? John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Given the platform I'd be honest and call it what it is - Freelander Pickup. And, honestly, that would probably be a great vehicle. Not only will that not replace the Defender, it's not meant to, for every Defender you see on the road there are 10x Nissan Juke, Toyota Rav4, etc., and I suspect that is where they'd be aiming this. Some people won't be happy until LR announce they're going to start building 200TDi defenders with galv chassis and selling them for less than half what it costs to build. Oh and it should be warmer, comfier, quieter, should not rust, leak, or break down but also they mustn't use any modern bits, and especially not any electronics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Utter dross, 2 years old o_teunico! We will know when everyone else knows..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superpants Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 I'd hazard a guess that production won't be in India in the foreseeable future as a completely new mulit-product production line is currently being built at Solihull. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V8 Freak Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Fridge, You forgot Tax Exempt from new, 40MPG, wider to accommodate right elbow and the lifetime warranty regardless of any modifications the owner may make..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynic-al Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 I was led to believe the old defender tooling was to go abroad to another factory that Tata have an interest in and production would be continued for none EU markets that don't have such stringent standards and still have a market for a more simple, utilitarian vehicle. So one of the things that Britain is most famous for is going to be made abroad and not be available in the UK I guess it would be good for defender owners as it should keep a ready supply of parts and a company may even take up importing low volumes, I'm not an expert by any means but I believe some of the red tape can be bypassed this way? I'm sure someone was importing Lada Nivas in a similar manor? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Yay, more parts badly made, and this time with recycled steel that turns to dust before your eyes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disco2hse Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 I was led to believe the old defender tooling was to go abroad to another factory that Tata have an interest in and production would be continued for none EU markets that don't have such stringent standards and still have a market for a more simple, utilitarian vehicle. So one of the things that Britain is most famous for is going to be made abroad and not be available in the UK I guess it would be good for defender owners as it should keep a ready supply of parts and a company may even take up importing low volumes, I'm not an expert by any means but I believe some of the red tape can be bypassed this way? I'm sure someone was importing Lada Nivas in a similar manor? Another in a fine tradition. Morris Oxford, Royal Enfield, ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill van snorkle Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Another in a fine tradition. Morris Oxford, Royal Enfield, ...When I went to India on business way back in 1984 I visited a world class firm named Metropolitan Springs, that aside from producing relatively new technology back then Parabolic springs for Ashok Leyland, Tata and Merc trucks, also produced halfshafts and other transmission shafts of superior quality to the original British product. They offered to make my company 10 spline halfshafts that they would guarantee were stronger and more flexible than the very good (in those days) 24 spline Salisbury halfshafts, but my company declined due to cost. British automotive engineering standards, outside of the racing industry, doesn't enjoy a great reputation internationally, and LandRover, particularly with the Defender type vehicles are one of the worse offenders, so I don't see that the Indians could do a worse job of building Defenders unless they try really really hard to do so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GW8IZR Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Fridge, You forgot Tax Exempt from new, 40MPG, wider to accommodate right elbow and the lifetime warranty regardless of any modifications the owner may make..... Perhaps the clock for tax exemption should start when the designer last had an original thought :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disco2hse Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 British automotive engineering standards, outside of the racing industry, doesn't enjoy a great reputation internationally, and LandRover, particularly with the Defender type vehicles are one of the worse offenders, so I don't see that the Indians could do a worse job of building Defenders unless they try really really hard to do so. Tend to agree. It is just unfortunate that most vehicles produced there are not allowed to be imported here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBMUD Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Indian cars, built for the Indian market are not built to be luxurious 'UK standard' vehicles, they do not hope or wish to be, but are built to be attractive to people in a developing economy - and that means basic, cheap and, while not poor quality, made of thinner less robust materials (well, cheap!). Do not think that this means that Indian products are, by default, sub standard. The entire British motor industry made that mistake with Japanese cars 50 years ago, along with many other sectors of industry, and look where they are now! I am not too sure about current Defender production moving abroad for foreign markets. I can see why it may be attractive, and why enthusiasts may be happy for a straw at which to clutch, but one thing that Landrover will design into the next generation Defender is economy of production. It will be cheap to make from stamped and welded panels like a Fiesta, and designed to be made by robots as opposed to the current Defender which is assembled by hand and, allegedly, costs more per unit to manufacture than a RangeRover - in terms of actual assembly I can easily believe it as there are many men to pay and few robots. So the current Defender, if it is built abroad, will have to compete with 'new' Defender on price. New Defender could be built for non-EU/US markets with a basic interior, simple brakes and simplified less 'green' engines so there is no 'simplicity' card to play, just price - and as I observed above, that is what sells cars in a developing market; not heated ashtrays and wash/wipe seats nor the ability of third user enthusiasts to rebuild them as 'off-roaders'. The King is dead, long live the King. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill van snorkle Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 The King is dead, long live the King. Chris Nice sentiments, if it were ever true ! But sadly Defender and his predecessors have always stopped short of that lofty height. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superpants Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 British automotive engineering standards, outside of the racing industry, doesn't enjoy a great reputation internationally, and LandRover, particularly with the Defender type vehicles are one of the worse offenders, so I don't see that the Indians could do a worse job of building Defenders unless they try really really hard to do so. I’m seeing a very different picture of the industry from where I’m sat! I work in an automotive electrical and electronic design consultancy that is going from strength to strength, where a good chunk of work is with foreign automotive OEMS. The balance of trade for vehicles recently went positive for the first time since the 1970s, which is great news- whilst we still import many of our smaller cars, our premium brands are selling exceptionally well worldwide and that includes pretty much the whole JLR range, Aston Martin, Bentley, Mini etc. We have the Nissan plant in Sunderland exporting much of its production to Europe, and the UK designed Qashqai selling phenomenally well. We have some of the most efficient car plants in the world (Toyota, Honda, Nissan) We have consulting houses (Ricardo, Mira, our company etc), successfully selling engineering expertise worldwide. We have foreign OEMS with engineering centres in the UK- SAIC, TATA Motors etc We are building new production lines- (JLR) or expanding existing lines (Nissan). We have investment in modern research facilities being pushed by government in Universities and ‘Catapult’ Centres; (Warwick university, The Manufacturing Technology Centre (Ansty)) The only negative I see is that we have lost a lot of our component supply base to other countries, but even here I am seeing slow changes with a few smaller suppliers we use bringing back work to the UK. Much of this investment is coming from foreign headquartered businesses- they obviously see the benefits. We are a long, long way of the doldrums of the industry in the 70s- Let’s shout about what we are doing well!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynic-al Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 You have to remember the labour intensive assembly and nut and bolt fixability will appeal to certain markets with low labour costs and the lower automation makes moving the plant easier. At the end of the day you can build the same factory anywhere in the world so you either go near your raw material, near your customer or where the cost is lower (people, energy, regulation, grants, taxes etc) There is a definite trend towards repatriation in manufacture, partly due to poor quality but global material and fuel prices are narrowing the gap in price. Couple that with the issues of managing the huge lead times and the cost of holding stock due to bad weather, strikes etc and it just becomes easier. Mini are installing something like 1000 new robots as the range increases. I don't think we will ever see the days of say the train works at Doncaster where iron ore went in and trains came out but atleast its an industry that trades in real things unlike the 'city' that the government has put its faith in for so many years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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