The wraps are set to come off a thrilling successor to the famous Land Rover Defender at next month’s Frankfurt Motor Show.
First images will be released next week, and sources have told us the model is a futuristic reinvention of the current car, rather than a simple facelift.
A few weeks ago, we reported on the enormous responsibility bearing down on the marque, given that the Defender has been on sale since 1947. Company boss Colin Green told Auto Express: “If we get it wrong,
we are messing up one of the industry’s biggest icons.”
Ditching the model altogether was one of Land Rover’s options, with Green adding that the firm could “abandon that section of the market”. However, it appears that bosses have opted instead to introduce a brand new car, which is expected to sit on an updated version of the heavy-duty platform that underpins the Discovery 3.
The model would feature an enhanced Terrain Response System. This advanced traction control set-up – which adjusts the engine, suspension and gearbox settings to suit different surfaces – would give the car unrivalled off-road ability.
Under the bonnet will be a range of new four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, developed in-house at Land Rover. The firm also has big plans to update the Defender’s interior, introducing the latest satellite navigation and communication systems.
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I'd put the Defender in the same 'Icon' category as the Jaguar E-Type. There is a behemoth of responsibility on Land Rover's heads on the replacement model. What made the defender so unique was that it was basic, but was a miracle mechanically. Land Rover's of present are fruitful with technology and laden with luxurious leather. Look what happened when Disco 3 arrived - heavier and more expensive. Yes, it sells well - but it's just a Range Rover that's taken one less steroid tablet before leaving the factory. KEEP THE DEFENDER TRUE TO IT'S ROOTS.
I'd really love to agree with Chaardy, and I do philosophically... but if you don't go forward in business you're going backwards.
It's true the Defender is an icon, but LR has been so terrified to change it for fear of messing it up for too long, and the Shoguns, Warriors, L200s, Navaras and LandCruisers of this world have encroached onto what was once its sole territory.
Something's got to happen to solve the problem of the Defender being outclassed and left behind, and change always involves risks.
I think Chaardy and every other fan of the Defender should put their faith in LR and keep their fingers crossed that an all-new, more technologically advanced, 21st century is up to the responsibility of keeping the legend alive.
The point of roots, after all, is they give provide the means for new growth...
Rather than basing it on the Defender, they would be better looking at utilising technology from or for commercial vehicles in their wider group. I note that in the days of Freight Rover, Defender bits were used to make a 4 wheel drive version of the Sherpa.
Another alternative is that its platform is the basis of a range of modular light military vehicles similar to Iveco range. The Defender becoming the entry level "Civi" versions.
The Defender has evolved over the years and is still THE best off roader in it's particular market niche. One can only hope, as chaardy does, that Colin Green and his teem are not going to pamper to the "Chelsea Tractor" section of the market, which has plenty of choice including Land Rover/Range Rover products at the moment. Keep to the faith, and keep the Defender as it's name implies: THE DEFENDER.
Unlike AE's picture, which is the current model.
I would agree that they must keep it basic, mechanically and in the looks department. durable engines is a must and of course it needs to be made of aluminium. All this sat nav stuff sounds a bit OTT but i guess it won't do it any harm. I also think to mark this occasion of the old shape they should come out with a limited edition brute defender with a supercharged V8 and set of beefy tyres, ideally its for the celebs who enjoy off roading to the max.
Er Ben Foulds, it wasn't actually called the Defender until many years after the 1947 launch! The Land Rover is the grandad of all 4x4s defined by it's classic styling and it is important that this is reflected in any re-vamp, a bit like how the Mini has retained it's original lines. Also it maybe a good idea to include a basic version in the re-launch without all the electronic bells and whistles and other non-essential gizmos - are they really needed to get from A to B or for off-roading?
They got it wrong years ago.
Save the heartache and buy an old Shogun, they're half the price, won't fall apart every time you drive it or leak fluids from everything that hold fluids.
And don't give me all the crap about LR's being the best off roaders, a Shogun will go everywhere you will ever need it to, I've done it in 20 years of off roading and I've waited on plenty of recovery trucks in Land Rover products ranging from old ones to the latest 2010 RR Sport with transmission failure!
Chaardy I think you're evaluating the Defender from the comfort of your armchair and not like Skyliner38 above had any real experience. I spent 12 years living in Africa and I can tell you that when a Defender worked it was truely fantastic but the problem was it was unreliable. One of the greatest issues with the Defender was the transmission. When your 4X4 is your only means of access to a remote mountain village that you've spent maybe four days driving to I can tell you that the Defender was left in the car park everytime. Instead it was Toyota Land Cruisers and Toyota Hiluxs (particularly the King Cab) that were prized for their reliabilty and endurance. And before anyone starts to rant I am a major fan of the Defender and like justeddie I think the evolution should be tasteful. There is a market for an alternative rugged 4X4 and the Defender has lost ground due to its reputation for reliability (unless you have the might of a miitary mechanics brigade). Using the Discovery 3 platform might be an ideal way to ensure that it recaptures the ruggedness it was once deemed to have before BL penny-pinchers ruined it.
Us Brits pioneered so many ways into the engineering world.... it annoys the hell out of me that we come up with brilliance and then stick with it despite time and technological improvements.
In terms of road vehicles, we have done it with every form of transport from buses, trucks, bikes & cars.
The market for a Defender must be a) An enthusiast or b) A commercial user.
a) Just look at how much old rusty defenders cost. Wonky doors, locks that don't work and rough engines/transmission - of course along with a cave-like interior.
b) Farmers, rugged off road users etc - both would buy new. But why buy a defender when you can buy something better - probably more reliable and economical and cheaper? Like a Diahatsu Fourtrak????
Many countries support their own manufacturers - how many French customers are there driving around in something other than French manufactured cars?
If we supported our own manufacturers they would have the £££ to put back into R&D and make the vehicles better - OR WOULD THEY? How can we put our trust in manufacturers when time has shown over again that they simply come up with brilliance and stick with it.........
The Japs/Germans are here to stay & have a strong foothold - so the choice is simple, if it's cheap buy a Brit based car & if it you REALLY need it - buy something else.
Sad :(
I've owned 14 or 15 second hand Land Rovers so I'm a typical enthusiast. What we love about them is their lack of complexity and the lego approach to construction - a panel gets broken, you bolt another one on. In the 1950's and 60's, this was a prime requirement for new buyers too, particularly in the less developed world. But those days have gone, with much of the export market mopped up by Toyota. Land Rover have to build cars for the first time buyer, and they won't care a fig whether they're made from aluminium or steel or whether they can change a half shaft in 25 minutes. The new model has to be rugged, reliable and ritzy if it is to claw back market share. I fear we will lose the icon, but LR might recover profitability.
Great to see a new model, however I'm 6 foot 6 inches tall and have always found it very difficult to get in/olut and drive all the L/R model,s dont you think it about time L/R came up with a better drivers seat lateral adjustment should I need to drive one my knees are around my ears (almost) and the window needs to be open. Great utility vehicle but does not cater for us tall one's.
Well, this is excellent news. I won't repeat some of the concerns mentioned above, they do need addressing, particularly the reliability issue.
As I mentioned in a previous post, the new 'Defender' needs to be as practical as the current model, simple to maintain and have easily replaceable body panels (ditch the expensive aluminium panels and swap to cheap composite body panels aka Smart). I'd also suggest that the new 'Defender' chassis be modular. This would keep maintenance costs down and also allow the vehicle to be tailored for various purposes utilizing different body types.
Who said “a Shogun is a good as a Defender off-road”? That’s the funniest thing I've heard since Bill Clinton uttered those famous words “I did not have sexual relations with that woman”! LOL
The Defender is not the grandad of all 4x4s. American Bantam pioneered the 'General Purpose' vehicle, which in 1941 was then manufactured by Willys Overland for the US and Britain. The name was shortened to 'GP', which was pronounced by WII soldiers as "Jeep", which is what Willys eventually changed their name to.
Maurice Wilks, who was the father of Land Rover owned a Jeep and wanted to make a British version. The first Landie prototype was built on a Jeep chassis in 1947.
If Jeep can stay true to their roots of the Willys GP but still evolve with modern times and regulations, aka the Wrangler, then I am sure Land Rover can achieve the same with the Defender - as long as the accounts and management don't mess it up.
It'll be over styled.
Over the top with gimmics.
And over priced for the "look at me, looking down on you" image conscious, small brained, vertically challenged chavs.
There's nothing quite like a little objectivity, and that was nothing like a little objectivity. Your sweeping comment about 4x4 owners lifestyles is puerile at best, and offensive at worst. Incidentally, I do not own a 4x4 but have no problem with those that do.
Let's just wait and see what appears at Frankfurt shall we?
At leas defender is a real 4x4 not a toy
It is fantastic news [AE September Special Issue 1,181] that Land Rover is to keep the legendary Defender alive! It is no less than brave of the firm to create and build an entirely new machine to replace a vehicle with a pedigree spanning seven decades. And the official DC100 pictures suggest a loyalty to the iconic design by mixing tough angles and a purposeful, go anywhere stance, with 21st Century build and technology. WIth one important exception! The Land Rover Defender and all of its ancestors have had a flat nose with a 90 degree drop from the bonnet. A sloping Evoque-ess face is a bit like giving Martin Johnson a Gemma Arterton look nose job. Wrong!