New Defender ( I know its off topic)

again ? :doh:

Its awful, full stop. The whole point of the defender was to be a utility offroad vehicle, this looks like a womans sports car.

I would love to see this used by the army

Tart mobile. If that is it, it signals the end of Land Rover as a producer of utility go anywhere vehicles. Sad sad sad. Might just as well buy a Suziki Vitara at least it would be reliable

Looks like the gay design company have been geeting used by land rover if that and the ewok is anything to go by.
Davie:der:

Where is your bloody head supposed to go ? Common theme with this and the ewok is the roof height, have land Rover styling been taken over by ffin dwarves or sommat

Please god that's a concept not for real.

I hated the Evoque in pictures and dislike it even more on the road but at least I can see a market for it, as the new Freelander. This, however, as the next Defender just leaves me almost speechless for it's stupidity.

Just a thought - I wonder if Tata are going to suddenly announce a basic or military version of their Safari and start exporting it.

can you picture a farmer driving that :hysterically_laughi

Lost the plot and the reason why Land Rover was a success in the first place!

obviously theres more money in soft roaders now then the real off roaders

so there actually dropping the old defender design for good ??

It would be a good replacement for the Freelander but thats about all.
I can't see the coastguard or forestry workers buying it.

The defender needs a radical redesign due to the sideways rear seats not meeting future EU regs.

dave4x4 said:

It would be a good replacement for the Freelander but thats about all.
I can't see the coastguard or forestry workers buying it.

The defender needs a radical redesign due to the sideways rear seats not meeting future EU regs.

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and something about there rugged metal frontage is not collision people friendly enough ! - plastic bumpers on a defender

What happened to the original concept - build a Landrover like a big meccano set?

dave4x4 said:

What happened to the original concept - build a Landrover like a big meccano set?

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After long consideration they decided not to do that or there would be tax exempt ones on ebay within months:doh:

as a road car i like the evoque even if it was 2 wheel drive id still like it , BUT it cant replace the Defender ,the way i see it the defender is a vehicle that can be used for any purpose from going across deserts up mountains to moving a sofa it can be an ambulance , a firetruck or a mini bus to throw the kids in ive got a diesel rangy and i love it ..ive had a few but a defender or should i say series shape is legendry ,,id have a 90 or 110 anyday to a evoque even if i could afford 1 lol

Why don't they just make a stripped down, bob-tail Rangie? It'd be better off road than a Defender and most of the engineering is already done. Just water-proof all the ECUs!

Seems to me that TATA / LR are seriously missing the point if that is the new Defender. There is an enormous market out there with the military, Fire & rescue, Coastguard, forestry etc not just in the UK but worldwide needing rugged utility 4 x 4's. Also there is less and less competition.

Rangie.lad said:

Its awful, full stop. The whole point of the defender was to be a utility offroad vehicle, this looks like a womans sports car.

I would love to see this used by the army

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What I don't get is how ****ing blind to the truth most of you are.

1. The original Land Rover was really meant to be a more civilised tractor than anything else "with PTO's everywhere". It totally failed. It was from here that it became popular as a utility vehicle.

2. However that utility status is somewhat blinkered. The Series Land Rover was withdrawn from the US market in the 70's and apart from some limited numbers the Defender has not been sold there. And when it was it was 100% as a leisure vehicle and 100% not a utility one.

3. In other world markets like Australia, Asia and Africa the Defender is not seen as a mainstream utility vehicle. It's seen as old, out dated, expensive, underpowered and unreliable. It's really only here in Blighty and a few other select markets that it is still sold as a utility vehicle.

4. For many many years Land Rover's bulk sales and main income have come from non utility vehicles. Why should they then pitch the new Defender at a market which they no longer dominate or really have any world market share in?

5. Army use. Well it's not as if military sales are flooding the Land Rover factory for the current model is it? Yes additional sales through military is desirable, but it's hardly the prime market these days.

6. Look at a Jeep Wrangler. This in the US market is the main vehicle the Defender will be up against, a vehicle designed and sold for "fun" and "pleasure". If people want to tow or haul something in the States they'll buy a Dodge Ram or F150, vehicles a class size bigger than a Defender. There may well be a longer term aim to target this market also, but with so many big players, LR will have their work cut out to even be noticed, let alone succeed. And all the while the LR brand is moving up market as a prestige brand. A 100% utility vehicle would be at odds with this.

7. Despite the Defenders popularity in the UK as a workhorse, look how much of a lifestyle vehicle it has become here. There are now many Defenders that never see anything but tarmac. And you can dress them up with fancy alloys and bits of urban trim.

And here is the one they built for Noddy -

LA Auto Show: Land Rover DC100 - Telegraph

kieronf said:

And here is the one they built for Noddy -

LA Auto Show: Land Rover DC100 - Telegraph

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that makes me think of a short wheel base disco