Thread: New Defender - Have your say

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear... [Shakes head]

From what I see, most of you are 'judging a book by its cover'. You know bugger all about the spec of the car and are making assumptions based on looks alone!

FWIW - I like the look.

As for the current Defender, the 2.4 is a cracking engine. I think what a lot of you forget is that the Defender has a very specific target market. As such, it is NOT a hwy cruiser so I think comparing with the Toyota is unfair.

If you want to make comparisons at that level, I think you should be comparing the Disco.

M

I've had a bit of a think about this as the concept vehicle has caused a bit of fuss and bother. I think the problem is they are very carefully designing a new vehicle to pay homage to the old but seemed to have missed the mark they are probably scratching thier heads wondering how it all went so wrong. The problem i believe is the Landrover Defender 110 and series variants have never really ever been designed. They have always been a form follows function rather than the other way around like most modern vehicles.

What they should do IMO is build a practical functional 4WD the best 4WD they can build (if they can do a heavy duty 3 tonne truck motor one as an option all the better ). Worry about what it looks like latter this vehicle even if it looks quiet a bit different to the Defender will be a true Defender replacement trying to use style over substance will never really cut it with defender buyers.

Hi All

I think that the rounded nose is functional, it's got to be better than that brick wall shape of the current Defender, that you use to push all that air about.

I don't like the tyres on those prototype DC100's, they won't last at all, doing off road work in stony country.

I do like the idea of composite materials to keep weight down as long as it is stronger than the current Defender, just check out the mess of the bodywork when a current model Defender rolls over.

They really need a ROPS built into them and keeping the centre of gravity as low as possible, if not lower than the current models.

Lighter body weight and driven by smaller more efficient motor = more distance per dollar's fuel.

So looks aren't everything, it's what is underneath that counts.

Cheers Arthur

Originally Posted by wrinklearthur

Hi All


So looks aren't everything, it's what is underneath that counts.

Cheers Arthur

No, looks aren't everything but it does look pretty bloody awful.

Personally speaking I don't think you guys will see that many of the new defender in whatever guise it finally goes into production with. My thinking is that here in the UK the current defender is far too expensive due to the labour costs as they are hand built and the UK market is not the sole point of sale, and it is getting harder for LR to produce the defender due to costs and EU legislation. Now this is where the new defender comes in for sales in the EU and more importantly the US. And this is where I see the ROW sales getting a lifeline........... I can see TATA moving current spec defender production to India where labour costs are much lower than Europe as the current spec defender is in demand in the ROW. Upsides to this could be a cheaper unit, better choice of engines and more importantly the continuation of a Legend.

Just my Two pence worth