Thread: The "New" Defender,.....When?

Originally Posted by BilboBoggles

I bet we will see a rebadged Freelander - base or ultra base model - being sold as a Defender. Maybe they will add some wheelbase options but still it will smell and look like a Freelander... my 5 cents

Journalist got it wrong. The freelander is to become part of the disco family. Not defender.

I believe that Defenders are made in batches , ie. left hand drive for a market somewhere to meet that country's regs . right hand drive to meet another country's reg . Say our adr's they do this so as to move them all together , for shipment . It would have been nice if there was an option on engine sizes , In the ford dura range they do a 3.0lt. that goes in the big twin wheel transit . I don't know what the difference in cost would have been , but surely It would not have been too much more than the 2.2 . there are many markets that are outside Europe , South America , Africa ,Russia, and Australia ,plus parts Asia .But alas It was or will never happen ...

Originally Posted by jimr1

I believe that Defenders are made in batches , ie. left hand drive for a market somewhere to meet that country's regs . right hand drive to meet another country's reg . Say our adr's they do this so as to move them all together , for shipment . It would have been nice if there was an option on engine sizes , In the ford dura range they do a 3.0lt. that goes in the big twin wheel transit . I don't know what the difference in cost would have been , but surely It would not have been too much more than the 2.2 . there are many markets that are outside Europe , South America , Africa ,Russia, and Australia ,plus parts Asia .But alas It was or will never happen ...

I agree that a bigger engine option would have been popular, & would have increased the appeal of the Defender to many potential buyers.
Cheers, Pickles.

Originally Posted by Pickles2

I agree that a bigger engine option would have been popular, & would have increased the appeal of the Defender to many potential buyers.
Cheers, Pickles.

The way I see it Landrovers only ever came with two options... buy it or buy something else. Australians have always complained that Landies are underpowered and the axles are made of toffee and back at Solihull it was a case of "I say old boy, when will these colonials ever learn just who knows best?". That's why so many Aussies bought Toyotas and Nissans in the first place.
A shame to think what might have been. I think Santana in Spain addressed most of the issues and if they were available here Rover would have had to take notice?

Landrover never learnt from a decade called the 80's sales where increased over the 70's declines, we had 3 engine options 3.9 petrol or diesels and the old 2.5 that they stopped importing as they could not be given away.
Now they give us the 2.2 puma built in the same plant as the Ford rangers TD5 PUMA 3.2, as has been stated how many sales have been lost and if they put in an auto from Fords massive parts list or even the old 4spd from the D2 they could have sold 30-50% more again.
We can but hope they have a more serious go in the future and not a series of borderline patches.

Originally Posted by jimr1

I believe that Defenders are made in batches , ie. left hand drive for a market somewhere to meet that country's regs . right hand drive to meet another country's reg . Say our adr's they do this so as to move them all together , for shipment . It would have been nice if there was an option on engine sizes , In the ford dura range they do a 3.0lt. that goes in the big twin wheel transit . I don't know what the difference in cost would have been , but surely It would not have been too much more than the 2.2 . there are many markets that are outside Europe , South America , Africa ,Russia, and Australia ,plus parts Asia .But alas It was or will never happen ...

You may very well be right from a marketing perspective, and I probably would have gotten the bigger one if there was a choice, but having done 5000 ks in mine Im really suprised at the power. Its way quick between 0 and 120. I dont really go faster than that, and it pulls like a train.

Im also loving the 10.48 L/100kms im getting.

Originally Posted by JamesB71

You may very well be right from a marketing perspective, and I probably would have gotten the bigger one if there was a choice, but having done 5000 ks in mine Im really suprised at the power. Its way quick between 0 and 120. I dont really go faster than that, and it pulls like a train.

Im also loving the 10.48 L/100kms im getting.

I was wondering about you,.....Are you ok in the fires up your way?
Cheers, Pickles.

To resurrect this thread slightly....

The progress of the Land Rover marketing approach seesm to indicate a place for the Deefender style of vehicle in its line up. (not to mention a potential shape change for the Disco line)

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/land-ro...amily-set-grow





I don't know whether this has been posted before... it is actually a photoshop image from years ago when the 2007 Defender was being touted... anyway I'd be interested in people's comments on THIS type of styling....