Thread: All discussions relating to the Defenders end of production

What should the price of a defender replacement be?

Originally Posted by MrLandy

The only vehicles currently comparable to Defender are: Toyota 70 series and Mahindra.

What makes a Mahindra more comparable to a Defender than a Hilux or Ranger?

Mahindra is closer in size, but yes you're correct, it barely compares.

New Defender price? $50-60K max

Originally Posted by MrLandy

Mahindra is closer in size, but yes you're correct, it barely compares.

New Defender price? $50-60K max

I own both a Defender and a Mahindra and they are closer than you might think. Both the Defender and the Mahindra are simple inside just about everything else on the road apart the Totota 76 and the merc are too full of electronics. Mahindra had an almost identical seating position to the Defender which gives amazing visibility, most other utes have a car like driving position. Size wise the Mahindra is comparible to the Defender too. Underneath clearances of the Mahindra are also similar to the Defender, and the Mahindra has diff lock too unlike most other utes, even the Defender does not have that. Lightly modded Mahindra with mine spec mods will go places that probably only a Defender will especially with the diff lock. The Mahindra also looks a bit querky and there is a Mahindra wave thing going on like the Defender. I love my Defender and it is one car I hope to always own, but dont underestimate the Mahindra.
Chris
Edit, the only thing really I can say negative about the Mahindra is the finish inside could be a little better, mind you Defender where hardly great inside either in the past.

Thanks Chris, your comparo btw Defender and Mahindra is winning me over. In terms of design refinement and longevity do you think they compare? Are they more light duty like hilux etc despite comparable size and driving position?

Originally Posted by MrLandy

Thanks Chris, your comparo btw Defender and Mahindra is winning me over. In terms of design refinement and longevity do you think they compare? Are they more light duty like hilux etc despite comparable size and driving position?

Time will tell re longevity, but everything underneath is heavy duty and massive, it has to be to cope with the flogging they get in India massively overloaded on roads that are hardly roads at all. So no I dont think they are more like a hilux. I helped a friend change the springs on his Hilux a few weeks ago and I was shocked how small the diffs are.
Friend knows someone who drives regularly to Darwin in his Mahindra and he has clocked up 475,000km in his Mahindra and he says it still runs like new. I dont know how much 4x4 stuff he has done, but enough people have bush bashed them to prove their worth in this respect.
Where Defender wins is their almost cult following and huge parts availability. Almost nothing is not worth fixing proved by some of the projects undertaken here. Mahindra are just too cheap to bother with fixing up past a certain point and a brand new one is only 25k anyway. As things get more complicated new though this may change you never know..
Chris

Ok great, so now it's down to Mahindra and Tojo 70 series then.

Is Mahindra at risk of not meeting any emissions or crash safety rules?

Does anyone know end of production date for 70 series?

If I was redesigning Defender, I would keep the exact same shape and dimensions, forgo the rivets, build with new manufacturing technology, on new HD underpinnings that are crash compliant and re-design HD live axle running gear, keep separate transfer case as option.

If Mahindra can update design so it's compliant, there's no reason Land Rover can't, except that they don't seem to want to.