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Sorry to hear you went down the Nissan road. I went the other way after three Nissans I went to a Defender. Did you go to Barbgallo's in Ozzy park or Southerns? Me personally found the guys a Ozzy park very rude. So I traveled down to Southerns. Like you I'm from the Northern Burbs. A mate bought a new D3 two years ago and did the same thing. He's Nothern Burbs as well. Good luck with the Patrol anyway (I still ahve a soft spot for the old girls):)
You hit on the money...was ozzie park...
Nissan is a great family bus. I'm really happy with it..
thing is i still search for defender goss..not nissan..Know what the heart wants..
one day
Doors have been the same size since 1958. Not going to change short of a complete redesign.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rangier Rover
It is almost impossible to say what the current financial situation will do to Landrover or any other company. In my view, what is likely to happen is to put just about everything on hold. It is all very well to say that the future of car company X depends on getting a new model into production, but with a negative cash flow and no hope of getting any capital, the best it can hope for is to rationalise the production facilities and models and continue to produce its best sellers (or more accurately its most profitable models - not necessarily the same). Where Landrover is likely to run into complications is if, for example, an engine supplier stops making that model engine.
So in my view, the most likely thing to happen to the Defender replacement is for it to be pushed further into the future with minimal changes to the current model. The only real alternative would be a new model on the D3 platform, which would involve a lot of tooling, and in the current climate, it is difficult to see how Landrover could find the money for this.
John
I would think we've still got a few years left.
The military may determine it's future.
Although a 2.7l tdv6 defender would be nice? 6 Sp Auto?
I'm with you John..I reckon 2010 will turn into 2012..Quote:
Originally Posted by JDNSW
maybe new engine..but basically same car.
The defender is like the Caribou aircraft in the RAAF..Bloody old design ..needs replacing..But NOTHING can do the same job...hence the gravel truck is still round.
ab
so you didn't buy one because your wife didn't like the salesman??????!!!!!!!!!
My two cents worth…..If TATA start production of the Defender in India (??????) I reckon it’ll stay just the way it is for a long time to come. Engine and drive chain may change but the rest will keep on keeping on. Why? Having done a bit of worked in India two years back. I noticed that the little yellow and black taxi on the road are old Ambassadors. Made just the way they where when England sold the patent to them god knows how many years age. Also I looked a buying a brand new, straight off the show room floor 500cc Royal Enfield. Still made there! There is no copy right as such from what I under stand. Plagiarism of well know brands is rife. Now this is only what I perceived to have seen. I’m saying this is gospel. But as I said before IF they decide to manufacture Defenders in Indian I don’t thing we’ll have to worry too much about replacement parts for a while.
I would suggest that should Tata continue with the Defender they will produce as much material for it as they can inhouse.I know they are a big steel producer so they might scrap the birmabright body and go for an all steel one.I suppose it will depend on where Tata sees it's main markets.
If it is to be India,China and other places where emission controls do not dictate the type of car that is produced they might go for a real back to basics no frills vehicle that people with little money would be glad to get.Something that can be repaired by the local blacksmith if necessary.Such a vehicle would not be saleable in the so called developed world with it's laws on airbags and exhaust emissions etc.I am sure that a new spec series Land Rover would be a very useful piece of machinery in an Indian village.The wealth of electronics we have to have due to various laws will of course not be included.
Whether Tata continues the Defender for us is another matter.It might not be commercially viable for them to do so if they must keep changing to comply with stricter laws.
Just to finish.Mercedes make the Unimog.It hardly sells in huge volumes, is very expensive and hardly has any components in common with main stream Mercedes cars.Yet it is still commercially viable to produce.You wonder how the Defender keeps getting written of as expensive to produce etc.etc.The Defender makes a perfectly acceptable family car but you could hardly say the same about the Unimog.Only time will tell.
Legislation is only relative to the market, the volume you expect to achieve and profit margin.
Hence the threat by BMW motor bikes division to leave the Australian market in the late eighties if Australia went ahead with its proposed noise and emission rules for motor bikes. Why should bikes be allowed to get away with high polution levels both noise and exhaust? While only a bit player in terms of volume a cynic would say they were able to bring enough pressure to bear from their specialised customers to have the rules killed. Most of their sales were to police users who did not want to change brands.
Toyota sells the same 4x4 around the world - right? Wrong the spec including emissions and electronics are changed to match the needs /wants of the particular market. Africa and other more undeveloped markets receive vehicles which when you lift the bonnet are tech free versions of what is sold in developed countries.
Even the tractor maufacturers do the same a John Deere for the Australian market is full of electronics while one for India has none and can still be kept going with repairs from fencing wire.
The Indian Royal Enfield is not a knock off version. Production of the bike commenced in India when it was still a current model and continued. As the Indian market was protected from imports there was no need for a new model just subtle update like an electric start.
Perhaps this "dealer rudeness" should be a new thread? I am an XJ 95 Chekka owner who does like Land Rover Defenders. When I bought my chekka new in '96, it only narrowly beat the Defender as a choice for reasons I cannot remember. To this day, I have never been disappointed with the XJ. Now, I have been slowly considering purchasing a new Fender, the Puma to replace the XJ. I walked into two showrooms where my reflection was bouncing off the polished tiled floor, and blinding me. I started to ask about the 60 anniversary model on display in both dealerships [in Sydney], but declared interest in the vanilla model. Was "it available for a test drive?". I got snooty looks, one word answers from so-called sales people [on other questions] etc.. .... well, you quickly get the picture.Quote:
Originally Posted by Nera Donna
Couldn't believe that in the current economic climate, I was getting the brush off. Anyway, my request to arrange a time for a test drive was glossed over and as I mentioned, my other questions drew one word responses. In one dealership, the demonstrator was downstairs - doesn't matter now ...
The same thought has hit me as other posters in this thread. I still like the Puma, and all Defenders, I understand its current and future problems, appreciate the history, but have decided to admire from afar. I am not prepared to go through a dealership and put up with the snootyness of sales reps. They don't deserve my time, my money in their commission, or keeping their polished tiled floors clean.
If they offer this kind of interest in pre-sales, I did not really want to sample their after sales customer service. I think I will keep my XJ for a little longer....:cool: