LR unsure on new Defender - Autocar

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LR unsure on new Defender (http://news.google.com/news/url'sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNGJCie9EZqEKS_WEu3uWQ7bCqMALg&url=http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/Land%2520Rover/252524/)
Autocar
Land Rover “knows what the new Defender should be”, according to a senior source, but the company is still working out how it will be engineered and put ...

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[scrambler]

"As part of the plan, it is likely to cut down on the huge variation of commercial body variations and allow military sales to dwindle."

It's only a "huge variation" if you show all the possible combinations and permutations. The number of actual variations in body are small (Only 1 SWB variant, 110 in 2 or 4 doors or truck cab, 130 in 4 doors or truck cab (same cab as 110). And the number of driveline/chassis variations is even more limited (AFAIK only differences in wheelbase).

I suspect they could get by with only the HCPU tub in place of the usual 3-door 110, leaving only three long wheelbase body variants: truck cab, dual cab and wagon. And if they were careful with their proportions and body design they could probably use the truck cab for the SWB version as well. But hard to see how they would reduce from the ute/dual cab/ wagon versions that pretty much every manufacturer offers in their utility vehicles.

[JDNSW]

"As part of the plan, it is likely to cut down on the huge variation of commercial body variations and allow military sales to dwindle."

It's only a "huge variation" if you show all the possible combinations and permutations. The number of actual variations in body are small (Only 1 SWB variant, 110 in 2 or 4 doors or truck cab, 130 in 4 doors or truck cab (same cab as 110). And the number of driveline/chassis variations is even more limited (AFAIK only differences in wheelbase).

I suspect they could get by with only the HCPU tub in place of the usual 3-door 110, leaving only three long wheelbase body variants: truck cab, dual cab and wagon. And if they were careful with their proportions and body design they could probably use the truck cab for the SWB version as well. But hard to see how they would reduce from the ute/dual cab/ wagon versions that pretty much every manufacturer offers in their utility vehicles.

There are actually more variants than this, although only a few appear in Australia. Three wheelbases - 90 with utility and full length roof (two, three or five seats), and with varying levels of trim, 110 with three or five doors (five or seven seats), cab/chassis, HPCU, dual cab ute, various trim levels, 130 single or dual cab, both with either HPCU or cab/chassis. Not sure whether the 130 comes with different trim levels, but I would not be surprised if it did. Add a selection of military variants, and the total number would would probably amount to between twenty and thirty. Certainly not as many as the 2a had, which I think was over sixty, but still a lot.

To seriously take on the Australian utility market would require cab/chassis and HPCU in at least two wheelbases and with single and double cab in at least the longer wheelbase, and to replace the lwb Defender wagon they would need something similar, although they probably would prefer buyers of these to get the D4 or its successor. The problem is, that is just the Australian market - other markets will vary in their requirements.

John

[VladTepes]

That's a **** plan.

[scrambler]

I see I wasn't very clear, John. I meant that the rooflines vary (as with the cab/panel/van variations) but that the actual waist-height bodies are much fewer in number.