McGoverns weasel words, get used to it...

[MrLandy]

My confidence in Gerry McGovern as designer of pragmatic 4WD vehicles is waning fast.

"Land Rover director of design Gerry McGovern admitted that Range Rover and Discovery styling would get closer and closer together and that he wanted to make the Discovery "more sexy."

And this...which actually doesn't even make sense...
"A Range Rover, in my view, will never be a full optimised seven-seat, that's exclusivity. Discoverys are more inclusive, there will be an optimised seven-seat Discovery. So it will be the versatility verses the luxury execution that will be the differentiator. Visually once you start to see these other Discoverys coming out and you see them next to Range Rovers there are definite difference between their characters ? but they're still all Land Rovers," said McGovern.

Brace yourselves for more design speak over functionality, as Land Rover leads the way in The Vanishing of pragmatic, practical 4WD design, in favour of ever more sleek 'sexy' school drop off SUV's and more McGovern weasel words attempting to convince us that these are still real 4WD's.



Read more: New Land Rover Discovery spied (http://www.drive.com.au/motor-news/new-land-rover-discovery-spied-20160129-gmh1ap.html#ixzz3yxiNJCjx)
Follow us: @drivecomau on Twitter | Drive.com.au on Facebook

[carjunkieanon]

I suppose his job at the moment is to make the new cars sound exciting, without actually giving away any detail yet. Frustrating for everyone.

Re the new looks: When Disco's first came out, I thought they looked terrible. I remember sitting in one thinking, 'I would NEVER buy this.' I now drive a D2 and enjoy it immensely - best looking car on the road.

When D3's first came out I thought, 'Ugly.' Now I'm looking enviously at them - they're almost as good looking as D2's. Probably if I owned one, I'd think them better looking.

I think I'm just slow to appreciate new designs. I'm expecting when the D5 is released (and the new Defender), I'll think they look terrible for a few years, then grow to appreciate and desire one.

[loanrangie]

I suppose his job at the moment is to make the new cars sound exciting, without actually giving away any detail yet. Frustrating for everyone.

Re the new looks: When Disco's first came out, I thought they looked terrible. I remember sitting in one thinking, 'I would NEVER buy this.' I now drive a D2 and enjoy it immensely - best looking car on the road.

When D3's first came out I thought, 'Ugly.' Now I'm looking enviously at them - they're almost as good looking as D2's. Probably if I owned one, I'd think them better looking.

I think I'm just slow to appreciate new designs. I'm expecting when the D5 is released (and the new Defender), I'll think they look terrible for a few years, then grow to appreciate and desire one.

Looking at the spy pics of the D5 it looks like a ssang yyong from side on , will take a while for anyone to think it looks sexy.
Also looks like the same old chassis from the D3.

[MrLandy]

I suppose his job at the moment is to make the new cars sound exciting, without actually giving away any detail yet. Frustrating for everyone.

Re the new looks: When Disco's first came out, I thought they looked terrible. I remember sitting in one thinking, 'I would NEVER buy this.' I now drive a D2 and enjoy it immensely - best looking car on the road.

When D3's first came out I thought, 'Ugly.' Now I'm looking enviously at them - they're almost as good looking as D2's. Probably if I owned one, I'd think them better looking.

I think I'm just slow to appreciate new designs. I'm expecting when the D5 is released (and the new Defender), I'll think they look terrible for a few years, then grow to appreciate and desire one.

Yes funny how that happens isn't it. The way the look of things grows on you.

My concern is that it's the 'look' of Land Rovers that is driving the design team, rather than the practicalities of designing a 4WD vehicle. Yes you can all call me a troglodyte or whatever, but I'm actually very interested in how to make new technologies work with HD working 4WD's, rather than just urban centric SUV's. One of the best things going for the Disco 4 is the retained boxy body, which at least brings a certain level of pragmatism to a vehicle aimed mainly at hip hop video dudes (and mums and dads who think it's cool to drive a Land Rover all over the city). The new design clearly dumps that last vestige of pragmatic architecture in favour of sleekness. So now all the vehicles Land Rover design are essentially 'sport' editions of various sizes, with wide low profile tyres, designed primarily for the urban SUV market.

Surely I'm not the only one who sees this as a travesty for the brand 'Land Rover' at its very core identity?

[Redback]

Fugly

[DiscoMick]

Yes funny how that happens isn't it. The way the look of things grows on you.

My concern is that it's the 'look' of Land Rovers that is driving the design team, rather than the practicalities of designing a 4WD vehicle. Yes you can all call me a troglodyte or whatever, but I'm actually very interested in how to make new technologies work with HD working 4WD's, rather than just urban centric SUV's. One of the best things going for the Disco 4 is the retained boxy body, which at least brings a certain level of pragmatism to a vehicle aimed mainly at hip hop video dudes (and mums and dads who think it's cool to drive a Land Rover all over the city). The new design clearly dumps that last vestige of pragmatic architecture in favour of sleekness. So now all the vehicles Land Rover design are essentially 'sport' editions of various sizes, with wide low profile tyres, designed primarily for the urban SUV market.

Surely I'm not the only one who sees this as a travesty for the brand 'Land Rover' at its very core identity?


Yep, it they try to make the new Defender look sleek they will just get laughed at, like the DC100 was. Work trucks don't need to be sleek.

[roverrescue]

When the 100series cruiser came out I felt it was the ugliest thing on wheels...
It grew on me
When the 200series cruiser came out I felt it was the ugliest thing on wheels...
It is growing on me

When the D2 and D2a came out - I loved the shape from the get go
When the D3/4 came out I felt they were the ugliest things ever made on wheels and to be honest I still do. The new discovery shape has never looked anything but fugly. The best looking D3 I ever saw had the arse chopped off and a terrible job of a ute tray tacked on... It was terrible fabrication BUT it still looked better than the factory C-pillar back design of the D3/4

Nothing LRover can do to the discovery can possibly make it uglier

Oh and MrLandy you are truly kidding yourself if you think "function" will ever take anything but the seventh seat on the "form" bus that is now LRover...

anyways what was the point again ;)

s

[RVR110]

Yep, it they try to make the new Defender look sleek they will just get laughed at, like the DC100 was. Work trucks don't need to be sleek.Anecdotally, in recent times the Australian market for new defenders has been dominated by enthusiasts rather than by businesses/tradesmen, so I'm not sure about the need for a Defender to satisfy the criteria of a work truck. Much of McGovern's talk of appealing to a broader market has appeared to imply appealing to a broader consumer base.

[Disco-tastic]

. When D3's first came out I thought, 'Ugly.' Now I'm looking enviously at them - they're almost as good looking as D2's. Probably if I owned one, I'd think them better looking.

Haha i was the same - owned a D1 and really wanted a 2004 D2a with the newer headlights - they look great! The D3 came out and i thought LR had lost the plot with not only the styling but the function underneath.

I now own a D3 and everytime i look at it I love it. I do look at the latest D4's with a little desire tho... ;)

Cheers

Dan

[bob10]

I really don't care what they look like, as long as they are very capable off road, without me having to spend a fortune on after market mods., and without me always being nervous about all the electronic gizmos, which, if they can't handle the rough stuff, will leave me stranded. AND, they must be affordable to the average Joe, not made for the higher end of town. Let's face it, if we worried about looks, no one would buy a defender.

[MrLandy]

Cheers RR

Tojo 100 & 200 are both impractical fat whales.



Oh and MrLandy you are truly kidding yourself if you think "function" will ever take anything but the seventh seat on the "form" bus that is now LRover...


Ah, I dont think I'm kidding myself about anything. I'm critiquing the demise of pragmatic bush ready Land Rovers, in a very clear eyed way. I think Land Rover are kidding themselves about the long term credibility of their brand.

[Homestar]

Cheers RR

Tojo 100 & 200 are both impractical fat whales.



Ah, I dont think I'm kidding myself about anything. I'm critiquing the demise of pragmatic bush ready Land Rovers, in a very clear eyed way. I think Land Rover are kidding themselves about the long term credibility of their brand.

Yes, but do they care about the credibility of the brand to all us die hard owners or care more about the new cashed up buyers that are making their sales figures skyrocket compared to back 15 years... :(

Sadly not I think - Land Rover will just become another brand name on the market and we will be left to restore the older 'true' versions on the marque.

I mean - can you see anyone buying a 40 year old D4 or L322 in decades to come to restor them?

I think not.

[MrLandy]

Yes, but do they care about the credibility of the brand to all us die hard owners or care more about the new cashed up buyers that are making their sales figures skyrocket compared to back 15 years... :(

Sadly not I think - Land Rover will just become another brand name on the market and we will be left to restore the older 'true' versions on the marque.

I mean - can you see anyone buying a 40 year old D4 or L322 in decades to come to restor them?

I think not.

Exactly Bacicat.

We may be witnessing the End of Discovery as a real 4WD too. Get your D4's while you can. Looks like Land Rover only make high riding sports cars now.

[Disco Muppet]

:rolleyes:

SSDD

Sent from my HTC One using AULRO mobile app

[Slunnie]

My confidence in Gerry McGovern as designer of pragmatic 4WD vehicles is waning fast.

"Land Rover director of design Gerry McGovern admitted that Range Rover and Discovery styling would get closer and closer together and that he wanted to make the Discovery "more sexy."

And this...which actually doesn't even make sense...
"A Range Rover, in my view, will never be a full optimised seven-seat, that's exclusivity. Discoverys are more inclusive, there will be an optimised seven-seat Discovery. So it will be the versatility verses the luxury execution that will be the differentiator. Visually once you start to see these other Discoverys coming out and you see them next to Range Rovers there are definite difference between their characters ? but they're still all Land Rovers," said McGovern.

Brace yourselves for more design speak over functionality, as Land Rover leads the way in The Vanishing of pragmatic, practical 4WD design, in favour of ever more sleek 'sexy' school drop off SUV's and more McGovern weasel words attempting to convince us that these are still real 4WD's.



Read more: New Land Rover Discovery spied (http://www.drive.com.au/motor-news/new-land-rover-discovery-spied-20160129-gmh1ap.html#ixzz3yxiNJCjx)
Follow us: @drivecomau on Twitter | Drive.com.au on Facebook
I don't think Gerry McGovern has said anything that hasn't always been the case. The Rangie has always been the luxury 5 seater, the Discovery has always been the versatile 7 seater with the option of almost RR levels of luxury.

[MrLandy]

I don't think Gerry McGovern has said anything that hasn't always been the case. The Rangie has always been the luxury 5 seater, the Discovery has always been the versatile 7 seater with the option of almost RR levels of luxury.

Exactly. Except McGovern is all about luxurious exclusivity. Inclusivity has vaporised with the demise of Defender.

[350RRC]

...................
Re the new looks: When Disco's first came out, I thought they looked terrible. I remember sitting in one thinking, 'I would NEVER buy this.' I now drive a D2 and enjoy it immensely - best looking car on the road......................



Awwwww c'mon, they're never going to become known as a 'Classic' like a Rangie.

I've driven a couple of D2's (same basic chassis and body shell, windscreen, etc as a RRC) and it felt like being inside a plastic cage.

Are they appreciating in value.................. nup, More like halving every 5 years.

DL