Thread: landrovers on hold?

Originally Posted by Zeros

Its a strange global world where protectionism and litigation rule. Bring on the electric Defender unless no one wants to trade with a UK company LOL.

I thought the Defenders were to be made in Slovakia anyway.

Originally Posted by Zeros

perhaps you could post the graph then?

Toyota, Nissan, VW, Isuzu, Ford, all make tradie vehicles.

And those tradie vehicles compare to the Defender ? They get more & more luxurious as each new model is launched and how many of them are mass produced in Asia ?

The Defender production method was outdated (too time consuming & therefore expensive) and they needed to stay in business so Land Rover moved into the much more profitable luxury 4WD market. They are not in the business of making a vehicle for someone like me to buy 10/20years down the track when it's very secondhand.
I think the heritage of the Defender was important to them as a brand but eventually they couldn't 'carry' the costs any longer.
I'm surprised the Defender lasted as long as it did.

I'll have to try & cut & paste the graph but for 2016 Defender sales globally 6,708 and Evoque 112,486 (I can't vouch for the accuracy of the figures).

Colin

Originally Posted by gromit

And those tradie vehicles compare to the Defender ? They get more & more luxurious as each new model is launched and how many of them are mass produced in Asia ?

The Defender production method was outdated (too time consuming & therefore expensive) and they needed to stay in business so Land Rover moved into the much more profitable luxury 4WD market. They are not in the business of making a vehicle for someone like me to buy 10/20years down the track when it's very secondhand.
I think the heritage of the Defender was important to them as a brand but eventually they couldn't 'carry' the costs any longer.
I'm surprised the Defender lasted as long as it did.

I'll have to try & cut & paste the graph but for 2016 Defender sales globally 6,708 and Evoque 112,486 (I can't vouch for the accuracy of the figures).

Colin

The reason Defender sales were so low is because they dropped the ball on working vehicles long ago and only kept Defender for nostalgia - which was a big mistake. It’s what led to the canned DC100. I think they should have developed another working vehicle alongside Defender long ago. Then re developed new Defender alongside old. They don’t need so many luxury vehicles which all look the same. They’ve pushed themselves into one market corner, when they could have had a much bigger slice of the Toyota work vehicle market too.

The mid-duty dualcab work utes are certainly more comparable with Defender than an Evoque!

Originally Posted by rar110

I thought the Defenders were to be made in Slovakia anyway.

Im not 100% sure but in terms of trade it’s where the company is based, not where their products are manufactured that counts with Brexit. ...maybe Land Rovers made in Slovakia won’t be allowed into UK - LOL.

Brexit is just dumb. We live in a global world. If a country puts up walls and tells everyone to F off ...they will!! ...and then the trade will too!

Originally Posted by Zeros

The mid-duty dualcab work utes are certainly more comparable with Defender than an Evoque!

Really ? But the mid-duty dualcab utes are made using modern designs & production methods in Asian factories.

There are lots of "what ifs". I'm not sure staying with basic the Defender design would have kept them afloat. Developing a work ute may have helped but would they back in the day have been able to compete with the big players ?

BMW sold them on, Ford sold them on, Tata invested money in them and they are once again a successful manufacturer.


Colin

Originally Posted by Zeros

The mid-duty dualcab work utes are certainly more comparable with Defender than an Evoque!

Not a leap I would have made given almost all dual cab utes are rear wheel drive and need to have 4wd engaged when needed. That alone puts it in a different class IMO.

Originally Posted by Homestar

Not a leap I would have made given almost all dual cab utes are rear wheel drive and need to have 4wd engaged when needed. That alone puts it in a different class IMO.

So you think an Evoque is more comparable then? 😊

Originally Posted by gromit

Really ? But the mid-duty dualcab utes are made using modern designs & production methods in Asian factories.

There are lots of "what ifs". I'm not sure staying with basic the Defender design would have kept them afloat. Developing a work ute may have helped but would they back in the day have been able to compete with the big players ?

BMW sold them on, Ford sold them on, Tata invested money in them and they are once again a successful manufacturer.


Colin

Yup, the Ranger should have been a Land Rover.