They have a marketing effort? :eek:
Ron
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No problems, its just that I dont understand why Landrover persist in giving the market something that will not sell as well as it could. I have driven the transit vans with the 2.4 turbo motor and it goes really well while it is on the turbo. Drop off boost and you are in trouble. Hopefully Landrover is not fitting the 6 speed gearbox to overcome the very narrow power band of the vehicle I drove. A motor twice as big will still pull well even while not on boost. I would like a new Defender but I doubt I will be happy with a 2.4 litre diesel and no auto.
Ian
I think the 2.4 and updated facia was just a stopgap. They were never going to spend development dollars on sticking a new TDV6 or TDV8 into the current body design. LR needs to bring the Defender into the 21st Century, sharing platforms with their other products. In the meantime the current "new" Defender will do the job for the next three or four years.
I think to compare Toyota with Land Rover is a tad unfair ... you should rather compare Jeep to Land Rover as they are the closest manufacturer in the type of vehicles they produce. By nature, people will flock to Toyota because it is a brand they are familiar with .. and feel comfortable buying. Most people would have driven a number of cars (most likely a Toyota) by the time they purchase their first 4WD. Few people take the risk on a big purchase to experiment with new brands, "the Corolla never let me down so I'll go for the Prado over the Discovery". That is why LR have a small but dedicated following.
If you compare Toyota 4WD's to Land Rover, LR's are targetted towards the high end speciality market. That is where their marketing efforts are focussed. I constantly see LR adverts in magazines like Mens Health, Ralph, FHM etc. but seldom in 4WDMonthly. They sell the "exciting" features of their vehicles like the RR supercharger etc. I don't think LR expects to sell high volume like Toyota and I think that is why Ford ended up with LR is because they wanted to play in that market but didn't have a Ford product or the brand image to go there. I can tell you now if Toyota were selling 50 Cruisers a month they would make some major changes to appeal to the "mass market". Yes, that is what car manufacturing is about .. but I'm a consumer/car enthusiast and I believe there are some manufacturers out there that still produce vehicles for that market ..
Another thing, don't be so bothered that LR are not selling high volume like Toyota. I enjoy the fact that I drive a farely unique vehicle and not another japanese washing machine. Not that I'm saying they are not very reliable and well built washimg machines ;o)
Totally agree Grey Landy. Toyota build cars for the masses as opposed to the enthusiast. Case in point, the Corolla is a very good car, but oh so bland and boring to drive.
Whilst having lunch today, my wife was watching Dr Phil. He mentioned he has a "jeep" which he really loves - actually he drives an L322 Range Rover. Maybe he has a Jeep as well but I have noticed even British authors, e.g., Dick Francis, use the term "jeep"
Ron
Yeah, fair enough, but a measly 2.4 with 90kW ffs. Surely they could have found something a bit bigger. It puts the Defender squarely at the bottom of the heap as far as power and torque figures on paper, which I agree are not everything but usually the first thing people will look at. :angrylock:
:eek: :D What are you reading Henry?Quote:
I constantly see LR adverts in magazines like Mens Health, Ralph, FHM etc
Back to the donk....apparently the Toyo is a single turbo, but still does not make up for the difference
I expect virtually the first thing they will look at is fuel economy. Especially in Europe and the third world. If the Landy is streets ahead in economy while performance is good enough that will attract buyers. I'm convinced the TD5's economy has been a major selling feature of Disco IIs.
From what I've read the 2.4 is a modified Transit engine. When I drove crew cab and LWB van versions of the current Transit a year or so ago I was pleasantly surprised by the on-road performance. Here's hoping the Defender model revision delivers too.