Whist I am wasting time posting - surely there are ongoing technology improvements in the field of airbags. Isn't it likely that the current design issues which have prevented them fitting airbags to the Defender may be overcome? Maybe they have already been overcome and they're just waiting for the economics of fitting them to improve - or just waiting until the EU puts a gun to their heads before sinking the money into it.
I am happy with the Td5 in most situations but when towing it has to work too hard for my liking. I would like to be able to chug up a decent hill in 4th gear towing the camper trailer without having to bury my foot in the floor to maintain speed. Setting off with a reasonably heavy trailer uphill is very hard on the clutch. And from the figures people are getting from the TDV6 it has better economy than the Td5.
And options would be nice. Most other vehicles at least come with a choice of engines or auto/manual.
"Land Rover claims even more axle articulation, thanks to revised bushings and geometry, so maybe the new Defender can rise to that challenge, too."
From: http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dl...7014/1010/FREE
Now that's something I didn't know.
When will we get a Defender? Maybe in 2013
Sales in the United States will be critical for the Defender replacement, which is scheduled for 2013 in Land Rover’s future product plan. To justify the investment, Land Rover reckons it must double yearly sales of 25,000 to more than 50,000. It can count on new markets such as Russia, China and India for some of that increase, but the United States will be the key.
Front and side airbags will be a prerequisite, and so will an all-new chassis, because today’s simple setup won’t allow airbag integration.
Land Rover can’t look to its own technology, either. It admits that the platform under the LR3 and the Range Rover Sport is too expensive for a vehicle that needs to list from about $40,000 in the United Kingdom (that figure includes a heavy dose of taxes).
One possibility is for the next Defender to share development with Ford Europe’s Transit truck, which offers flexibility of construction, a huge variety of body styles and toughness closer to the Defender than Land Rover’s other upmarket models.
This part really concerns me
So who dogged on the dawg?
Airbags are only for those who cant drive![]()
Land Rover operators do not necessarily fit that description, 'specially 'fender operators
....sometimes wonder what all the bull and blah is about airbags, they're not used in motor racing...
GQ
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