Thread: Discovery Evolution

And what LR have done now is pushed the D3/4 into the RR luxury section,& left a big gap between it & the Deefer.

A 4wd with 19" wheels just doesn't cut it as a genuine 4wd anymore.

If my D2 was stolen or written off,there is nothing in the LR market to replace it with that ticks all the boxes
I will be buying new.

The D2 is a fantastic tourer that you could take anywhere,couldn't see me taking a D4 to to many of the places i have been to in the D2.

Don't get me wrong,the D4 is a fantastic vehicle,it is just in a different market than the D2.

And no i don't want a Deefer.

Maybe the next generation Deefer will be in the D2 kind of market,if you know what i mean.More luxurious,available as an auto,etc.

But there still needs to be a deefer....,for those people that want one,& military markets,etc

What do others think?

Better be careful here.

The last thread that talked about evolution was removed from this forum

Dave.

Originally Posted by Mr Whippy

Better be careful here.

The last thread that talked about evolution was removed from this forum

Dave.

Originally Posted by scarry

And what LR have done now is pushed the D3/4 into the RR luxury section,& left a big gap between it & the Deefer.

A 4wd with 19" wheels just doesn't cut it as a genuine 4wd anymore.

If my D2 was stolen or written off,there is nothing in the LR market to replace it with that ticks all the boxes
I will be buying new.

The D2 is a fantastic tourer that you could take anywhere,couldn't see me taking a D4 to to many of the places i have been to in the D2.

Don't get me wrong,the D4 is a fantastic vehicle,it is just in a different market than the D2.

And no i don't want a Deefer.

Maybe the next generation Deefer will be in the D2 kind of market,if you know what i mean.More luxurious,available as an auto,etc.

But there still needs to be a deefer....,for those people that want one,& military markets,etc

What do others think?

Thats my biggest single beef with LR,when the D1 came out it was a mom-dad vehicle and they sold thousands,then the D2 arrived and it was priced higher so sold fewer and then the D3 was completely out of the market until they have two vehicles at the top end,one at the bottom and the freelander which isn't in any market.Vehicle makers need a mainstream vehicle to get brand awareness and people into showrooms,LR don't have one.The defender could also fill a very wanted need in the resource sector but they totally ignore that too but thats another story. Pat

I think what you'll find is that the next defender will be built on a modified and simplified D3 platform. It will be more refined, will comply with worldwide safety standards, and will be built on a production line enabling them to up the volumes, increase the profit, and keep the costs down.

I think you'll find it will be this vehicle that they intend to fill that market with. This is all speculation, but I know these people will have noticed the gap and will be endeavouring to profit from it!

I'm optimistic that it will be a cracker of a car. If they toughen and simplify a D3 while keeping the costs down I think that would be a great thing.

I reckon its an exercise in market positioning.

Just as Volkswagen - the 'people's car' went upmarket and became a premium brand, and was replaced as a 'people's car' by Skoda, so Land Rover has decided that it wants to be the premium brand off road vehicle. That's why they are streets ahead of everyone else in the latest developments electronically and mechanically.

This of course, as someone else noted, leaves a 'hole' in the marketplace, where the D1/ D2/ RRC used to fit. Land Rover tried to fill that with the D3 S, which had coil springs and conventional wheel control - no 'Terrain Response', but it wasn't very successful and I think it has been dropped in the D4. The EAS and the TR were just too good and the car was designed around them.

Which leaves just the Freelander 2. But again it is a class leader in the latest innovations etc. It is not a conventional 4WD. Once you have raised the bar its hard to go back.

I reckon this is also why LR has closed many smaller dealerships. They are positioning themselves as a premium brand, and need large luxurious dealerships to do that.

Which leaves a market for manufacturers that want to go down the conventional 4WD path, like the Nissan Patrol at the larger end and the Mitsubishi Outlander at the smaller end. But even these are having to go electronic ... in Victoria, for instance, all cars will have to have electronic traction control by 2011. And Land Rover is miles in front of everyone in the electronics area.

So its your choice ... for a while. There are still some conventional 4WDs around ... but not for long. Even the Defender will have to catch up. So expect to see a new - really new - Defender in the next few years. If Land Rover are smart it will look substantially like the old Defender, but will be built on a modern platform ... most likely the D3/ D4 platform. BUT the conventional Defender may stay for developing economies ... just like the VW Beetle continued in Mexico for many years after it finished elsewhere.

There will be more smaller Land Rovers, more environmentally friendly Land Rovers. But I think that Land Rover is well aware of its strength, that it makes the best 4WDs in the world, and it will continue to aim to be the maker of the best 4WDs in the world. In other words, I don't think they will fall for the temptation to go 'soft', as far as off road ability is concerned.

Willem

Originally Posted by willem

... in Victoria, for instance, all cars will have to have electronic traction control by 2011.

Haven't heard this before.

Is this a Victoria only thing, or is it national. I was under the impression that all new vehicles sold in Australia had to meet ADR's (AUSTRALIAN design rules). If any one state is imposing conditions over and above the national standards for new vehicles, then I think it's high time we got rid of State Governments.

Originally Posted by BMKal

Haven't heard this before.

Is this a Victoria only thing, or is it national. I was under the impression that all new vehicles sold in Australia had to meet ADR's (AUSTRALIAN design rules). If any one state is imposing conditions over and above the national standards for new vehicles, then I think it's high time we got rid of State Governments.

I am pretty sure that it is Australian not just Vic. As you said it is ADR.

Having said this I think many years ago (mid 70's?) NSW had their own set of emission control laws over and above the ADR's of the day.

As for stability control, I read some where a while back that this law will be the end for Defender in Australia.

Dave.