Thread: Won’t be retro...

Originally Posted by Ean Austral

I could very well be wrong , time will tell . You seem to have the same view as me , that being its D4 based. I think that will be a good thing as I think the D4 is a more practical platform that the clone vehicles.

I don't think the 3 person front seat is much to go by , it just means the centre console is not there . Most cars have a 3 person seat in the rear which after measuring the 2 that are in my driveway would easily fit in the front with the centre console removed.

As I say , I view this as a possible replacement for my D3 , so I am hoping that L/R do put some thought into it being build ready for the Aussie market , sadly I just think we will see another very capable vehicle that will have limited fuel range and no space for dual batteries etc etc priced in or around the D5.

Cheers Ean

I think there is a difference between fitting 3 people across and having three seats.

Also I would say that the discovery 5 out of the factory even with its smallest tank has very good range.
Add an auxiliary tank where the spare is currently and you have crazy range

Fuel tanks will get smaller and smaller

Originally Posted by blackrangie

Add an auxiliary tank where the spare is currently and you have crazy range

Yeah one of the exciting things about putting the spare on the back of the Defender is that it frees up space underneath for something else. Like potentially fuel. I'm very very interested to see those specs when LR reveals all.

Originally Posted by TB

Yeah one of the exciting things about putting the spare on the back of the Defender is that it frees up space underneath for something else. Like potentially fuel. I'm very very interested to see those specs when LR reveals all.

Hmm maybe however i think the main reason for spare tyre under delete was departure angle, and creating space for mufflers.

In the discovery the mufflers are on the corners it looks like they pulled them in towards the middle on the new Defender to protect them.

I would say the main fuel will be kept in the belly which is the best position nice and low COG, and doesn't act like a pendulum when you're going uphill. Should be a fair amount of space under the middle for fuel.

Yeah I didn't necessarily mean the fuel tank would be behind the rear axle, though I think we've seen evidence of exactly that in the PHEV mule which had exhaust on one side and "something else" on the other. Just that there's a whole tyre-sized amount of space available for the engineers to work with which they wouldn't have if the spare was underneath.

Originally Posted by TB

Yeah I didn't necessarily mean the fuel tank would be behind the rear axle, though I think we've seen evidence of exactly that in the PHEV mule which had exhaust on one side and "something else" on the other. Just that there's a whole tyre-sized amount of space available for the engineers to work with which they wouldn't have if the spare was underneath.

Thats true actually, I do remember one with something else on the right hand side

Originally Posted by blackrangie

I think there is a difference between fitting 3 people across and having three seats.

Also I would say that the discovery 5 out of the factory even with its smallest tank has very good range.
Add an auxiliary tank where the spare is currently and you have crazy range

Fuel tanks will get smaller and smaller

We will have to agree to disagree on the fuel range /tank size issue. I speak with the grey nomads on a regular occasion and they whinge about fuel range all the time, not only on L/R but anything other than Toyota/ Nissan who seem to understand that having a extra tank is what people who travel distance / remote want. Sure you can fit a long range tank ,find space to squeeze a small aux battery in either under the bonnet or fit a bigger one inside the car that takes up space , then find a rear wheel carrier to fit on the back , but that all cost $$$ to an already expensive 4x4.

Maybe I didn't express it correctly , I have 2 cars in my driveway , both have 3 seats in the rear , using a tape measure that full seat will fit in the front if there was no centre console , the car doesn't need to be made any wider to fit , so saying 3 seats in the front makes it a large full size vehicle I don't think is correct.

Again just my views , but this is where non testing in Australia lets them down. Not every 4x4 is used for extreme offroad , my guess would be less than 5% , but more than 50% would be purchased with the idea or dream of long distance travel or tow tug and it seems to be only Toyota that understands this.

I guess we are a day closer to finding out in the flesh , so all our questions, thoughts, wants , hopes, dreams etc will be answered in time.

Cheers Ean

Originally Posted by Ean Austral

We will have to agree to disagree on the fuel range /tank size issue. I speak with the grey nomads on a regular occasion and they whinge about fuel range all the time, not only on L/R but anything other than Toyota/ Nissan who seem to understand that having a extra tank is what people who travel distance / remote want. Sure you can fit a long range tank ,find space to squeeze a small aux battery in either under the bonnet or fit a bigger one inside the car that takes up space , then find a rear wheel carrier to fit on the back , but that all cost $$$ to an already expensive 4x4.

Maybe I didn't express it correctly , I have 2 cars in my driveway , both have 3 seats in the rear , using a tape measure that full seat will fit in the front if there was no centre console , the car doesn't need to be made any wider to fit , so saying 3 seats in the front makes it a large full size vehicle I don't think is correct.

Again just my views , but this is where non testing in Australia lets them down. Not every 4x4 is used for extreme offroad , my guess would be less than 5% , but more than 50% would be purchased with the idea or dream of long distance travel or tow tug and it seems to be only Toyota that understands this.

I guess we are a day closer to finding out in the flesh , so all our questions, thoughts, wants , hopes, dreams etc will be answered in time.

Cheers Ean

Yes hear what you're saying about the three seats in the back, however my Range Rover classic is a 4 seater in my opinion having a fifth person is uncomfortable for the centre.

So in my opinion having a true three seater where all three people are comfortable in both rows is important.. based on the picture here it looks like there is enough room for three to sit comfortably, but maybe it's just the angle of the photo is taken on.

Discovery 5 would be at least 800-900 km out of a tank on the blacktop, that's more than enough imo.

They get 10L per hundred combined city and Highway.

Small tanks these days with the efficiency that the modern engines have are not like small tanks such as the ones found originally in my Range Rover classic 26 years ago.

I personally would be happy with that kind of range and wouldn't forsee the need to add any additional tanks.

If I was doing a desert crossing I would have a roof rack and I may throw a Jerry on just for emergencies/ contingencies and situations where you need fuel for other reasons.

Assuming that photo of the LR2020 “90” from the rear is wearing a ~32” tyre
I measure the track width of the LR2020 as 1625mm

A hand upgrade on defenders 1486mm of 140mm
But as you noted the bulging stance means the cab width is not going to be crazy wide??

1625mm compared to a 200 series 1640/1635mm is very, close but the heavily tapering upper body will firmly make the 2020 look smaller (mid size) than a full size wagon, especially with the short overhang...

Now for off-road prowess these two features are huge!

But to sell family wagons I think they will be a drawback?

S