Maybe they shouldn’t have called it a Defender.
It may go the same way as the Commodore,Monaro,VW beetle,and a few others that have been named after an old model run,then disappeared a few years later.
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Maybe they shouldn’t have called it a Defender.
It may go the same way as the Commodore,Monaro,VW beetle,and a few others that have been named after an old model run,then disappeared a few years later.
I highly doubt it. They have invested too much time and money into it. I personally think it will steal a lot of disco buyers and do really well for them, the question for me isnt where does the new defender sit, it’s where dies the current disco sit.
If Landrover had just called it a Disco 6 in the first place then everyone would be happy :), except of course the 'traditionalists' who would still be pining for an actual off road 4WD though there would be no 'Pretender' and no one irked by the prostitution of the Defender name :) :)
Deano :)
Lets hope that happens,and as said,the writing is on the wall for the Disco,it is also currently the lowest selling vehicle in their line up.
Yes,it doesn't really sit well in their current line up.
The New Defender 110 also has a smaller load area than the current D5 or D3/4,so that may be thought of as going backwards,if it was called a Disco.
Hopefully the 130 arrives sooner than later.Havent heard much about it lately.
One of my brothers has booked a new Defender test drive today,so see what he thinks of it,he is a LR tragic.[bighmmm][biggrin]
I don’t see how it is insulting to the original defender which to my understanding was an evolution of the series, to further evolve as modern requirements for safety have evolved.
I am clearly biased owning the new one and not the former, but I’d love to have a classic series (with modern running gear - like antipodean or jaunt) as well. I also
know a couple of defender owners most of which want the new one as well.
Naming rights aside, is there any doubt the new defender is a competent 4WD, yes bigger tyres may be required, but other than that it appears to be very capable, not that mine has left the black top yet as it’s in lockdown.
Which goes to the crux of the matter, .... "you can't explain sight to a blind man", as they say. It's a bit like buying a brand new Mercedes Benz ute and when you get home realising that what you've actually got is a very expensive re-badged Nissan Navara, and look how well that little piece of marketing sleight of hand went :(
But in all fairness, the world has turned and the LR powers that be concluded that there's not enough money to be made with a simple utilitarian off road 4WD which is fair enough but strung the Defender 'traditionalists' along with the expectation that this may be the case, or perhaps the Defender 'traditionalists' just deluded themselves that this would be the case.
Either way the new Defender is what it is, a highly complex electronic masterpiece with dozens of on board computers, zero native (non electronic) off road capability and 'soft-road' wheels and tyres. It can have a lovely pair of dinky little external lunch boxes though :)
The new Defender may turn out to be the perfect vehicle for a new generation of 4WD affectionados but a seriously rugged and reliable off road vehicle (like the old Defender) it can never be and was never meant to be regardless of all the marketing hype and bull****.
I hope the new generation of Defender owners will have years of enjoyment and service from their new Land Rovers and that their ownership expectations are well and truly met :), seriously. I'll hopefully still be around in my old steam age 4WD to recover all and sundry for many more years to come :)
Deano :)
Call me an extremely happy blind man
Driving around in my new 110.
I suppose I find it funny because I like new cars and classic cars. Horses for courses. I love the latest 911s and the early versions. The current ones are full of electronics and the originals are simple and emotive to drive, I know which one I’d want to drive on Sunday’s and which I’d want to drive daily or even round a track.
all modern landies from the D3/4/5/RRS/full fat do provide an option to just select low range, switch DSC and HDC
off and just have a blast, you do not have to use Terrain response.. I have used my RRS in just pure low range
and it is still a very capable off road..