The Missing Landrover?

[carbore]

OK, If you were looking at Landrovers product line, what would you add. My concern is that they are now too hi-spec/luxuary. So the agri/utillity/hardcore market is left with little choice

There is not enough distance between Disco 4 Rangie and Rangie sport and even the Freelander 2 is increasingly at the top of its class. The utility side seems to be wanting, and I believe the Defender is on Borrowed time with various environmental and saftey legislation...

How about.

Disco Pickup (to tempt Rival Nirvara/L200 buyers)
All new Defender (Ground up, ultra customizable utility vehicle, space frame etc?)
A Van ??? (Vandrover)
Something else?

[crazymac]

I'm with you here!

I'm waiting with baited breath for the Defender replacement, its to be built on the current Discovery chassis, wether it will be the same wheel base I don't know but it will certainly be capable in the rough! I assume the terrain response will be available for it!

But for it to be a proper utility they will have to get the body right!

[V8MoneyPit]

If they were to do the job right, the new Defender body would be started from scratch. But it would get all the inevitable "That's not a real Defender" comments. So they are likely to compromise function in favour of design cues from the current shape.

All the manufacturers are doing it. The classic example (and close to my heart) is the Mini and the MINI. The old Mini was small on the outside, big on the inside. The new MINI is quite the opposite. It could have been fantastic, but because they compromised the design by trying to make it look a bit like the old Mini, it turned out a cramped, over weight, and (in my view) ugly result.

VW did it with the Beetle (new shape has zero rear leg room!), Fiat are doing it..... the list goes on. When are we going to see the retro Micra??  :lol:

Land Rover have the opportunity to start with a blank canvas. I do hope they don't fall into the same trap.

[Saffy]

landrover motorbike  :lol:

I don't see landrover deserves a future.

[william127]

a defender as it was 15 years ago, hose down inside,economical engine, no real electricry, no poxy headlining makeing running wire a pain, parts interchangable with discos.
oh yeah, and the same price it was then as well :twisted:

[john656]

I heard last year that defenders were comming to the end of their life span late last year.... quite sad being that this is the iconic landrover shape etc. Altho they were getting a bit ponsey with leccy windows and traction control. Lets hope they sit down and think about what they're designing/building this time and its not drowned with electronics that die when you go through a bit of water.

Time will tell

[crazymac]

Lets hope they sit down and think about what they're designing/building this time

Well the program for the replacement is called "Project Icon" so I think they may have realised??

[Lucy1978]

Toyota have the right idea, you can get a luxury land cruiser, but it's also still possible to buy a brand new cruiser with no electricery, mechanical fuel injection etc, so it'll work when you need it to most. Can't buy them in this country though.

[Disco Matt]

The electronics don't have to be a problem. They just need to be well thought out. For example, what were they thinking of by putting the ECU under the seat on some models? :doh:

[sv130]

 Something the size of an 80inch would be nice to see.
 I think it would sell well and we could start the legend all over again, unfortunately I don,t think the front bumper etc would be able to get through the current regs, so it probably wouldn,t look too much like the old trucks we already know.

 Gaz 

[crazymac]

I'll tell you what I can see happening!!

A "developed" country Defender and a "Third World" Defender!!

So we get the new one built on the current Discovery (T5?) chassis, The Discovery goes to an Aluminium Chassis as Landrover are talking about and the current model gets made in India (Tata remember!!) for use by aid agencies and the third world! 

[LiftedDisco]

Slightly off-topic, but what we also need is LR dealers who truly understand their core customers...

Our local stealer had a chap who came in, Labrador asleep under his desk, and actually sold Land Rovers...

Now, they just have 'box shifters'... chap I spoke to last week used to work for Peugot so has no long term affinity... in truth, if you have read the web site (and/or brochure) you probably know more than the order taker...

I want a D4 Commercial...  Do you think I can find anyone interested in showing me one?

C'mon Land Rover!

 :twisted: Rant over....

[muddysteve]

Toyota have the right idea, you can get a luxury land cruiser, but it's also still possible to buy a brand new cruiser with no electricery, mechanical fuel injection etc, so it'll work when you need it to most. Can't buy them in this country though.

I'm fairly sure you can still buy a 300tdi defender brand new for export