With a little over two years to go, no doubt a successor will have already materialized within the confines of JLR's design center and will arguably remain the best kept secret in automotive kingdom until its official unveiling in 2016.
Nevertheless it's fun to muse over what the new Defender (for the ease of reference let's assume that it is going to be called "Defender') should look like and possibly help the folks at JLR rearrange their thoughts. What the new Defender might look like is not a matter I consider worth dwelling on and is as appealing to me as watching water boil. We know that it is going to have to sell in most if not all the 177 countries JLR has a presence in and will have to meet all applicable regulations - the latter being the reason given for having to redesign the current vehicle. Add your 21st century excuses and other boring stuff to the mix and we will have a vehicle that follows a silhoutte which is more akin to its offspring (Evoque/Range Rover Sport/Range Rover) than its own lineage (Series, I, II, III, 90/110). If the DC 100 is anything to go by, then JLR can certainly use some help from those of us who have made this car a part of our lives and, despite its many shortcomings, have learned to love. Moreover, we are not really waiting for a replacement.
In JLR's defence, judging by the words of John Edwards - head of JLR's Individual Products Division, they seem to have come around and would gladly forget the DC 100 embarassment sooner rather than later: ' We are determined that the new Defender will be true to its heritage while meeting the requirements of a changing global market'. Edwards went on to say: "like no other vehicle, Defender inspires affection and loyalty the world over. It inspires people to go beyond, whether they are explorers, ecologists, UN aid workers or Red Cross medics." He said the Defender is "known and loved the world over" and that its replacement would be "instantly recognized" by anyone who knows the current vehicle and "that the core values of dependability [did I just cough and utter an obscenity? - TD] and functionality" would be retained1. Hear, hear!
So, in the words of one Mr. Robert Plant, let's ramble on. What should the new Defender look like?
1. quotes taken from www.dailymail.co.uk. Article by Ray
Massey, published 14:52 GMT 8 October 2013, updated 10:11 GMT 9 October 2013.
Ok time to fess up: how often does your defender have to go to the shop for repairs?
ReplyDeleteI love the way they look, but the last time I went in one, thought my teeth were gonna fall out. Granted it was like a gazillion years old and a really crappy road. Also i've heard the road holding on asphalt is shit, the brakes are bad, no basic safety for passengers, and it's underpowered. What say you loyal defender owner?
Dear Johan,
ReplyDeleteTo your first question: It's important to build a good relationship with your mechanic. I tend to visit him at the shop for this reason and there's always something to fix. Now having said that, my Defender is almost 9 years old and any car of that age requires some attention. I should say that in my ownership I have had no major repairs - knock on wood. I never said that the Defender was a mechanically dependable vehicle (hence the sudden onset of a cough combined with an obscenity upon quoting John Edward - see first post). Neither was my Range Rover P38 and nor is my Range Rover Classic. Land Rover does not do dependable. This is changing....
To your second question: These " issues" go beyond the scope of this blog (see post 2). However, since your comment was posted before my post 2, I feel I owe you an answer.
1. the case of your teeth: I recommend you take better care of your teeth, don't get into a car that is a gazillion years old and try choosing better roads. All joking aside, can you name any other car that is actually a gazillion years old? No you can't.
2. Road holding on asphalt shite / brakes bad / underpowered: Defender is like life. It's not perfect. One must realize that this is not an " SUV" . It' s more like a tractor or truck. With that mindset it drives like a breeze.
3. basic safety for passengers: it has seat belts! (except the ones that are a gazillion years old).