 | Home > General & Technical (L663) > What to believe... |
 
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| pepekleinhans Member Since: 12 Jan 2013 Location: Cape Town Posts: 25  
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I think, even as much as we, Hard core Defender fanes hates it to hear it, but there are more poeple out there that would rather buy a upmarket defender (like the Amarok), that that what there are ou there tthat want to keep the current Defender.
Take the DC100 for example, there where alot more people accross the world that said they like it, than what was said than we hate it. So Land Rover being a bussiness, and also being so many times in financial trouble, that would rather look at the one that will make to most money compair to the one that doesn't. (sales of 25 000 units Defender per year to sales of lets say 100 000 units of for example the DC100) As much as I hate it, it is going to happen, Land Rover will follow what the market wants, (100 000 vs 25 000) and I am sure they have done the market research on this.  2005 Discovery 3 HSE
2007 2.4 Puma Defender 1976 series 3 with Ford V6 engine |
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22nd Dec 2013 6:30am |
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| Pickles Member Since: 26 May 2013 Location: Melbourne Posts: 3784  
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We've just bought our first Defender,.....and we love her, but......she is a bit "antiquated" , & a bit slow, for everyday use (but we don't use her for that, so it's not a problem for us!),.. in Australia anyway.
But, it wouldn't take much to get her, "up to date", IMHO. A 3.2L turbo diesel (150KW, 550NM), auto option, & yeah, ya gotta have airbags etc (surely that wouldn't be too hard to do?). Wouldn't change the body/interior one iota, just the mechanical upgrade so that the power is at least close to the opposition, & I think ya'd see a big spike in sales? So, 3 things, better engine, auto option, & airbags,...& Defender could continue? Pickles. |
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22nd Dec 2013 8:29am |
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| RobKeay Member Since: 19 Jul 2009 Location: Stafford Posts: 1581  
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They could do auto with about an hours development because the ford ranger has auto option. More power would be easy 3.2 ford ranger engine.
Air bags not sure think we sit too close to the wheel. Also no crumple zones etc. |
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22nd Dec 2013 9:13am |
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| BigWheels Member Since: 21 Mar 2010 Location: Somerset Posts: 1405 
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Rangers come in 2 power levels for the 2.2 & 1 for the 3.2. Defender's 2.2 is almost as good as the 3.2, though would work harder.
As a sole driver I'm interested in SWB more than LWB, though would not mind a LWD as well. One thing LR will want are petrol equivalents as well. Both petrol & diesel must be cheaply modifiable to meet increasingly tight EU & US emissions. Though nothing as radical as most people on this forum's Defenders seem to be, I like all the customisable options, outside LR's catalogue parameters. The designers' new  may make whatever comes along as limited as the current Freelanders & Discoveries. Land Rover Defenders. 67 years heritage, minimal appearance changes, still going strong all over the world. Not a fashion vehicle, but fashionable to own. Made for the needy, not the greedy. Ta ta Defender |
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22nd Dec 2013 2:11pm |
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| AndrewS Member Since: 10 Apr 2007 Location: Hereford Posts: 3707 
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I was told the other day (by a bloke that knows a bloke who works in Pilkington Glass) that there WILL be a cheap base utility vehicle at around £11k. This being targeted at the Farmers.
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23rd Dec 2013 8:22am |
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| Setok Member Since: 16 Jan 2009 Location: Helsinki Posts: 422 
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People are still mixing up the "not premium" argument with the "no change" argument. I don't think many of us are for "no change". Land Rover, and the Defender, has always evolved and developed. We want the Defender to be the roughest, toughest 4x4 out there. An iconic vehicle that lends credibility to the other models. The vehicle you should see being used by the UN and bringing patrolling in Afghanistan. The one people go exploring lost lands in. Nothing else in LR's range fits that goal. If used right, that can be a huge brand asset (I often compare to Jeep and the Wrangler — certainly not their most popular vehicle, but separates the brand from other SUVs). Land Rover has just struggled to understand that asset.
That asset is not another pimped up 'premium' (=expensive, upmarket) brandsmobile, but the real deal. Btw does anyone know what is going to happen to the Wrangler post-2015? If that can continue, I really don't understand how the Defender cannot. |
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23rd Dec 2013 10:51pm |
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| jimbob7 Member Since: 06 Jul 2013 Location: uk Posts: 2055 |
2 reasons the Jeep wrangler will carry on being made,it got 4 star rating from ANCAP,it's also cheaper to build so makes the company moar money (which is the top and bottom line for any company).I for one are definitely in the "no change" camp,if they have to change fair enough,just don't call it a Defender. Pov.spec,ftw. 2006, 110,TD5.
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24th Dec 2013 8:18am |
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| AndrewS Member Since: 10 Apr 2007 Location: Hereford Posts: 3707
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I don't think the new Land Rover Utility vehicle (if they make one) will be called a Defender.
If produced it will be called something else and will not be a replacement for the Defender. |
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24th Dec 2013 8:45am |
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| 22900013A Member Since: 23 Dec 2010 Location: Oxfordshire Posts: 3149 
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Yes I think this is right - they have never quite got the appeal the Defender has *because* it is the vehicle famers use, the army uses, the powerline boys use, explorers use etc. Landrover seem to think they sell in spite of these aspects, not because of them. Ditto the fact that it looks like nothing else on the road. I think the VW Amarak is a very nice truck, but if Landrover made something similar I'm sorry but I would get an Amarak in instead. Any new Defender needs to stand out in an already oversaturated and fickle market, Landrover used to be the brand that led the crowd, now they seem to be following? With regard to the Wranger being non-produceable post-2015 I wonder how the Unimog will fare? I'd rather be run over by a Defender than a 'mog! I have trouble believing a lot of what is in the press though, the comment about the Defender going out of production due to emissions for example is so see-through it is amazing they said it. i do feel to some degree the DC100 was a stunt designed to boost Defender sales (which it did so I understand) I wonder if the "it is being killed off on the so and so of December 2015" is having the same effect? 2011 110 USW 1973 Series III 1-Ton 1972 Series III 1-Ton Cherrypicker 1969 IIA 1-Ton 1966 IIA 88" |
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24th Dec 2013 9:26am |
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