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| Whirly90 Member Since: 01 Sep 2016 Location: Ampshire Posts: 407   
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We hired a couple of Rubicons in Death Valley a couple of years ago and they were awesome. The locking diffs made short work of any obstacle we found. Defenders can be similarly modded but the Rubicon has it all from the factory. I would have to question his comment about road noise and handling, i found it no worse than a Defender, possibly even better.
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14th Jul 2018 1:43pm |
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| Cetane Member Since: 27 Nov 2012 Location: Lancashire Posts: 171  
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Yup, I've air lockers F&R. I agree with road noise too.
I actually believe the Rubicon is more capable off road due to its track width and better articulation from the factory. I even like the new Jimny. A sympathetic overhaul of the original. That's 2 manufacturers that have done a great job updating their icons/legends. I really wish Land Rover would play their cards. Getting bored of the radio silence now. If it isn't similar to the Rubicon in ethos, I'll probably jump ship. Having been team green oval for over 15 years it pains me to say it.  |
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14th Jul 2018 1:50pm |
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| zsd-puma Member Since: 09 Aug 2016 Location: Kent Posts: 2720 
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The difference is Jeep have been updating the Wrangler since its inception. It's gradually been overhauled and improved over the years. Nothing is carried over from the original Jeep.
The Defender however still used a few small bits from the original Series 1! And most of the body is effectively just carried over from the Series 2, with minor mods. The Defender's last major design and engineering overhaul was over 30 years ago when they went coil sprung. Since then pretty much everything has just been a case of sticking engines from other products in them to get them through tightening emissions regulations. |
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14th Jul 2018 7:12pm |
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| diesel_jim Member Since: 13 Oct 2008 Location: hiding Posts: 6126 
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Mercedes have also kept the G going (IFS now, on thr 463 model, 461 still has beam axles)
LR have missed a trick... too busy pandering to the RRS and disco sports brigade. ah well their loss. |
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14th Jul 2018 7:24pm |
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| oneten110 Member Since: 02 Jul 2011 Location: Wish I was still in France Posts: 741
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Mercedes don't even build the G wagen. Unless things have changed they are built in Austria by Steyr.
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14th Jul 2018 9:31pm |
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| diesel_jim Member Since: 13 Oct 2008 Location: hiding Posts: 6126
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Well it's as good as MB.....
You could argue that LR don't (or didn't) build the defender... Tata did....  |
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14th Jul 2018 9:33pm |
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| zsd-puma Member Since: 09 Aug 2016 Location: Kent Posts: 2720
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Magna Steyr do contract builds for various people including JLR. They only manage production and assemble them not design them. They specialise in doing smaller volume builds that wouldn't be viable in a manufacturers own plant - so manufacturers like Peugeot (RCZ), Mercedes (G-Wagen), BMW (Mini Countryman) and Jaguar (I-pace) effectively share production overheads with each other.
Not really, JLR sell LOTS of Discovery Sports and Evoques and make a lot of money from them. I would bet they make a lot more than Mercedes do from G-Wagens. You or I might not want an Evoque, but an awful lot of people do. To be fair the G-Wagen platform was about 20 years more advanced than the Defender platform was. Being introduced in 1979 vs. the Defenders 1959, arguably 1948 origins. (the Defender essentially being a lightly developed series 2). Will we still see it in 20 years? |
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14th Jul 2018 9:57pm |
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| diesel_jim Member Since: 13 Oct 2008 Location: hiding Posts: 6126
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Probably will do... they've introduced IFS this year, suspect they'll do rear next
Airbags etc all still within the laws. Electric G's have been done, so why not? |
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14th Jul 2018 10:35pm |
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| diesel_jim Member Since: 13 Oct 2008 Location: hiding Posts: 6126
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Anyway, enough bitching about everything else, back to the original topic...
That Jeep does look nice. Me likey.  |
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14th Jul 2018 10:36pm |
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| bpman Member Since: 21 May 2008 Location: Oslo Posts: 8069 
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I looked at the 2018model at the Geneva motor show, actually a really capable truck from a company who seem to give a ...
If I’d not already replaced my 110, it would be top,of the list (110 still for sale) |
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15th Jul 2018 6:01am |
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| oneten110 Member Since: 02 Jul 2011 Location: Wish I was still in France Posts: 741
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Jeep has an enormous domestic market and sell roughly 200,000 wranglers a year, Land Rover didn't sell that many defenders in 10-15 years.
The problem is, I have no doubt Land Rover could see the potential for Defender, although maybe not, because didn't the CEO call the first attempt to shift the market appeal of Defender (the Cariba) a marketing department folly? The bigger problem with the Defender is that it is a labour intensive (expensive) vehicle to produce. From the Land Rover point of view, is it worth spending the money to update a product which costs you a fortune to build and which may not sell in sufficient numbers to recover the expenditure. I had read somewhere that the reason there has not been a replacement for Defender is because nobody in JLR can put together a viable business plan for a vehicle which may sell only 15,000 units a year |
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15th Jul 2018 7:43am |
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| lohr500 Member Since: 14 Sep 2014 Location: Skipton Posts: 1330 
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I've had a couple of Wranglers in the past and they were great vehicles. Both totally reliable.
I'ts just a shame the long wheelbase one (current or new as far as I can establish) doesn't have a factory 7 seat option. Otherwise it would be very tempting to swap the Defender 
My fear is that the JLR Defender replacement will be overly complicated and with a higher price point, moving it away from the spirit of what a Defender should be. |
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15th Jul 2018 8:11am |
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| zsd-puma Member Since: 09 Aug 2016 Location: Kent Posts: 2720
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It will be a lifestyle vehicle like the Wrangler, not a commercial/utility vehicle. Wranglers start from £37k for a 2 door and £39 for a 4 door, they're not cheap. The Defender only sold about 20'000 units per year, that's part of what made them special, but it also means they weren't very popular in the grand scheme of things. |
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15th Jul 2018 8:55am |
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| discomog Member Since: 09 May 2015 Location: Notts/Lincs Border Posts: 2533 
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Will Autocar's write up of the new Defender be so positive? Defender 90XS SW
Mini Countryman Cooper S Morgan Plus 8 |
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15th Jul 2018 9:41am |
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