End of the current Defender production?
Discussion
So I was chatting to a mate who threw the following out mid conversation:
"Land Rover Defenders are stopping being made in the spring - because the old models failed over 100 health and safety tests in the US. The new model is basically like a normal car that you'd be scared to scratch and nothing like the proper utility vehicle of the current Defender"
Is there any truth in this? I've tried googling but coming up short on info?
"Land Rover Defenders are stopping being made in the spring - because the old models failed over 100 health and safety tests in the US. The new model is basically like a normal car that you'd be scared to scratch and nothing like the proper utility vehicle of the current Defender"
Is there any truth in this? I've tried googling but coming up short on info?
I've bought several Defenders for the business, for other people to use, but never owned one myself.
Knwoing that they may be on the way out, I've 'borrowed' our engineering manager's 110, whilst he's on holiday and I'm loving it and now thinking to order one for myself, as a 'keeper', just in case.
Knwoing that they may be on the way out, I've 'borrowed' our engineering manager's 110, whilst he's on holiday and I'm loving it and now thinking to order one for myself, as a 'keeper', just in case.
There's a reason you're coming up short on info...
...coz there isn't any.
I think a large spoonfull of salt is needed with those comments as everything out there at the moment is all based on the good old rumour mill and the concept PHOTOS which were released a while back.
At the time those photos were released, people started slating its off-road ability, how it'll be useless as a farmer's hack, blah, blah... What a load of utter tosh! I mean, how the f
k can you tell all of that by looking at a couple of fancy pictures??!!??
As for the H&S question, the Defender never really got sold in the US coz it didn't meet their regs. Part of that was for crash & rollover protection, lack of air-bags, blah, blah... Which is why the NAS cars had roll cages fitted. The NAS car was withdrawn when the US updated their regs further.
TBH though, if you went & farted in the US, you'd probably be indited on half a dozen H&S charges!!
M
...coz there isn't any.
I think a large spoonfull of salt is needed with those comments as everything out there at the moment is all based on the good old rumour mill and the concept PHOTOS which were released a while back.
At the time those photos were released, people started slating its off-road ability, how it'll be useless as a farmer's hack, blah, blah... What a load of utter tosh! I mean, how the f
k can you tell all of that by looking at a couple of fancy pictures??!!??As for the H&S question, the Defender never really got sold in the US coz it didn't meet their regs. Part of that was for crash & rollover protection, lack of air-bags, blah, blah... Which is why the NAS cars had roll cages fitted. The NAS car was withdrawn when the US updated their regs further.
TBH though, if you went & farted in the US, you'd probably be indited on half a dozen H&S charges!!
M
hexica said:
So if you wanted to buy a basic 110 and give it the twisted treatment you've got a few years to get your order in.
Simple minds think alike. 
We shouldn't panic too much anyway - you can always "twist" a use Landy.
As for the safety of the Defender, all I know is that statistically, per mile driven it is one of the safest cars for its occupants (admittedly the crumple zone is often the other vehcile(s) involved) on UK raods.
I'm working/saving very hard at the moment in order to hopefully buy a Defender around this time next year. Would be a very cool 'keeper', especially if it is one of the later ones of the production run.
I would like to think that it is possible that the DC100 hasn't been launched just yet is because no-one knows how to replace it without upsetting everyone! I'd like to hear/see what's going on behind closed doors
I would like to think that it is possible that the DC100 hasn't been launched just yet is because no-one knows how to replace it without upsetting everyone! I'd like to hear/see what's going on behind closed doors
hexica said:
Hmm. Cheers Crossflow.
So if you wanted to buy a basic 110 and give it the twisted treatment you've got a few years to get your order in.
eh? It's not as if there are a shortage of used 110's about. Would it really have to be a new one?So if you wanted to buy a basic 110 and give it the twisted treatment you've got a few years to get your order in.
As for ceasing production. Well I think LR and others have been claiming this for over 10 years now. That next year will be the last year of production.
As for not meeting US safety standards... they haven't for years. So not sure what your mate is on about and this alone would highlight they don't know what they are talking about.
IroningMan said:
Beats me that the Defender still justifies its production line space on what, 5k units a year?
Is that all? I thought they made more than that. And despite being labour intensive, I think they are still fairly profitable. Would be silly to cease production, ie lose the sales/money if you have nothing to replace it with or make use of the freed up capability.I had 5k in my head - must have picked it up from a thread or article somewhere, maybe on D3 or one of the reviews/magazine tests of the new RRS?
With the waiting times for the other models, though, I'd have thought there would be some pressure to free-up the space: the Defender is an increasingly anachronistic anomaly in the range.
With the waiting times for the other models, though, I'd have thought there would be some pressure to free-up the space: the Defender is an increasingly anachronistic anomaly in the range.
From Land Rover.com website, it claims to be selling nearer 25k units a year;
https://www.landrover.com/gb/en/lr/about-land-rove...
https://www.landrover.com/gb/en/lr/about-land-rove...
IroningMan said:
I had 5k in my head - must have picked it up from a thread or article somewhere, maybe on D3 or one of the reviews/magazine tests of the new RRS?
With the waiting times for the other models, though, I'd have thought there would be some pressure to free-up the space: the Defender is an increasingly anachronistic anomaly in the range.
InterestingWith the waiting times for the other models, though, I'd have thought there would be some pressure to free-up the space: the Defender is an increasingly anachronistic anomaly in the range.
IroningMan said:
Beats me that the Defender still justifies its production line space on what, 5k units a year?
I think the last number that I saw was in excess of 15k per annum. I suspect that profit margin is better than on the Freelander but all low cost products from JLR are under threat as they can very clearly use the capacity for models with higher profit margins.
Income from JLR is keeping TATA Automotive afloat at the moment so its very probably the the lifestyle orientated new Defender will be favoured as it will almost certainly outsell the Defender massively and with better margins.
DonkeyApple said:
Income from JLR is keeping TATA Automotive afloat at the moment so its very probably the the lifestyle orientated new Defender will be favoured as it will almost certainly outsell the Defender massively and with better margins.
Nor reason why a utility version couldn't also take back traditional markets from the twin-cabs etc., as well as selling to the sort of vacuous tossers who buy MINI ymans.IroningMan said:
Beats me that the Defender still justifies its production line space on what, 5k units a year?
Some people really do talk a load of bks around here!LandRover said:
Since the current model's introduction in 2007, the Defender has consistently sold an average of 25,000 units a year worldwide.
https://www.landrover.com/gb/en/lr/about-land-rover/land-rover-news/new-diesel-engine-powers-the-cleanest-ever-defender-for-2012/M
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