Land Rover - the future sounds interesting
Discussion
The rumour about the final Defenders sporting supercharged V8s has been confirmed to me via a source very close to the factory. Could well be the ultimate 'keepers'?
Other things I learned, in no particular order:
Other things I learned, in no particular order:
- The Freelander badge is now being dropped because it has a bad rep in the USA.
- A Freelander replacement will be badged as part of the "Discovery" sub brand - all Disco 4s now read "Discovery" on the bonnet and not "Land Rover".
- The Defender replacement will, in intent, be a replacement utilitarian vehicle, not a 'lifestyler' like the DC100 concept.
- A DC100 type vehicle will be added in as another Land Rover model (as opposed to Discovery or Range Rover IYSWIM) and there is talk of there being entry models to compete with stuff like the Toyota RAV4 and also double-cab pickups more suited than the Defender item to compete in the Hilux/L200 market.
Digga said:
Other things I learned, in no particular order:
I don't understand this, they have been badged LR2 in the US since 2006. And they dropped the name Discovery in the states for LR3/LR4 in 2005. So they are rebadging it because of its bad name in the states and moving it to a Discovery name which was dropped in the states for the same reason? Confused.- The Freelander badge is now being dropped because it has a bad rep in the USA.
- A Freelander replacement will be badged as part of the "Discovery" sub brand - all Disco 4s now read "Discovery" on the bonnet and not "Land Rover".
Digga said:
The rumour about the final Defenders sporting supercharged V8s has been confirmed to me via a source very close to the factory. Could well be the ultimate 'keepers'?
Other things I learned, in no particular order:
The re branding of the Freelander has nothing to do with the US market, no Freelander has been sold here since 06 and the current model has been branded LR2 since it's introduction in '08. The Discovery name was dropped in the US in 04. The Disco 4 has had DISCOVERY on the hood for months, since the 14MY was launched so hardly news.Other things I learned, in no particular order:
- The Freelander badge is now being dropped because it has a bad rep in the USA.
- A Freelander replacement will be badged as part of the "Discovery" sub brand - all Disco 4s now read "Discovery" on the bonnet and not "Land Rover".
There will eventually be 3 groups of cars, Range Rover, Discovery and Defender with as many as 5 in each group.
JLR invested $4 billion last year and will invest $5 billion this year. As much as FORD! The future is bright for Jag and for LR.
CAPP0 said:
So, they just need to rebrand the RRS as a Discovery Sport and we're there! 
IMHO, it always should have carried the "Range Stormer" name from the concept.unrepentant said:
The re branding of the Freelander has nothing to do with the US market, no Freelander has been sold here since 06 and the current model has been branded LR2 since it's introduction in '08. The Discovery name was dropped in the US in 04.
Can you clarify - are the LR2's sold at all now in USA? Or did they stop selling them full stop?From what I gathered, they want global branding and the Freelander/LR2 did/does not have a good name in the US and they wanted to re-brand.
(Yes, I realise the Disco 4 has carried this for a few months, but I;d not actually seen it and thought others here may also have missed/forgotten the fact.)
unrepentant said:
JLR invested $4 billion last year and will invest $5 billion this year. As much as FORD! The future is bright for Jag and for LR.
In retrospect, JLR was lucky to survive the scrape with the blue oval. It now appears to be on a much surer footing.Interested to hear other opinions on this - I just thought it would be good to have a 'positive future' thread to dump all the fact and rumour into for discussion.
Digga said:
CAPP0 said:
So, they just need to rebrand the RRS as a Discovery Sport and we're there!
IMHO, it always should have carried the "Range Stormer" name from the concept.unrepentant said:
The re branding of the Freelander has nothing to do with the US market, no Freelander has been sold here since 06 and the current model has been branded LR2 since it's introduction in '08. The Discovery name was dropped in the US in 04.
Can you clarify - are the LR2's sold at all now in USA? Or did they stop selling them full stop?From what I gathered, they want global branding and the Freelander/LR2 did/does not have a good name in the US and they wanted to re-brand.
(Yes, I realise the Disco 4 has carried this for a few months, but I;d not actually seen it and thought others here may also have missed/forgotten the fact.)
unrepentant said:
JLR invested $4 billion last year and will invest $5 billion this year. As much as FORD! The future is bright for Jag and for LR.
In retrospect, JLR was lucky to survive the scrape with the blue oval. It now appears to be on a much surer footing.Interested to hear other opinions on this - I just thought it would be good to have a 'positive future' thread to dump all the fact and rumour into for discussion.
TATA ownership has been the best thing that could have happened to JLR. They are the perfect parents, led by a Chairman Emeritus who is a real enthusiast and who reportedly owns every model of Jaguar. In fairness to Ford they dealt with a lot of the issues that had plagued both brands in the past. The big escape for JLR was perhaps the decision of Anthony Bamford not to bid for the company in 2006 after finding out that LR was included. Sir Anthony saw no future in Land Rover!
unrepentant said:
TATA ownership has been the best thing that could have happened to JLR. They are the perfect parents, led by a Chairman Emeritus who is a real enthusiast and who reportedly owns every model of Jaguar. In fairness to Ford they dealt with a lot of the issues that had plagued both brands in the past.
As an owner, subjectively, I would say things made a step-change for the better when Tata got involved - just little (but IMHO important) things like being up-front and thorough with the minor recall/ECU update type stuff.unrepentant said:
The big escape for JLR was perhaps the decision of Anthony Bamford not to bid for the company in 2006 after finding out that LR was included. Sir Anthony saw no future in Land Rover!
Digga snr was excavator sales manager at Uttoxeter HQ mid eighties. Sir Anthony has actually done a decent job of running the firm, but really didn't ever have the common touch or vision that JCB himself. Dad met Joe a few times, despite him by then being effectively retired in Switzerland, and he still knew the product and still knew, by first name and also family members (i.e. wives & kids names) a lot of the guys in the factory. There are some cracking stories about JCB himself, as he was a real character.Digga said:
The rumour about the final Defenders sporting supercharged V8s has been confirmed to me via a source very close to the factory. Could well be the ultimate 'keepers'?
While this sounds cool, I can't help but have doubts. The chocolate axles and LR gearboxes are not up to the task. Which means a s
t load of re-engineering for a model they are dropping.Or are they just going to be bespoke custom hacks all going through SVA/IVA rather than type approval?
Digga said:
Other things I learned, in no particular order:
Considering Land Rover dropped the "Discovery" branding in the US due to it's reputation, I don't see how the Freelander can be branded as part of it??? When it isn't used in the US - The Freelander badge is now being dropped because it has a bad rep in the USA.
- A Freelander replacement will be badged as part of the "Discovery" sub brand - all Disco 4s now read "Discovery" on the bonnet and not "Land Rover".
Isn't the Freelander branded as LR2 state side anyhow?
And removing branding in the UK market due to a US perception would seem odd.
Digga said:
- The Defender replacement will, in intent, be a replacement utilitarian vehicle, not a 'lifestyler' like the DC100 concept.
- A DC100 type vehicle will be added in as another Land Rover model (as opposed to Discovery or Range Rover IYSWIM) and there is talk of there being entry models to compete with stuff like the Toyota RAV4 and also double-cab pickups more suited than the Defender item to compete in the Hilux/L200 market.
CAPP0 said:
I've decided that I am going to go to the dealer's and enquire about this SC Defender. He who dares, etc etc.
Good man. Someone from on of, off of PH had to take the plunge. 
300bhp/ton said:
Considering Land Rover dropped the "Discovery" branding in the US due to it's reputation, I don't see how the Freelander can be branded as part of it??? When it isn't used in the US
TBH, I was a bit confused by that, but then am equally confused as to what sort of cock-eyed thinking got them into the situation where they do not run pan-global model branding.A Discovery (or Freelander for that matter) by another name is still...
300bhp/ton said:
There's nothing new in selling the same car in different markets under different names. It's done by almost all car makers.
VW Rabbit
Opel Corsa A
Pontiac LeMans
Pontiac GTO
To name just a couple. But there are loads.
Perhaps, but not luxury and prestige brands.VW Rabbit
Opel Corsa A
Pontiac LeMans
Pontiac GTO
To name just a couple. But there are loads.
They are selling to the wealthy and well travelled and they need to be recognisable and iconic IMHO.
It is ALL about the brand.
JE Engineering do a V8 supercharged Defender conversion - http://www.jeengineering.co.uk/je-super-defenders/...
So if others have already done it, presumably Land Rover could just buy it in and save any development costs. Or from the other point of view, if someone like JE can do it, then a company with JLR's resources and parts bin shouldn't find it too difficult. Am really hoping they do make it.
So if others have already done it, presumably Land Rover could just buy it in and save any development costs. Or from the other point of view, if someone like JE can do it, then a company with JLR's resources and parts bin shouldn't find it too difficult. Am really hoping they do make it.
Digga said:
CAPP0 said:
I've decided that I am going to go to the dealer's and enquire about this SC Defender. He who dares, etc etc.
Good man. Someone from on of, off of PH had to take the plunge. 
He's a sharp one. They did say they would enquire and let me know, but I didn't feel I was taken seriously. We'll see.
Had a poke round the L405 while we were there, rather nice but I was a shade shy of the £102k sticker price.....
@budrover: yes, aware of that option, thanks, but it's the factory final special which appeals!
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