2020 Defender Models

2020 Defender Models

Author
Discussion

chappj

Original Poster:

312 posts

143 months

Wednesday 17th April 2019
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Does anybody have any intel on which defender model variants will be available next year?

I’m seriously considering buying a double cab pickup (Nissan Navara N-Guard is current favourite), however I’d happily hold out if JLR will be offering a double cab pickup next year.

Thanks

bakerstreet

4,763 posts

165 months

Thursday 18th April 2019
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The only test vehicles that have been spotted in the wild are the SWB and the LWB station wagons or van side commercials (Later is an unknown)

IMO, LR, should have jumped on the double cab pick up market years ago. The new Defender would be a fantastic opportunity to rectify that and come out with something that takes it to the competition.

My gut feel is they won't do it, because they just don't have enough cash to launch it in three body styles from the start.

The other sad point, with the way that EVs are going. the new Defender is going to be out of date before its even been launched. Its almost guaranteed that its going to be launched in Diesel form and I would be amazed if they even have the foresight to launch it has a hybrid from the get go.


Wozy68

5,390 posts

170 months

Friday 19th April 2019
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LR have seriously lost the plot and their model lineup makes little sense anymore. Just WTF have they done with the Discovery for example and why oh why is it taking so long to bring the Defender to market.

Blaming amongst other things (let’s not go there) Brexit, rather than having a damn look at the real reasons the company is suffering really gets my goat.

The new Defender I’ve heard will start at £45K ..... and will be focused towards the upper middle class as more a fun toy rather than the utility vehicle it’s renowned for though no doubt it will be immensely capable off road still........ So again they’ve cocked up where the Defender market position should be.....

So if they did happen to make a double cab pickup ..... it ain’t going to cost the likes of a Navaro or similar .



Edited by Wozy68 on Friday 19th April 11:30

LimaDelta

6,520 posts

218 months

Friday 19th April 2019
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Wozy68 said:
The new Defender I’ve heard will start at £45K ..... and will be focused towards the upper middle class as more a fun toy rather than the utility vehicle it’s renowned for though no doubt it will be immensely capable off road still........ So again they’ve cocked up where the Defender market position should be.....
I know this has been discussed at great length in the past but, if it is something like the Disco 3/4 and around 45k then they have nailed it. For most families the D5 is just too close to the RR in terms of cost and 'ostentatious' design. A more practical lifestyle vehicle like the D3/4 will be a hit as far as I'm concerned and may even tempt me back into LR ownership. As long as they sort the reliability of course.

Land rover have no intention of building a vehicle for the OLLI/farmer/NGO buyer anymore. Can't blame them really. OLLI never bought new and the farmer/NGO buyer is driving Japanese.

bakerstreet

4,763 posts

165 months

Friday 19th April 2019
quotequote all
Wozy68 said:
LR have seriously lost the plot and their model lineup makes little sense anymore. Just WTF have they done with the Discovery for example and why oh why is it taking so long to bring the Defender to market.

Blaming amongst other things (let’s not go there) Brexit, rather than having a damn look at the real reasons the company is suffering really gets my goat.

The new Defender I’ve heard will start at £45K ..... and will be focused towards the upper middle class as more a fun toy rather than the utility vehicle it’s renowned for though no doubt it will be immensely capable off road still........ So again they’ve cocked up where the Defender market position should be.....

So if they did happen to make a double cab pickup ..... it ain’t going to cost the likes of a Navaro or similar .



Edited by Wozy68 on Friday 19th April 11:30
One of the press releases have stated that it will be their most advanced 4x4 to date. I don't believe that. It will be a different body bolted to the D5 platform, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Not sure if it was ever stated, but if memory serves, the new Defender is picking up a gap in the model line up where the D3/D4 once stood and the Discovery is pushed upwards.

However, you have companies in the US pushing 600bhp EV pick ups and LR are just no where near that.

One of their issues is they are peddling diesel big SUVs and that is a difficult combo at the moment. I also believe the quality is an issue. There is meant to be an unwritten rule amungst new RR owners that they don't speak about their issues. I would be shouting it fomr the roof tops if my £100k FFRR was back at the dealer every few weeks and from what I've heard its pretty much the norm.



Shanksy87

373 posts

122 months

Friday 19th April 2019
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bakerstreet, you come across as someone with a strong dislike for the brand. Far as I can tell everything is just personal opinion, which is all good and well, but you are pushing a very negative image.

The brand says it will be the most technologically advanced. You say its not. Why would they lie to potential customers? And what insider knowledge do you have to support your comments? Given manufacturers add new tech every year to keep up with customer and legislative demands and this will be a newer product than anything currently for sale, isn't it likely it will in fact have more advanced tech on board?

As for launching with a diesel engine. Why would they not, like all their competitors do.

And 600bhp EV trucks? Exactly where are these on sale? I know Rivian have promised something interesting but its not in market and certainly doesn't have any in market support like the OEM's with an actual EV offering.

An unwritten rules about not complaining, honestly. Perhaps they just don't go spouting their frustration at a brand on the internet and focus it directly to the company that can solve their problems.....

I'm not here for an argument but I don't see the point in picking the logic that supports your perspective and ignoring the rest which does not.

Edited by Shanksy87 on Friday 19th April 23:30

Wozy68

5,390 posts

170 months

Saturday 20th April 2019
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LimaDelta said:
Wozy68 said:
The new Defender I’ve heard will start at £45K ..... and will be focused towards the upper middle class as more a fun toy rather than the utility vehicle it’s renowned for though no doubt it will be immensely capable off road still........ So again they’ve cocked up where the Defender market position should be.....
I know this has been discussed at great length in the past but, if it is something like the Disco 3/4 and around 45k then they have nailed it. For most families the D5 is just too close to the RR in terms of cost and 'ostentatious' design. A more practical lifestyle vehicle like the D3/4 will be a hit as far as I'm concerned and may even tempt me back into LR ownership. As long as they sort the reliability of course.

Land rover have no intention of building a vehicle for the OLLI/farmer/NGO buyer anymore. Can't blame them really. OLLI never bought new and the farmer/NGO buyer is driving Japanese.
Why spend the money and build a new model Defender to take the place of the D3/D4? So to push the Discovery more up market and where will that leave Discovery as it ain’t the practical fit for all purpose vehicle it once was, that’s for sure.
Surely the Velar is supposed to be that model anyway?

When I bought my Defender back in 2008 the lineup was basically as follows.

Defender
Freelander
Discovery
RR Sport
Range Rover

By 2008 LR had nudged the Discovery up the social scale and of course it had taken the place of what the RR was originally designed for, but that’s nearly as far as they needed to go. They later addd the Evoque which also made total sense for a certain type of customer LR wanted to attract and finished the lineup nicely. A company that built a range of vehicles for nearly everyone.

A model lineup that made absolute sense, which meant there was a vehicle for all levels of practicality, wealth and if you like the different social classes.

Defender the practical go anywhere workhorse, Freelander the up and coming middle management car for the family,
Discovery the modern version of Defender and more practical day to day version of the Range Rover, an absolutely spot on design.
Evoque, second car for the home Mixing style and practicality
Range Rover Sport, the vehicle of choice for the city and the youthful more senior managers
Range Rover the vehicle of the wealthy with its understated class.


Defender was the the foundation of LR. Defender was/is an icon as we all know, in a way Defender needn’t make money, because the money comes from the rest of the lineup because Defender exists and sells the rest of the range.

Think AGA ..... A zillion years out of date, yet I’m making and installing furniture costing £Ks full of mod cons but generally built around either a refurbished or brand new AGA....... Why do people still buy AGAs when to the novice they are a right PITA to use. Because AGA is quintessential British and there nothing out there quite like it ..... and people like that. It’s seen as solid, individual and reliable, just like a Defender.

Last year I walked into a newly refurbished LR dealership with my wife, I hadn’t followed the LR lineup for years.
All parked up close together were all these new LRs. Problem was the only model we could distinguish from all the rest was the RR.... the others all looked close up the same.

I was absolutely gobsmacked what they’d done to Discovery, and so was my wife who has little interest in such things, I’d not until then even heard of the Velar and couldn’t for the life of me understand why it exists.

Talking to one of the sales guys, I pointed out that it was slightly ironic that in this lovely new showroom full of very expensive cars that the large poster on the wall was of a vehicle LR no longer made ..... of a Defender.

I told him I couldn’t understand what the Velar was about and he actually agreed. They were however selling a lot of new Discoveries but not to their traditional customer base. I asked for my kind of work what is there in the lineup, he admitted there was nothing.

I’d walked into that dealer on a bit of a whim to buy a new LR. At 40 I’d bought a new Defender, so at 50 it was to be a Discovery.

We walked out and I’d bought nothing, simply because in the modern LR world nothing makes sense anymore, all the vehicles just seem to be trying to steal each other’s sales which is absolutely bizarre, plus the mix of practical and luxurious in the lineup no longer exists.

What an utter cockup of a once fine range of vehicles they have made of it. They’ve totally lost their way IMO.

Edited by Wozy68 on Saturday 20th April 10:45

bakerstreet

4,763 posts

165 months

Saturday 20th April 2019
quotequote all
Shanksy87 said:
bakerstreet, you come across as someone with a strong dislike for the brand. Far as I can tell everything is just personal opinion, which is all good and well, but you are pushing a very negative image.

The brand says it will be the most technologically advanced. You say its not. Why would they lie to potential customers? And what insider knowledge do you have to support your comments? Given manufacturers add new tech every year to keep up with customer and legislative demands and this will be a newer product than anything currently for sale, isn't it likely it will in fact have more advanced tech on board?

As for launching with a diesel engine. Why would they not, like all their competitors do.

And 600bhp EV trucks? Exactly where are these on sale? I know Rivian have promised something interesting but its not in market and certainly doesn't have any in market support like the OEM's with an actual EV offering.

An unwritten rules about not complaining, honestly. Perhaps they just don't go spouting their frustration at a brand on the internet and focus it directly to the company that can solve their problems.....

I'm not here for an argument but I don't see the point in picking the logic that supports your perspective and ignoring the rest which does not.

Edited by Shanksy87 on Friday 19th April 23:30
Where have I been negative? Show me the exact sentence.

Land Rover will not be building the new Defender on a new platform. This is pretty much a given fact. As I said, its not a bad thing. Everything is pointing at it getting the D5 platform. Original thoughts were it was going to get the old D4 platform but that would have made another 2.6T car which aint exactly great for emissions.

As for competitors launching diesels? Manufacturers like Volvo are saying Petrol only from about 2022, so yes LR will be behind the times. Where is LR's E-Tron range? We know there are EV Defender prototypes, but I'd be interested to know where LR are going and I personally think it would be a little short sighted to launch it with out even a hybrid form. Hopwefully they will go with the E-Supercharged IL6 from the RRS. However, I rear for future owners of any LR product with a 48V Electronic Supercharger.

As for hatred of the brand. I have owned my Series 3 since 2011 and have spent the last 3 years re-furbishing it. I also owned a Discovery 3 for 2 1/2 years. My dream car since I saw the Top Gear review where Clarkson drove it up a mountain. A tremendously capable car, but I just couldn't stomach the maintenance anymore. Traders at the lower end fear them now and will offer stupidly low trade in as they know they will get kick backs.

LR repeatedly do badly in the JD Power Surveys and have done for years, Go look them up.

I am and will always be a massive fan of the brand and the cars that they build, but I am pretty grounded as to their build quality and epic running costs and we are not talking fuel here, but just things going wrong. My D3 was a good one and couldn't manage 6 months without failing. This is fact. I tell any new owner on the D3 FB page to budget £1k a year on maintenance. Mine was actually more than during the time I owned it and was probably going to be £1500 in the year I sold it.

The other fact is LR are in trouble. They are loosing huge amounts of money due to the Chinese market collapsing and their diesel/SUV combo is not exactly flavor of the month. Whilst the Defender is one of the the most significant British car launches of my generation (Mini being the other), I can't help but think it will arrive a at time where it could appear out of date before it even goes on sale.

I also said in previous threads that I would have a new Defender on lease if the money is right. However at an estimated £45k starting, I don't think that's going to happen.

Shanksy87

373 posts

122 months

Saturday 20th April 2019
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"One of the press releases have stated that it will be their most advanced 4x4 to date. I don't believe that"

If I told someone a project i'm working on it going to be leading edge, and I have no track record of lieing or sensationalist talk, and you said you don't believe me despite being a fan of my work, I'd ask why you were being negative.

Reference Volvo. I do like this brand's recent progress and their comment to go Petrol/EV only is admirable given my preference for Petrol. But why not disbelief them as well? And what is to stop a brand such as LR doing the same, just because they haven't made a press release?

LR have petrol variants of all models far as I can tell, and claim to hybridise all models very soon. Just buyers still tend to buy Diesel where fuel isn't cheaper than water to recover some ground on running costs. Diesel is just a supplement for the markets not controlled by mindless politicians that see diesel taxation as a cash cow.

£45k being too much, is of course, entirely subjective. Given its not hard to spec Fiesta's to £20k and Golf's north of £30k, £45k for a do everything family tank seem par for the course. AMG manage to flog their G series for astonishing sums of money, the german defender.

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

190 months

Saturday 20th April 2019
quotequote all
bakerstreet said:
The only test vehicles that have been spotted in the wild are the SWB and the LWB station wagons or van side commercials (Later is an unknown)

IMO, LR, should have jumped on the double cab pick up market years ago. The new Defender would be a fantastic opportunity to rectify that and come out with something that takes it to the competition.

My gut feel is they won't do it, because they just don't have enough cash to launch it in three body styles from the start.

The other sad point, with the way that EVs are going. the new Defender is going to be out of date before its even been launched. Its almost guaranteed that its going to be launched in Diesel form and I would be amazed if they even have the foresight to launch it has a hybrid from the get go.
There are videos of the claimed new Defender in Mob wearing stickers for EV and Hybrid power. Diesel in the USA is also less likely.

The biggest question mark with the Defender is. Is it really going to be any different to any of their current SUV range. If not, then for many there will be zero point in. The ones in Moab where all air sprung and independent suspension.

So essentially a Discovery 4 with flared wheel arches and probably looking like the DC100 concept. If LR didn’t already build a zillion different SUV’s this one might be kind of cool if you wanted more of a style over substance vehicle.

I still however cannot see this new Defender being a Defender in anything more than name.

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

190 months

Saturday 20th April 2019
quotequote all
Why JLR think the Defender needs to be the most advanced vehicle they have ever built, completely baffles me. And likely anyone else who has ever glimpsed a proper Defender.

I think this is ball, well and truly dropped!

Wozy68

5,390 posts

170 months

Saturday 20th April 2019
quotequote all
300bhp/ton said:
Why JLR think the Defender needs to be the most advanced vehicle they have ever built, completely baffles me. And likely anyone else who has ever glimpsed a proper Defender.

I think this is ball, well and truly dropped!
^^^ This .
The company is being run by madman. They are becoming so detached from their traditional (and profitable) customer base their foolish expectations of what they perceive is their correct position in the market, it’s heartbreaking to see.


Edited by Wozy68 on Sunday 21st April 00:10

Jazzy Jag

3,422 posts

91 months

Sunday 21st April 2019
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You should try working there.. banghead

C Lee Farquar

4,067 posts

216 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
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Wozy68 said:
LR have seriously lost the plot and their model lineup makes little sense anymore. Just WTF have they done with the Discovery for example and why oh why is it taking so long to bring the Defender to market.
My feelings exactly. I bought my first new Defender in '94, a new Disco Commercial in '96, another Defender and then a new 08 110 XS. There is now nothing I want to buy, the dealerships are awful and the model range seems to be various sizes of the same characterless jelly mould.

The reply seems to be they couldn't make money making the Defender and only sold 16000 in the last year of production. When you look at the following LR have, all the shows etc. to me this shows what a pisspoor job they did selling them. On the resale values you should have been able to lease one for peanuts but lease prices were always extortionate.

chappj

Original Poster:

312 posts

143 months

Tuesday 23rd April 2019
quotequote all
I should rename the thread to "where did LR go wrong?"

As others have already stated frustrations with the direction of models in recent years, I may as well jump on the band wagon...

I've bought 3 land rovers (2003 Freelander, 2005 DS3, 2017 Disco Sport) and nearly bought a 110 XS in 2010. I love the brand. A lot.

But... dealer experience is pretty poor throughout the South-East. They clearly have full order books as when we bought our £48k DS-Sport in 2017 it was a task to even get them to return our calls (across x4 dealerships). Servicing or ad-hoc checks require at least 2 months notice.

I'd love to know the background on why they demised the defender production when the replacement was at least 5 yrs down the road. Even with investment being required for whatever Euro legislation, it could have been a loss leader to keep the brand/marketing alive. There is a growing trend of people prioritising fun over function when purchasing new cars so I just don't really understand why it takes them so much longer than Jeep to build a ground up replacement that's authentic to the original? (not that I want to buy a Jeep)

Anyway, back to my original question re: double cab defender being released in 2020; looks like I'm off to Nissan to buy an N-Guard Navara.


Wozy68

5,390 posts

170 months

Wednesday 24th April 2019
quotequote all
chappj said:
I should rename the thread to "where did LR go wrong?"

As others have already stated frustrations with the direction of models in recent years, I may as well jump on the band wagon...

I've bought 3 land rovers (2003 Freelander, 2005 DS3, 2017 Disco Sport) and nearly bought a 110 XS in 2010. I love the brand. A lot.

But... dealer experience is pretty poor throughout the South-East. They clearly have full order books as when we bought our £48k DS-Sport in 2017 it was a task to even get them to return our calls (across x4 dealerships). Servicing or ad-hoc checks require at least 2 months notice.

I'd love to know the background on why they demised the defender production when the replacement was at least 5 yrs down the road. Even with investment being required for whatever Euro legislation, it could have been a loss leader to keep the brand/marketing alive. There is a growing trend of people prioritising fun over function when purchasing new cars so I just don't really understand why it takes them so much longer than Jeep to build a ground up replacement that's authentic to the original? (not that I want to buy a Jeep)

Anyway, back to my original question re: double cab defender being released in 2020; looks like I'm off to Nissan to buy an N-Guard Navara.
I know a few guys who work for JLR (in different departments) and believe me when I say that if you’d heard the things I have you be amazed the place is still going.
Think BL of the Seventies and you wouldn’t be far off the mark......

Ref the Navaro. In 2008 I bought my Defender (110 County Utility) to the laughter of my mate who just couldn’t understand why I’d want such an unreliable basic (no leather no aircon no Nav) vehicle.

In 135K miles it’s had a new gearbox (under warranty), a complete new set of brakes at 135K miles and on its 2nd clutch, a couple of light switches one new brake calliper (again under warranty) and one rear offside damper. It cost me £19.5K plus VAT 11 years ago and is still worth circa £12K plus VAT today

My mates Navaro cost £23K plus VAT and sold it for £800 cash last year.
In the 10 years he owned it, it had 2 x props, 4 clutches, 2x engine mounts and multiple times (generally when overtaking) going into safe mode..... it was an absolute pile of pants......

Defender ...... By far the cheapest vehicle I’ve owned and for me at least the most reliable.

Such a shame LR couldn’t get side airbags to work, which I’ve been told was one of the main reasons it was dropped.


Edited by Wozy68 on Wednesday 24th April 10:24

ettore

4,131 posts

252 months

Wednesday 24th April 2019
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...as a counter, I've bought 3 LR/RR's since 2014, RRS, Disco5 and now an SDV8 RR. So far (and I am touching wood) I've had one faulty warning light and nothing else.

JLR also sell many, many more LR and RR's than they used to at a generally more profitable price point. They are offering hybrids and they have a world-class, award winning EV platform (currently badged as a Jaguar). I suspect the new Defender will sell well..

They do have issues, mainly through overexpansion and, despite my personal experience, I'm sure the warranty costs are too high. I don't though, think they're run by madmen nor do I think their product strategy is up the spout..

bakerstreet

4,763 posts

165 months

Wednesday 24th April 2019
quotequote all
300bhp/ton said:
There are videos of the claimed new Defender in Mob wearing stickers for EV and Hybrid power. Diesel in the USA is also less likely.

The biggest question mark with the Defender is. Is it really going to be any different to any of their current SUV range. If not, then for many there will be zero point in. The ones in Moab where all air sprung and independent suspension.

So essentially a Discovery 4 with flared wheel arches and probably looking like the DC100 concept. If LR didn’t already build a zillion different SUV’s this one might be kind of cool if you wanted more of a style over substance vehicle.

I still however cannot see this new Defender being a Defender in anything more than name.
Having read this, I have now seen that video of the defender replacement in the desert. As you say it does say EV, so there is hope that LR will get it right.

Rivian were mentioned earlier. Grumbling that hadn't even sold a car....well that company who haven't even sold car have just been bought by Ford and the other major stakeholder is Amazon! I'm still not entirely sure that the american market will accept an EV Pick up, but I'm not expert.

gregd

1,648 posts

219 months

Friday 26th April 2019
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I want to be able to by a 7 seater, petrol engine, non blingy new Defender in a trad colour like dark green. Don't think it will happen any time soon though..

I'm not sure they will release a 7 seater early on so as not to jeopardise Discovery sales.

The D5 leaves me cold and there is currently little choice for full size 7 seater SUV's compared to in the US unless you jump up to a GLS or X7. Q7 or a used GLS is about all that grabs me at the moment within budget.