RE: Land Rover Defender | Frankfurt 2019

[wl606]

It looks rather nice.

And what is the 4x4 of choice these days for a not overly rich farmer?

[bakerstreet]

steveb8189 said:

I think it's a grower...

Can you really imagine a farmer sticking the sheep in the back though?

For the love of god can we stop this!!! LR don't care about the farmers and the farmers gave up years ago and bought Jap Double Cab Pick Ups.

I have owned my Series 3 since May 2012 and its being slowly restored. I have also owned a Discovery 3.

Great to see that the Defender got its own unique platform. I really wasn't expecting that and they had most of the land Rover fan base fooled with that one as most of us thought it was going to be based on the D5 architecture.

I don't like that random piece of plastic of body colored plastic on the windows. That really looks quite odd. The all glass rear window looks much better.

I much prefer the 110 version and overall I think they have got the design right, especially the way it curves out from the bottom of the windows. That body line is taken straight from the Defender production line going back to the Series 2 and on-words

Interior looks excellent. Probably the best of the modern Land Rovers since the L322 Range Rover which was pretty ground breaking at the time. I'm really pleased to see that have departed from the current design language for the interior. You can see Defender and series influence on the ends of the dashboard.

Can't wait to see one in the flesh. I'd like to go and have a look at one in a dealer, but I don't want top waste anyone's time as I just don't have the funds to buy one and realistically it would be nigh on 15 years till I could even consider buying one and god knows what mess they will be in by then. Hopefully they don't have the daft and guaranteed to break electric folding seats of the the D5.

[abzmike]

wl606 said:

It looks rather nice.

And what is the 4x4 of choice these days for a not overly rich farmer?

Judging by the farmers round my way a Mitsubishi.

[philmots]

I’ll have a 110 P400 on steels if possible !

[Mercutio]

Am I the only one to bemoan the lack of a manual gearbox across the whole range?!

If even the Disco Sport has had one in recent times, then why not the most utilitarian in the lineup?!

[GreyGray]

I think it has lost what made the Defender iconic - utility, simplicity, a clarity of purpose. For me they have just made another SUV to look good on the school run, which I understand from a business perspective. However for me it is a Defender in name only, and I'm disappointed.

[Krikkit]

petemurphy said:

petemurphy said:

have they said prices only saw the end?

ah found the configurator. but not my morgage

How much was the previous Defender up to before they stopped production? Lots I seem to remember.

[bakerstreet]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

It is, but LR's future can't be pinned on this new Defender and they know that. My guess is they will be saved by the SUV built on a compact BMW platform.

[Jon_S_Rally]

I am surprised to find so many positive comments about the looks to be honest. Putting aside all the business about heritage, farmers and all that guff, I think it looks like an absolute dog's dinner of a car. It's a horrendous looking thing.

If you want a utility vehicle, most pick-ups are now nice enough to use on the road and, if you want a premium SUV/4x4, there are much, much nicer looking cars than this available.

I am out on this one. Wouldn't be seen dead in that thing.

[Jordan210]

Welcome to the new freelander. I mean defender.

Im sure in the flesh it will look amazing. But it just doesn't have the charm of the old one.

[cheddar]

Looks ace as a 90 but too 'fashiony' for me and the prices, crikey moses!

I'd take a SWB Land Cruiser Commercial over this, more like the real deal, comfy, does motorways, carries stuff, off roads with the best of them and only £25k.

[jonah35]

Coolest car of the moment
Green on white steelies please

[Gandahar]

For the sales they had to make it less like the old Defender but still keep the link to the old one. It has to drive well on road now as well as be great off it. A tough job so hopefully they have nailed it.

I think it is brilliant, quite smitten in fact from the looks inside and out to the technology inside. I love the G class and Jimny too though, I guess I know what sort of SUV i prefer....

Well done. I thought it would get more of a bashing on here. I'm looking forward to the reviews, really hope it does well.

[petemurphy]

hmm im up to 58k on the spec - like the personalised brochure though!

[Jader1973]

bakerstreet said:

I don't like that random piece of plastic of body colored plastic on the windows. That really looks quite odd. The all glass rear window looks much better.

I agree. I can’t figure out what the point of it is. On the 3 door it must mean zero visibility out of the back seats.

If it can sell well in the US and China then it could save LR (they might also have to stop having a model line up that has massive overlaps and also competes with the Jag SUVs as well though).

Anyone that buys an early one has massive balls - brand new car, brand new plant, brand new tech, + JLRs reputation for quality will make for an interesting experience.

[bakerstreet]

Jordan210 said:

Welcome to the new freelander. I mean defender.

Im sure in the flesh it will look amazing. But it just doesn't have the charm of the old one.

It was never going to have the charm of the old one. Also, that is something very difficult to get with a new modern car launch.

A replacement Freelander will come but from what I have read, it will be based on BMW underpinnings.

I'm surprised that there aren't any photos of the boot or the rear seats. My guess is this is because they are quite poor. The boot just doesn't look very big from the external shots.

[Nerdherder]

scottygib553 said:

Looks great on the steelies.

Very much so!

[snake_oil]

They've nailed it. I love that. Should have been the new Disco though!

[KTF]

Why the 'panel' on the rear windows? Just for the roof rack options that most people probably won't use?

[Dan_1981]

Is this where I come to complain about axle articulation, putting the hose pipe inside and driving into the landscape before hitting it with a hammer?