RE: 2020 Land Rover Defender | The long review
Discussion
They seem to have got it spot on. Impressive specification and numbers especially those around the chassis, loading and engine. Interesting also hw it performs with the electronics off. Bodes well for more basic future versions.
It would be commercial suicide to start by selling the cheaper, commercials and load lugging versions first but by the sound of it there is plenty of scope for those versions later. Not that the current base models are far from the run out models of the old one.
Excellent article and those who are still determined to ignore the new one seem to be dug into some kind of cultural war where it is not the product but what it says about how consumers have changed since 1948 onwards they have a problem with and how that reflects on them.
Then again no farmer drives a Fordson anymore either.
It would be commercial suicide to start by selling the cheaper, commercials and load lugging versions first but by the sound of it there is plenty of scope for those versions later. Not that the current base models are far from the run out models of the old one.
Excellent article and those who are still determined to ignore the new one seem to be dug into some kind of cultural war where it is not the product but what it says about how consumers have changed since 1948 onwards they have a problem with and how that reflects on them.
Then again no farmer drives a Fordson anymore either.
Pesty said:
Awesome.
One of these is definitely in my future
I hope mine, as well. I love this and a previous article mentioned it beginning at the $50,000 USD range here so it should depreciate into an acceptable price range by the time my current daily driver (4d Jeep Wrangler) is ready to be replaced.One of these is definitely in my future
Is that weird plate on the back side window for mounting accessories?
BVB said:
Sorry Tata, just too much to go wrong on it. Ok for Chelsea, nowhere near the post apocalypse car it needs to be for the real job. I'd take one of the new Suzuki Jimny's over this any time. Chelsea or Kenya!
"nowhere near the post apocalypse car it needs to be for the real job"Edited by BVB on Wednesday 25th March 18:04
The new one is closer to being that than the old Defender, which was so frail and unreliable that the world switched to Japanese pick-ups decades ago.
If you watch the videos about this Namibian trip from other outlets, what is interesting is imagining if an old Defender tagged along and how the journey would have gone in that...
Excellent article, similar to an old school epic from the good old days of early Car mag. It seems Mr C’s writing-style has at last found its niche. Luscious photography, too.
Liking the Defender’s styling inside and out, especially the cabin/dash.
But, unless the Defender can match the Land Cruiser’s reliability it will be nothing more than a medium-selling, utilitarian-chic alternative to a Disco and in turn will harm the latter’s sales.
I’m sure the former denizens of Notting Hill and Primrose Hill who’ve relocated to remote gentrified villages in Somerset will love it
Liking the Defender’s styling inside and out, especially the cabin/dash.
But, unless the Defender can match the Land Cruiser’s reliability it will be nothing more than a medium-selling, utilitarian-chic alternative to a Disco and in turn will harm the latter’s sales.
I’m sure the former denizens of Notting Hill and Primrose Hill who’ve relocated to remote gentrified villages in Somerset will love it
Edited by NGK210 on Wednesday 25th March 18:31
RexT said:
I wonder how many the British military will order at those prices? Let’s hope Jim Ratcliffe’s Grenadier is closer to the original concept and more affordable. I think JLR have got this one wrong and it’s taken a long time to get there.
Hmmm, I’d guess zero. But not because of the price.DoctorX said:
RexT said:
I wonder how many the British military will order at those prices? Let’s hope Jim Ratcliffe’s Grenadier is closer to the original concept and more affordable. I think JLR have got this one wrong and it’s taken a long time to get there.
Hmmm, I’d guess zero. But not because of the price.Sounds like a great car and all the best to them in challenging times. Obviously, new beats old in every possible way bar one - looks.
The old Defender simply looks so right. it may be old, but it's as cool as ****. You can say the same about an original Mini or Beetle or 2CV etc. What they and the old Defender had was a no-nonsense form-follows-function approach to aesthetics. They were designed, not styled. The irony is that I think the "un-styled" Defender looks tremendous and no new one has ever matched it in the looks dept.
OK, I'm shallow - or maybe it's an instinctive response to what was an extrenely-honest design. In today's market-led world, that sort of design bloody-mindedness probably isn't possible.
The old Defender simply looks so right. it may be old, but it's as cool as ****. You can say the same about an original Mini or Beetle or 2CV etc. What they and the old Defender had was a no-nonsense form-follows-function approach to aesthetics. They were designed, not styled. The irony is that I think the "un-styled" Defender looks tremendous and no new one has ever matched it in the looks dept.
OK, I'm shallow - or maybe it's an instinctive response to what was an extrenely-honest design. In today's market-led world, that sort of design bloody-mindedness probably isn't possible.
Excellent write up and superb pictures.
It’s nice to see proper reviews on this, I’ve watched a few and listened to a decent podcast from Scott Brady about it.
It seems those in the 4x4/overland game generally seem to like it and praise its broad range of abilities.
From comfort to payload to ride and handing and such. Scott’s podcast compares it against a Wrangler and a 4Runner as that’s the rough market it’s aimed at for the USA.
Yes the luddites will say it’s a Kia or whatever other s
te they think is witty and funny, but it’s a decent 4x4 and deserves to succeed.
I’m going for a Silver 110 HSE in a few years. It seems a nice replacement for my Disco 3.
It’s a modern Defender, fit for a modern world and the regulations and rules that all makers have to abide by.
It’s nice to see proper reviews on this, I’ve watched a few and listened to a decent podcast from Scott Brady about it.
It seems those in the 4x4/overland game generally seem to like it and praise its broad range of abilities.
From comfort to payload to ride and handing and such. Scott’s podcast compares it against a Wrangler and a 4Runner as that’s the rough market it’s aimed at for the USA.
Yes the luddites will say it’s a Kia or whatever other s
te they think is witty and funny, but it’s a decent 4x4 and deserves to succeed.I’m going for a Silver 110 HSE in a few years. It seems a nice replacement for my Disco 3.
It’s a modern Defender, fit for a modern world and the regulations and rules that all makers have to abide by.
Coin Slot. said:
KTF said:
Did anyone ask if you could hose out the interior and how many sheep the farmer would be able to get in the back?
Not yet, but it's still early. I don't know whether to laugh or cry.
Maybe it's time for a p*** take thread in which people post as if it's still 1965.
chelme said:
Its all very well the Defender is purportedly very capable off-road and looks good (to these eyes) however all this is nothing if it breaks down due to chronic issues of unreliability.
I hope LR sorted this out.
This is LR's Achilles Heel, they really need to get their sI hope LR sorted this out.
t together on this. I bought an Approved Used RRS and in the first 12 months it was nothing but a monumental pain in the arse, things kept going wrong one after the other, so frustrating. Touch wood, it's been problem free for the last four months. In some ways I wish I'd held out for the new Defender, I really do like it a lot. Still, the Sport is no slouch and is still an epically pleasant and comfortable place to be.chelme said:
Its all very well the Defender is purportedly very capable off-road and looks good (to these eyes) however all this is nothing if it breaks down due to chronic issues of unreliability.
I hope LR sorted this out.
The one major difference to the old model is that the new one, thanks to low mass IRS and airsprings, is actually pretty comfy to drive off road at speed. Watch the videos from the Namibia trip and it's clear these cars can be driven at speed, for miles on pretty rough roads. That is going to result in high wear rates to the suspension components, particularly bushes. The old Defender, with it's plodding beam axles and shaky, flaky body whilst it could be driven at speed off road, never really was because it was terrifically uncomfortable, which actually meant the car itself was taking less of a battering.I hope LR sorted this out.
Early series cars, with inflexible beams and leafs, was so brutal off road that the occupants broke before the vehicle did!
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