RE: 2020 Land Rover Defender | The short review

RE: 2020 Land Rover Defender | The short review

Author
Discussion

jsc15

981 posts

207 months

Wednesday 25th March 2020
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Cold said:
Why do you think they should be so cheap?
I don't think they'd be "cheap" even at the lower prices noted but I'm concerned that the lifestyle market is fickle and the pricing strategy has some short-termism to it which looks greedy to be quite honest. Also as they're made in Slovakia you'd think some cost savings might be passed along but the substantial jumps in pricing based on engine choice alone seem excessive.

Just to be clear, I'm not expecting these to be £30k for Joe Public, and the £40k start price isn't too far off the mark, it's what they are providing for the extra £35k on top that has me a bit stunned.

LimaDelta

6,507 posts

217 months

Wednesday 25th March 2020
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Cold said:
Why do you think they should be so cheap?
Because it is supposed to be a Defender replacement.

John-skoe0 said:
This is what the Discovery should have looked like!
QED

Amanitin

419 posts

136 months

Wednesday 25th March 2020
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looks like a plastic toy car. inside and out.

llcoolmac

216 posts

99 months

Wednesday 25th March 2020
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If this was the new Discovery then it would be fine. It would be more than fine actually.

But a Defender should be a rough and tough work vehicle. I would be equally dismissive of Toyota bringing out a Landcruiser/Hilux that was like this. There should be a pickup version just like there was with the old one and it should be a viable machine for people who really want to use it for real heavy duty work. This has just been designed for playing off road, which I'm sure it will be good at although not as good or modifiable as a Wrangler. I can't think of a more pointless vehicle. Can't wait to see how much of the Discovery's sales it caniballises.

DBRacingGod

609 posts

191 months

Wednesday 25th March 2020
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It rather looks as though JLR saw what Twisted were doing and dreamed up a way of capitalising on that market. What they appear to have forgotten on the way is that Twisted were a niche within a niche and the market for unreliable £80k ICE Chelsea tractors just caught a cold.

rastapasta

1,846 posts

137 months

Wednesday 25th March 2020
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llcoolmac said:
LaurasOtherHalf said:
Utility vehicles are fantastic, I mean I love my Amorak but the prices for these are astounding.
A major problem for this utility vehicle is that it's not a UTILITY vehicle! It can't do anything that a normal car or SUV can't also do. It's a pathetic attempt at making something proper. A posers vehicle and nothing more. These will not be used as a work vehicle at all and the price reflects that. A vehicle that will be bought by idiots who think they have got some sort of pseudo military vehicle when all they really got was a less comfortable Range Rover Sport in drag.
Brutal but true. The max towing weights are not published which tells us all we need to know as to the target market.

Maxus

951 posts

180 months

Wednesday 25th March 2020
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knebworth01 said:
Front number plate is mounted too low, makes the front end look droopy.
Seems minor but you see quite a few manufactuers putting the numberplates in the 'wrong place' and it totally spoils the look of the intended styling.
I agree. Worst for this is the Porsche 992 rear plate. They charge extra to have it put it in the right position like on the Turbo.
For the Defender, the front plate makes it look different to other LR product. If you move it up the face becomes very Land Rover generic.


mario64

126 posts

171 months

Wednesday 25th March 2020
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Why is there a sheet of A4 paper blue-tacked to the rear windows?

Cold

15,207 posts

89 months

Wednesday 25th March 2020
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rastapasta said:
Brutal but true. The max towing weights are not published which tells us all we need to know as to the target market.
3500kgs in the UK (slightly higher in the US as they don't have such stringent rules) and a 900kgs payload.

Does that tell you all you need to know about the target market?

BVB

1,097 posts

152 months

Wednesday 25th March 2020
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Somebody at Tata has beaten this thing with hte ugly stick?! The Defender should look utilitarian....this looks like a Discovery!

RexT

17 posts

134 months

Wednesday 25th March 2020
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I wonder how many the British military will order at those prices? Let’s hope Jim Ratcliffe’s Grenadier is a lot closer to the original concept and suitable for military use.

JD2329

475 posts

167 months

Wednesday 25th March 2020
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Purely subjective, but i can’t really get on with the styling of this.
Why is it so difficult to design a good looking car these days?

braddo

10,399 posts

187 months

Wednesday 25th March 2020
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RexT said:
I wonder how many the British military will order at those prices? Let’s hope Jim Ratcliffe’s Grenadier is a lot closer to the original concept and suitable for military use.
Can you point to the MoD being interested in any sort of vehicle like a Defender or the Grenadier in their current/ or future plans?

Dapster

6,875 posts

179 months

Wednesday 25th March 2020
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Manufacturers do massive amounts of research before and during the process of pouring billions into developing a new model. If there was money to be made in selling a hose out, multi diff locked, no frills utility vehicles to farmers, Governments and armies, they'd be doing exactly that. I rather suspect that there is more money to be made in selling an £80 grand Tonka toy to wealthy 40 somethings who live in Hampstead and drive to the Cotswolds most weekends and Val-d'Isère every Easter.

I'd imagine this is bang on what the market is looking for and will sell like bog roll during a lock down.

Looks like it's fine off road for what 99% of buyers will need.

https://youtu.be/_gI_Qbc5Kds?t=389

LaurasOtherHalf

21,429 posts

195 months

Wednesday 25th March 2020
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Cold said:
rastapasta said:
Brutal but true. The max towing weights are not published which tells us all we need to know as to the target market.
3500kgs in the UK (slightly higher in the US as they don't have such stringent rules) and a 900kgs payload.

Does that tell you all you need to know about the target market?
I might be wrong but I thought 1000kg payload was needed to make a commercial version? Or is that just pick ups. Regardless, I really won't be swapping my Amorak for one.

And I thought that was expensive!

davidc1

1,544 posts

161 months

Wednesday 25th March 2020
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Not a fan of that.
Very fussy exterior. Childish looking. Interior looks too basic.
And crazy money.
Would rather lease a q7.

BarcelonaLewis

150 posts

135 months

Wednesday 25th March 2020
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It does sound expensive, but the diesel is more or less the same price as a VW Transporter Kombi, and probably lot better kitted out, and the VW's are absolutely everywhere (and mostly driven by people like me).

epicfail

189 posts

134 months

Wednesday 25th March 2020
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I can't see what this does that other Land Rovers / Range Rovers don't already do. Why buy this?

Maybe there is no market for a utility vehicle for farmers, military etc. In which case why make it, it's pointless.


anonymous-user

53 months

Wednesday 25th March 2020
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The JLR executives should have gone to Specsavers! Looks like a Disco 3 on the front

CDP

7,454 posts

253 months

Wednesday 25th March 2020
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I'm sure it's an excellent car....