Don't flame... BUT is the Wrangler the new Defender for the U.S. ???

[newhue]

I would say that LR has cornered itself with a huge problem. Whereas Jeep has modified and upgraded its signature vehicle over time, upgrading suspensions, adapting to newer safety regulations, and fuel usage and emissions limitations, etc., LR in the last 30 years has not made any significant changes to its signature product. 30 years of sitting on their collective asses leaves them in a developmental pickle, as they are forced to do a scratch design, in a new harsh environment and ever fickle market. Who is the primary market for this new design and new LRs anyway? The military light vehicle market? The agricultural market? The export market? Or the nouveau riche, bling-bling, vehicles as an accessory crowd, who at least on my roads appear to be LR's principle target demographic as that is who appears to be buying them. The problem LR has created now is how to replace an icon, without losing the core new vehicle sales (LR doesn't care who buys old ones) market of that icon, or if they do abandon that market, how to target the replacement to a new and different market segment. To that end, they'll just be trading on a name and whatever the vehicle turns out to be, its off-road prowess isn't going to matter. I think with the capitalization of new tooling and the inclusion of required safety and emission equipment, there is no way in hell the Defender replacement is going to cost the same or less than the outgoing model. I think that what ever they roll out will have a much smaller number of available configurations, no COE, No pick-up, probably just a three-door and a five-door, as I doubt they can generate as many variations in a new, independent suspensioned, air-bagged, safety bumper/hood equipped product, as they would have to compete for sales with cheaper, imported adversaries for those sales to which they can no longer compete. I would even venture that LR is in such a marketing/development pickle with the Defender replacement that it might be cheaper for Tata to just move assembly of the the Defender to India for third world sales and abandon the Defender replacement all together, consolidating the LD product line.

Snip

Yes I think you right, it will be interesting to watch. However Land Rover managed the transfer and sales from their option-less Series range to the very few optioned Defender. Perhaps in a time when competitors were just as many.
Turning the new Defender if there is one, from man made to robot made should help bring it inline with competitors costs, but also depends if LR want to maintain their neish 4x4 status. Surely the US has to be a market, but with its unique safety and epa standards it does make it a sole market.

 

[Kmrtnsn]

Yes I think you're right, it will be interesting to watch. However Land Rover managed the transfer and sales from their option-less Series range to the very few optioned Defender. Perhaps in a time when competitors were just as many.
Turning the new Defender if there is one, from man made to robot made should help bring it inline with competitors costs, but also depends if LR want to maintain their neish 4x4 status. Surely the US has to be a market, but with its unique safety and epa standards it does make it a sole market.

I think people will need to manage their expectations (think downward). I think the next "Defender" series will have as much in common with its predecessor, both visually, physically, and in transformability as the Toyota FJ Cruiser compares to the FJ40.

To the OP's topical question, YES, the JK/JKU is the "new" Defender. Solihull can mail the crown to, 1000 Chrysler Dr., Auburn Hills, MI USA 48326-2766

 

[expedition4x4]

I think people will need to manage their expectations (think downward). I think the next "Defender" series will have as much in common with its predecessor, both visually, physically, and in transformability as the Toyota FJ Cruiser compares to the FJ40.

To the OP's topical question, YES, the JK/JKU is the "new" Defender. Solihull can mail the crown to, 1000 Chrysler Dr., Auburn Hills, MI USA 48326-2766

or

Head Office Fiat SPA
Via Nizza, 250 - 10126 Turin (Italy)

 

[Kmrtnsn]

or

Head Office Fiat SPA
Via Nizza, 250 - 10126 Turin (Italy)

Touche!

 

[Omar Brannstrom]

I was there with my 08 jku 4dr and there were a bunch of defenders there too. One think I noticed in the driving terrain classes the defender couldn't make really sharp turns The turning radius at least on the 90 sucked. Is this common to all defenders. I really a good 4x4 any kind. not picky LC disco jeep you name it I am sucker for it and just curious about that observation

I had a 4x4 Suzuki Jimny before and it had great turning circle. Later I got a 2 door Wrangler, and it has worse turning circle. Needed more space got a 4 door Wrangler and it has a very bad turning circle. The specs says that the Landrover Defender 110 have even worse turning circle than the Jeep wrangler 4 door and that is even more terrible.

Sometimes I miss nimble Suzuki Jimny, like a small Wrangler with similar 4x4 system. It has better angle of approach and departure than a Wrangler and it has only a turning circle of 9.8m.

 

[zelatore]

Yes I think you right, it will be interesting to watch. However Land Rover managed the transfer and sales from their option-less Series range to the very few optioned Defender. Perhaps in a time when competitors were just as many.
Turning the new Defender if there is one, from man made to robot made should help bring it inline with competitors costs, but also depends if LR want to maintain their neish 4x4 status. Surely the US has to be a market, but with its unique safety and epa standards it does make it a sole market.

Actually, our one hope for getting the next Defender here in the US is that the Euro and US safety and emissions standards have become much closer, making it more econimical for manufacturers to offer a vehicle in both markets.

Speaking of economical, we've had people on the one hand saying the US market isn't big enough to generate the needed sales volume while on the other hand other people turn around and say Land Rover wouldn't want to compete with the likes of the Wrangler because they wouldnt want to dilute the product range with a high volume vehicle and would prefer to remain exclusive. Which is it-would they sell to many Defenders, or not enough?

 

[greynolds]

Actually, our one hope for getting the next Defender here in the US is that the Euro and US safety and emissions standards have become much closer, making it more econimical for manufacturers to offer a vehicle in both markets.

Agreed.

Speaking of economical, we've had people on the one hand saying the US market isn't big enough to generate the needed sales volume while on the other hand other people turn around and say Land Rover wouldn't want to compete with the likes of the Wrangler because they wouldnt want to dilute the product range with a high volume vehicle and would prefer to remain exclusive. Which is it-would they sell to many Defenders, or not enough?

I think it's largely a moot point because Land Rover doesn't seem to have the manufacturing capacity to build a high volume vehicle and gearing up to do so would take time. Just look at how long the waiting lists are for new Range Rovers (6 plus months in the USA, some people are reporting waiting a year or more depending on the size of the dealer). It's more or less the same thing with the LR4 - it sounds like ALL the allocations for 2015 LR4's are already spoken for. If they're selling every vehicle they make and have long waiting lists, why would they be interested in producing a lower cost vehicle? The only way it would make sense is if they can find a way to produce significantly more vehicles, and it would most likely take some number of years to get to that point.

 

[proper4wd]

News article from last week has some insight: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/land-rover-details-its-future-lineup-ar165299.html

Then there’s the Defender. McGowan described it as the dual-purpose sub-brand that will be markedly different from the Range and Discovery brands. Don’t expect the new lineup of Defenders to be similar in aesthetics to its brothers, as these models will retain the same utilitarian character best associated with the roots of Land Rover. McGown specifically pointed to the importance of having multiple Defender models, largely because it’s the brand that will cater to traditional fans of Land Rover.

“The Defender is about durability,” McGowan told Car. “You kick the hell out of them and they get up for more.”

Promising?

 

[Blueboy]

Yes, certainly sounds so.

And also depends which of the variants we get here.

Thx for sharing the link / info.

 

[roverrocks]

News article from last week has some insight: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/land-rover-details-its-future-lineup-ar165299.html

Then there's the Defender. McGowan described it as the dual-purpose sub-brand that will be markedly different from the Range and Discovery brands. Don't expect the new lineup of Defenders to be similar in aesthetics to its brothers, as these models will retain the same utilitarian character best associated with the roots of Land Rover. McGown specifically pointed to the importance of having multiple Defender models, largely because it's the brand that will cater to traditional fans of Land Rover.

“The Defender is about durability,” McGowan told Car. “You kick the hell out of them and they get up for more.”

Promising?

Perhaps, perhaps not. We will see if the future "reality" if and when it truly unfolds (50/50 if it does unfold) does meet the current LR Corporate propaganda/automotive writer pornography going on in "print" and "alluring evocative hype" which has gone on for years. We will see if there actually is a pot o' gold at the end of the misty hard-to-see rainbow for the US of A. I will believe this new tough utilitarian Defender when I actually see one in an American showroom and it's not a 100 grand Rodeo Drive/Aspen 20" tire tourer. Promises and "promising" are dime a dozen.

 

[REDROVER]

Defender is gods gift. it's gods masterpiece it's one and only it's amazing it's not made by human how can it be bad. ? Those toothpick axels on it were made for Honda civic ( god was drunk )

Jk is bad bad made machine because it's not fun when it doesn't brake down in Moab or rubicon

Jk is not worshiped by tunnel visioned ppl so it's not good

Jk is also bad because it doesn't use as much gas

The worst part about jk is when u pull at some off road place and meet other 4x4 owners, they talk to u instead of ignoring u

Do I own a jeep ? No will I buy one ? No

Good job Chrysler keep up the good work
It's ok if some ppl are but hurt

 

[dwvninety]

Defender is gods gift. it's gods masterpiece it's one and only it's amazing it's not made by human how can it be bad. ? Those toothpick axels on it were made for Honda civic ( god was drunk )

Jk is bad bad made machine because it's not fun when it doesn't brake down in Moab or rubicon

Jk is not worshiped by tunnel visioned ppl so it's not good

Jk is also bad because it doesn't use as much gas

The worst part about jk is when u pull at some off road place and meet other 4x4 owners, they talk to u instead of ignoring u

Do I own a jeep ? No will I buy one ? No

Good job Chrysler keep up the good work
It's ok if some ppl are but hurt

Well said.....

 

[libarata]

Defender is gods gift. it's gods masterpiece it's one and only it's amazing it's not made by human how can it be bad. ? Those toothpick axels on it were made for Honda civic ( god was drunk )

Jk is bad bad made machine because it's not fun when it doesn't brake down in Moab or rubicon

Jk is not worshiped by tunnel visioned ppl so it's not good

Jk is also bad because it doesn't use as much gas

The worst part about jk is when u pull at some off road place and meet other 4x4 owners, they talk to u instead of ignoring u

Do I own a jeep ? No will I buy one ? No

Good job Chrysler keep up the good work
It's ok if some ppl are but hurt

Racist

 

[dwvninety]

Racist

Here comes the "race" card, bet ya he's gonna call Al Sharpton to stage a rally.

 

[libarata]

Here comes the "race" card, bet ya he's gonna call Al Sharpton to stage a rally.

So insensitive to my needs