2020 Defender Spy Shots....

[DieselRanger]

The Defender hasn't been a farm implement for over a generation. I don't know why people insist on this false narrative. C'mon people, even if you live in the US and haven't seen a modern Defender in over 20 years, the Googles are your friend.

The new Defender will sell well for its target market. Farmers just aren't the target market.

 

[REDROVER]

The fact the current Land Rover parent company is trying to get rid of it, tells you how well new defender will do and how extremely good other models are doing ?

 

[TexasTJ]

D-90 = Wrangler JL
D-110 = Unlimited JL
D-130 = Gladiator JL

Sorry just trolling. ? I would Trade my LR3 in a heart beat for a early 90's Defender 110. ?

 

[TexasTJ]

You be the judge,
Look how beautiful and fun that Jeep looks,
Windshield comes down,
Top comes off
Doors come off
power inverter in the back,
Front and back lockers.
Unlimited aftermarket support.

Looks so welcoming and fun.

Now look at the Land Rover lol haha.
View attachment 515182

Guy in the Jeep doesn't look like he is having fun... ?

 

[REDROVER]

Hahaha I thought it was a decoy
But it’s a real human.

 

[mpinco]

The Defender hasn't been a farm implement for over a generation. I don't know why people insist on this false narrative. C'mon people, even if you live in the US and haven't seen a modern Defender in over 20 years, the Googles are your friend.

The new Defender will sell well for its target market. Farmers just aren't the target market.

Everyone gets that the Defender hasn't been a factor in the truck market for a long time. They have focused on SUV's. Pull up the Land Rover web page and look at all the models side by side. There is little difference except size and cost. Some refer to it as 'design language'. While that could be an effective strategy it could also be part of the problem. The Defender may address that issue but we won't know till the mid-2020's. JLR needs significant volume before then to turn the financial ship around. They don't need another SUV.

The new 'Defender' would do well as the next Discovery/LR6.

 

[Red90]

The Defender hasn't been a farm implement for over a generation. I don't know why people insist on this false narrative.

That is just not true. They are very commonly used as work trucks, especially in the UK.

 

[blackangie]

The Defender bests the Wrangler in completely stock form in approach and departure angles when it is set to it's highest ride height, the problem is in how it does it. In order to attain these numbers the Defender uses airbags which are historically known to come with many problems- especially in LRs and especially if you plan to actually use them off-road in harsh conditions https://www.autotrader.com/car-shopping/buying-used-range-rover-everything-you-need-know-239295 The Jeep's numbers come from technology that has been proven over decades- solid axles, beefy suspension. The 2nd problem with this set up is that when it's set to it's highest ride height it will likely lose considerable articulation- a key factor in riding comfort and retaining traction when off-roading. The 3rd problem with this set up is the old adage what goes up, must come down- even when you air the LR up to it's highest setting- you can't install increased tires and stay there; you are still stuck with the same tires it needs to ride at it's lowest setting! The Jeep JL can fit 35" tires from the factory! I guess if you plan to just run up and down some wet gravel roads as is displayed in these pictures and only occasionally need actual ground clearance the air bag set up isn't terrible.

Form follows function- meaning you can look at the form of something and determine for what purpose it was designed (it's function) Who is building something meant to be used in harsh conditions across rugged terrain with simple and time-proven technology? Who is building into their vehicles the characteristics that off-roaders need such as articulation and traction? Who is looking down the road and taking account for what off-roaders want long-term- the ability to modify and tailor the vehicle to their specifications? There's only one brand taking this no-comprise approach. LR has to build some aspect of off-roading into their vehicles for marketing purposes, but they don't go as far as they could because they don't really care about off-roading- they care about appearing as if they care about off-roading- they need it to sell these things. The Form Follows the Function- LR cares about using our passion as a means to sell the same old vanilla cross-overs everyone else is making with a slight nod to off-roading. Jeep is moving the needle- pushing the boundaries with each new iteration. I'd really hoped LR would choose to do the same with the Defender.

Modern LR bags last 200000+km in AU and have a good rep, from D3 onwards
The only real issues people have these days are media system updates.

Even that will be fixed with over the air updates on new LRs, defender most likely will get this too.

Everything about this new defender is pushing boundaries of what's possible from a 4x4 imo

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[JeepColorado]

Completely agree! And as news comes out I think it's fair as fellow enthusiast to compare what the successor to the Defender appears to be and what it could have been. I say appears to be because we are not entirely sure yet as I've stated- I hope that LR is trolling us, I hope it's more than it appears to be- another addition to the long line of cross-over sell-outs who trade on the legacy of off-roading w/o actually being genuinely committed to the cause. When I say what could have been I point to the G-Wagon as a luxury vehicle that hasn't forgotten what true capability is or to the Jeep as a hard-core off-roader that now has a touch of refinement. From what I can see the Defender could have gone in either one of these directions and competed, quite admirably actually! or it could have positioned itself between the two and offered something more refined than a Jeep, but just as capable, but less expensive and less "Kim Kardashian" as a G-Wagon- instead, it appears to have chosen the path more frequented unfortunately- the path of least resistance- vanilla cross-over land like almost everyone else. I'm simply pointing out that LR had choices- to honor and advance it's incredible legacy- like the Jeep and G-Wagon have done or to trade on it, take advantage of it, without actually adhering to it, as it appears to have done. I don't know how to make that point without some comparison to what could have been as exemplified by 2 wonderful examples in the Jeep and G-Wagon. In sport you are not entitled to foul blows, but you are entitled to hard blows- so I ask tough questions to all those who defend the Defender. Can you imagine what might have been an authentic successor to the Defender? An off-road icon of legendary magnitude? ......I can, I see it in the G-Wagon and the Wrangler, I don't see it in these pictures. Again, I hope I'm wrong, mate!

 

[Paddler Ed]

The Land Rover is a work vehicle in the UK (and much of Europe), much the same as an F-Truck or similar from the other Domestics. It's not been sold in the USA for 20(?) years, so there is no real market knowledge there for that type of vehicle - but they do know that the Discovery etc are very Kim Kardashian, and that market has more money than sense, so that is a logical one to target.

It's primary purpose in the UK is to drive across a field, check on the sheep/power pole/phone line/gas main/water pipe etc, and then drive to the next bit 5 miles down the road. If it's the farm one, then it'll do that carrying a couple of dogs in the back, and tow the sheep to the market in a livestock trailer weighing 3500kg. If it's used by the Mountain Rescue guys, it'll get up the track fine as long as dickheads haven't chewed it up - but the MR guys are as likely to base it at the bottom and then walk in anyway, and get the RAF to pick them up with the helicopter for speed. The utility companies have all moved to the Thai/Japanese stuff with the same sort of tyre spec as they had on the LRs, so no change there.

It's not designed to go up the side of the fells any longer - the farmers use Gators or Quads for that; smaller, cheaper and portable - and that's why the old Deafener (which could go up the side of the fells) suffered against the Thai/Japanese pickups. They were so much more comfortable, had no draughts, ergonomics that meant you were sitting in front of the pedals and steering wheel (not to the side) and just worked. To an extent that's why in the UK Land Rover did commercial versions of the Discovery 1, 2 and 4 - there was a market for a functional vehicle that the Defender wasn't.

 

[blackangie]

Some new news articles, pick for me is LRO's, picked up on a few things we didnt. So looks like we have F/R/L/R cameras, disappearing bonnet and 360 top view?

Land Rover shows off new Defender in disguise

Prince Harry has now met Land Rover’s new baby | Top Gear

Prince Harry Gets Closer Look at Next Defender — LRO

"The horizonal lines across the headlamps could be light guards (absent on official shots of test mules), or part of the disguise. The Invictus Defender is on road-biased Continental tyres.

It also appears to have a downward-facing camera mounted in the middle of the radiator grille. Is this to help the driver see over the imposing bonnet and pick his way over rough terrain?"

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[naks]

I think it's almost a certainty that it will have the Clearsight technology debuted in the new Evoque - but most likely won't be standard but an added option costing $$$

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[JeepColorado]

I'd love to see ARB jump in and make a front bumper for it or at least a hidden winch mount tucked under the grille. I like that they appear to have added a channel along the roof line, perhaps strong enough to support a roof rack. I'm also a big fan of lay-flat 2nd row seats- if it had that the interior cargo space would be great for overland travel storage or as a place to sleep.

 

[blackangie]

I'd love to see ARB jump in and make a front bumper for it or at least a hidden winch mount tucked under the grille. I like that they appear to have added a channel along the roof line, perhaps strong enough to support a roof rack. I'm also a big fan of lay-flat 2nd row seats- if it had that the interior cargo space would be great for overland travel storage or as a place to sleep.

Might be a fake gutter channel bud, who knows.
ARB, lucky 8, rhino will do something. D5 has spot for winch and factory part can mount or other aftermarket. I will be looking for proper winch bumper.

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[DieselRanger]

That is just not true. They are very commonly used as work trucks, especially in the UK.

And when were those vehicles sold? What model years? Because they've only sold a couple hundred per year in the UK over the last 15 years, and they are absolutely NOT farm trucks.