Autocar September 11, 2019

WHILE LAND ROVER makes hay from Range Rovers, it is the Defender that gives all Land Rovers the authenticity and credibility of the true 4x4 go-anywhere image the company has built itself on. While the Defender, fully unveiled this week (p10), answers questions about the direction of Land Rover’s brand and model range – chiefly that it can still do something other than Range Rovers – it throws up some new ones, most notably around the Discovery. Intriguingly, in its styling the reborn Defender feels as much a successor to the acclaimed Discovery 4 as it does the iconic original 4x4. The Discovery, meanwhile, has always felt too close to a Range Rover to have a character of its own in its fifth generation. By giving it such a distinct character and not…

“The line-up will range from humanitarian and military models to lifestyle-oriented versions” The Land Rover Defender has been reborn as a mainstream model for the global market, taking strong design and capability cues from the iconic original, which was withdrawn from sale in 2016, and the 2009-2016 Land Rover Discovery 4. In balancing the demands of hardcore enthusiasts and the need to give the car more widespread appeal, Land Rover has sought to build a viable business case for future generations of the Defender. By the time the previous model went off sale, fewer than 5000 Defenders a year were delivered to retail buyers, with bulk business purchases taking that to around 15,000 cars. To be sustainable, the new model must sell close to five times that figure, according to insiders, joining the…

How did it feel starting work on a project that could define your career, regardless of all the success you’ve previously had? “I’ve got big shoulders. If I was worried about it, I wouldn’t be able to get up in the morning. I know you can’t keep everyone happy and I have to take comfort from the fact that, as my team and I stand here, we are confident in the integrity of what we’ve produced. We had a brief to follow and we’ve delivered it confidently. Now we get to share the results.” What do you hope the traditionalists’ response to the new Defender will be? “My hope is they say it’s right for the brand today. Yes, lots of current owners will keep their current cars forever – but to be…

Unveiled eight years ago to the month, the DC100 (Defender Concept 100) concepts were billed as showcasing two potential design routes for the next-generation car. One was a rugged-looking three-door, the other a two-door convertible. As likely intended, opinion was split, the convertible (right) in particular drawing ire from Defender stalwarts for its leisure-oriented outlook. This, remember, was at a time when the Evoque was flying high and Range Rover and Range Rover Sport sales were booming, shifting the epicentre and profitability of the company as a result. Nevertheless, at the time, Land Rover’s then brand director, John Edwards, told Autocar he was “massively encouraged” by the reaction to both concepts, and especially by feedback suggesting potential customers thought they were looking at a £45,000 car when it fact it was likely…

“Although these pages are normally devoted to the many aspects of the purely private car and its usage, there is now something to describe which can either be regarded as a private car able to perform many valuable duties other than sheer transport, or as a general purpose countryside worker which is also capable of providing comfortable and efficient transport.” So read the introduction to Autocar’s story on the Land-Rover – to become the Land Rover Defender – on 30 April 1948, the day it was unveiled at the Amsterdam motor show. Thanks to some early access under embargo, our in-house artist, John Ferguson, was able to produce a cutaway technical drawing to lead the article. Looking for other references to details that put today’s car in perspective, the assessment included the…

The thing about getting a Defender owner’s view of the new version is that there are so many different types of old Defender. And owner. There are perhaps more than any other car: you’re as likely to see a Defender (or classic Series Land Rover) on a fashion model’s Instagram feed as you are when you want a tree chopped down, call out the Mountain Rescue or go car spotting in Knightsbridge. It’s one of those rare vehicles that looks at home in all places: at a shoot, opera, cattle auction, school, big house, small house, house on fire, house under fire, house under construction; you name it, you’ll see a Land Rover at it. As a result, not all Defender owners are going to get a new version that suits them. Not…