Another Defender hint?

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ryanjl

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The new Gelandewagen is done incredibly well. They preserved majority of what people wanted in the old at the same time giving them what they wanted in the new.

I remember reading a story about the car show where the new G Wagon was unveiled. Some designers from Land Rover were in attendance and were heard snickering that Mercedes hadn't changed anything.

Although I'm net-positive on the new design, stories like that make me think that the Land Rover designers were like a new manager brought into an already well-functioning division who changes **** up just to feel like he's managing.
 

Bryan Jones

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I remember reading a story about the car show where the new G Wagon was unveiled. Some designers from Land Rover were in attendance and were heard snickering that Mercedes hadn't changed anything.

Although I'm net-positive on the new design, stories like that make me think that the Land Rover designers were like a new manager brought into an already well-functioning division who changes **** up just to feel like he's managing.
Sounds like people in my job, geez
 

iconoclast

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I remember reading a story about the car show where the new G Wagon was unveiled. Some designers from Land Rover were in attendance and were heard snickering that Mercedes hadn't changed anything.

Although I'm net-positive on the new design, stories like that make me think that the Land Rover designers were like a new manager brought into an already well-functioning division who changes **** up just to feel like he's managing.

A great deal has changed but it is so subtle which is good for people like us who like keeping things the same and for those who appreciate the Porsche 911. Majority of the changes on the G are interior. More space, new tech, finally a proper audio package, cup holders that are logical and practical, etc. On the exterior the overall silhouette remains the same and the dimensions are similar to the previous but the panel gaps are reduced dramatically. The front marker is integrated into the body moulding and body lines instead of being slapped on the fender, the indicators are no longer screwed in and look like an after-thought, the rear markers are no longer screwed in either, the rear camera is finally functional and does not have 80% of the screen covered by spare tire, the rear wiper nozzle is integrated into the design and functional now, and finally the rear barn door hatch is still not powered. There are many other minor changes and updated but overall I believe they did a great job and it seems the market has responded to it well because MB cannot keep these in stock.

Sounds like the design team over at LR could learn something from MB and Porsche because their two new product designs have not had the best reception. Mostly the new Discovery. When you have used LR4 selling for more than or same as new Discovery it does not bode well for the designers. Change for the sake of change isn't always the best approach or attempting to the shock the market doesnt always have a positive response either... eg: Chris Bangle.
 

PaulLR3

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^Excellent point. Porsche does a great job of mildly updating the 911 on a regular cycle. I think the problem with the Defender was that it was not refreshed on a consistent schedule and too much time elapsed since the last update.

And I totally agree that LR should have just updated the LR4 and not created an entirely different Discovery 5 and lost the majority of LR4 owners. Sales rule #1 - it's easier to keep your current customers happy than have to go and find new customers.
 

iconoclast

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I recently sold our other LR4 which was a '12 Lux. We sold it because it reached 52k miles and the warranty was about to expire. What I miss the most is the V8 but I prefer the exterior and styling of the Landmark. Shame they did not keep the 8cyl motor all the way to the end.
 

catman

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Per Jerry McGovern:

1)“This is a business and the old Defender, at the end of its life, was a niche vehicle. Take out corporate sales and it had around 4500 retail customers a year. That is not sustainable. This car needs to have universal appeal."

2)“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 brutally business-like about it, there’s not much point designing a car for them in that case, is there?"

I think LR went above and beyond to launch this Defender with everything in place and ready to go. Not an easy task for sure. I am not in love with the front end, but then again, I was not in love with the LR3 either when the DII was stopped. So I think it will grow on me and there are so many good points here (flat floor, rubber flooring, modern tech, pre-engineered accessories, etc) that it still may win out over anything else out there. It's just a matter of whether it "feels" like it is worth the price, and for that I need to see, touch, and drive it.
 

ryanjl

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Per Jerry McGovern:

1)“This is a business and the old Defender, at the end of its life, was a niche vehicle. Take out corporate sales and it had around 4500 retail customers a year. That is not sustainable. This car needs to have universal appeal."

Maybe if they didn't just sit on the design since 1982, and actually updated it to keep in line with various safety and emissions requirements that made it more and more of a niche vehicle over time, they wouldn't have sold so few near the end.

It also seems like a little bit of bad timing on Land Rover's part. In the U.S. at least, the "off road" market is absolutely red hot right now. Jeep sold over 240,000 Wranglers last year alone. Toyota's "TRD Pro" models can't stay on the lot, same with the Ford Raptor, Chevy has the ZR2, and Ford is coming out with the new Bronco. In the meantime, "vintage" SUVs like the Jeep Comanchee, old Land Cruisers, and old Land Rovers have skyrocketed in value.

In this market, a retro-designed Defender would have been very successful. But who knows how long this market will be here? And is this market the same across the world?

You easily get the sense, though, that nobody in charge at Land Rover is interested in going off-road. At Jeep, the heads of design and engineering attend all the official Jeep safaris and get togethers, not only to participate, but also to talk to people and get an idea of the common consensus. Land Rover just sends some driving instructors and maybe some of the old Camel Trophy participants. Still neat, but I doubt they have the kinda pull back at LR HQ that the Jeep guys do.

All the above notwithstanding, McGovern could have done two simple things, in my opinion, to make the reception this thing is getting be a lot better:

1. A front in more in line with the original.

2. Room for bigger tires. 33" is cool, but 35's would have been better.

That's not "all the way there," for a lot of people, but I'm guessing those two things would have made a lot more people like it.

2)“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 brutally business-like about it, there’s not much point designing a car for them in that case, is there?"

He has a point there. It's not hard to find pristine, stored in bubble wrap examples of Defenders available for sale. But, again, I think what he's missing is that people (Americans, at least) really essentially wanted a Defender that was daily driveable.

The interior of the new Defender looks exceptional. People wanted that, but inside the body of a reasonably-updated Defender.
 

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