LR5 Release Updates?

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catman

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If Jeep can redesign the Wrangler from the ground up and still keep it looking 90% the same, but behave better in every way, I do not know why LR could not do this. Why change the Icon model of the entire brand? Even the all-new G-Wagon was made to look mostly the same.

I am fearful LR is going to come out with a big thud on this one....They claim they need to sell 100,000 units worldwide to make it worthwhile, so they have to make it more modern, but I think they are confusing "more modern" to mean aesthetics rather than comfort and capability. I personally belive the market for the existing Defender would be much larger than they think if it just had more of the modern comforts and conveniences, like the new Jeep Wrangler just added.

My guess is that there are fewer people who want all the full-out capability of a Defender in a "more universal" body design than there are who want more modern conveniences in the old rugged design. Until we see the new Defender, I cannot quite visualize what the new Discovery was for if was not to serve the market for a off-roader with a more universal design... Well, there's always hope....
 

backcountryLR4

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If Jeep can redesign the Wrangler from the ground up and still keep it looking 90% the same, but behave better in every way, I do not know why LR could not do this. Why change the Icon model of the entire brand? Even the all-new G-Wagon was made to look mostly the same.

I am fearful LR is going to come out with a big thud on this one....They claim they need to sell 100,000 units worldwide to make it worthwhile, so they have to make it more modern, but I think they are confusing "more modern" to mean aesthetics rather than comfort and capability. I personally belive the market for the existing Defender would be much larger than they think if it just had more of the modern comforts and conveniences, like the new Jeep Wrangler just added.

My guess is that there are fewer people who want all the full-out capability of a Defender in a "more universal" body design than there are who want more modern conveniences in the old rugged design. Until we see the new Defender, I cannot quite visualize what the new Discovery was for if was not to serve the market for a off-roader with a more universal design... Well, there's always hope....

Well, that is a new theory that I would like to believe. Here is your D5 all those who want a mini-van with great off-roading ability. Want and XC90 without the good design and interior, but that is better off-road? Here is your new D5.

Want something as capable as a Jeep, but not as boring and potentially more refined, but not as expensive as a G-wagon? Here is your new Defender...

That could be a great fit, but I expect Land Rover to mess it up at this point.
 

catman

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Anyone see this slide?

Automotive News Europe
April 13, 2018 06:01 CET

Jaguar Land Rover is under increasing pressure to reveal more about the redesigned Land Rover Defender, coming late next year.

During the opening of JLR's new U.S. headquarters last month in Mahwah, New Jersey, the company peeled the curtain back a little on the iconic off-road vehicle. A slide showing three families of Land Rover vehicles gave the closest indication yet that the next Defender will retain its traditional boxy, rugged looks.

Meanwhile, on the sidelines of the New York auto show, Joe Eberhardt, JLR's U.S. boss, came close to confirming the Defender will be coming to the U.S.

"We've said it's a global vehicle," he said. "The United States is on the globe."​

AR-304139999.jpg&MaxW=622&cci_ts=20180413105553
 
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cperez

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Automotive News Europe
April 13, 2018 06:01 CET

Jaguar Land Rover is under increasing pressure to reveal more about the redesigned Land Rover Defender, coming late next year.

I have not seen this prior to now. However, I thought that the release was happening in 2018, not "late next year." Maybe I just heard what I wanted to hear in the reports to this point.
 

catman

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The "reveal" is happening in 2018, the actual release will be next year sometime. I was hoping for earlier (May) not "late next year". Although with global rollouts (like with the D5), production begins much earlier than when things actually hit the lots in the US, so we will have lots of UK or other country feedback to chew on leading up to dealer demos here.
 

cperez

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The "reveal" is happening in 2018, the actual release will be next year sometime.

Gotcha, thanks @catman.

Now back to that outline sketch in the slide-- I'm liking the lines and some noticeable corners on the Defender...at least in this rendition it's not looking like a worn down bar of soap like I was afraid of. We shall see, right?
 

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