I agree with you 100% here. I think that was exactly the point of making the Discovery a more run of the mill "softer" looking SUV. I see the LR Defender trying to take a piece of the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon market...I just looked at their site and some Rubicon models START AT $43,000 and after options can make their way into the $50k range!!! FOR A JEEP....wow. I would guess the new defender would start at $50k-$60k and probably top out around $80 (some think less, but who knows, I see it going up) --- So...do you think the defender will have solid axles or move to an independent suspension like the discovery? Hmmm...
I believe Land Rover has already publicly stated that the new Defender will be on the same platform as the new Discovery, so I'm guessing it's still going to be fully independent suspension, albeit with chunkier components. Reports have indicated they are currently testing the new Defender platform in driving conditions--one would think there would be no need to do that if it was the exact same underneath as the Discovery.
Not that a "unibody" style vehicle cannot have solid axles (see the Jeep XJ), but it's just too big a stretch to think that LR is going to depart that much from the existing engineering. Best case, then, is they make the A-arms a few inches longer for increased wheel travel, and open up the wheel wells a bit for bigger tire possibilities.
I'm curious to know whether the new Defender will only come with 19" wheels. Surely they will at least engineer some 18" wheels to fit over the existing components, ala the Compomotives.