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Spookytooth



Member Since: 19 Jan 2014
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 202

United Kingdom 2013 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Aintree Green
should we consign the name Defender to history?
Looking at the threads on here the new Defender is going to be somewhere between a Yeti and a Discovery 4 and maybe a family covering both, meaning it is either going to be a too expensive piece of kit for moving feed up a hill farm in winter or a toy which wouldn't be up to it. If its expensive why wouldn't you just buy the D4 or RRS, if its a toy why would you buy at all
The Defender stands for go anywhere, extreme toughness and can be repaired at the side of the road with a box of spares bought at an auto jumble (not even sure that's true anymore, most important spares now seem to be a 3 year warranty card and the LR assist phone number). By en large its owners are proud of its tradition and enjoy their working relationship with their vehicle or are leisure users who enjoy being in something different, lots of available mods, and value its multi purpose role from greenlining to going on extreme expeditions and with few exceptions feel a sense of pride when asked what do you drive
If the new Defender is just a toy I am not sure I want it to keep the name Defender, if its a rugged D4 and hence £45 to £60k I cant see it being used across the construction/utility/farming communities and hence will just be a leisure vehicle for the company car brigade and therefore on balance I think the Defender name should just be consigned to history with the introduction of the new model and we can look back on it along with the series 1, 2 and 3 and whatever new name is appropriate for the replacement
The Defender is an important marketing link to LR;s history and toughness and so I am sure they will want to keep a reference to it in some shape or form, just not sure I want to see it eroded any further than the current model which seems to have stretched it far enough lready
Post #364140 13th Oct 2014 2:33pm
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gilarion



Member Since: 05 Dec 2013
Location: Wales
Posts: 5084

Wales 2007 Defender 90 Other CSW Trident Green
I have always been of the opinion that the replacement Defender will still look similar to the original perhaps with softer lines. I am sure that JLR knows that if it messes too much with the original design it will drastically lose its market share.

As for the name maybe it will change, after all the concept of Land Rovers utility vehicle has always changed its name as it evolved, Series, 1,2,2A, 3, 90, Defender. Perhaps the mark ‘Defender’ is rather an imperceptive name as after all its meaning is ‘to protect someone or something’.

As part of the Defender market has evolved into more of a street car than a workhorse these days the new concept may end up with a silly name like the ‘Evoke ‘did. In that case we may end up with the 'Over Lander' or god help us the 'Urban Safari' Shocked
Post #364153 13th Oct 2014 3:20pm
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munch90



Member Since: 26 Oct 2013
Location: guildford
Posts: 3558

England 
funny how one of the most iconic vehicles ever made is to stop production and NO ONE knows of a replacement or even a idea if one will be produced

there are concept ones , but that doesn't mean a thing , more likely just a freelander underneath , maybe that's why the freelander is going , and will end up with a different body on it maybe called the freefender Rolling with laughter

WILL THERE BE A REPLACEMENT OR JUST A BASIC MODEL OF WHAT THERE IS

why should they produce a replacement who wants or needs them now

farmers l200 pick ups
army no
Post #364158 13th Oct 2014 3:38pm
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dorsetsmith



Member Since: 30 Oct 2011
Location: South West
Posts: 4554

NO REPLACEMENT as land rover can not use robots to build them and no N cap from horse mouth Crying or Very sad
Post #364193 13th Oct 2014 5:57pm
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SS90



Member Since: 16 Nov 2013
Location: Uk
Posts: 372

United Kingdom 
Re: should we consign the name Defender to history?
Yes definitely, but I expect they'd want to use the name. I think it's pretty safe to say that if there is a replacement (I say that loosely because as far as I'm concerned it's irreplaceable) it will be nothing like the Defender, nothing out there touches it. It's the last vehicle in production that is practical and functional, a proper working vehicle.
Post #364349 14th Oct 2014 11:15am
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EastFreo



Member Since: 24 May 2014
Location: Perth
Posts: 103

Australia 
As it likely to be a completely different vehicle I tend to think they should look to a new name and aim to make the design such that it can become as iconic as the Defender and Series vehicles before it. Each name marks a stage of its evolution.

The key will be keeping enough of the design and practicalities so that it looks like it remains part of the same family and isn't another species!
Post #364409 14th Oct 2014 3:03pm
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Supacat



Member Since: 16 Oct 2012
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 11018

United Kingdom 2013 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 XS DCPU Keswick Green
gilarion wrote:
I am sure that JLR knows that if it messes too much with the original design it will drastically lose its market share.


I think the opposite is actually what LR are hoping for. They have no market share to loose, relatively speaking. They have to broaden the appeal of the replacement & figures quoted state that 50,000 units per annum will be the target they are looking for.
Post #364412 14th Oct 2014 3:15pm
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Go Beyond



Member Since: 30 Jan 2012
Location: Headcorn, Kent
Posts: 6676

United Kingdom 
I wonder if it will be called a 'Landy' as JLR are going to such lengths to stop others using that name at the moment ....
Post #364414 14th Oct 2014 3:27pm
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megatoad



Member Since: 07 Jan 2012
Location: Hertfordshire
Posts: 358

United Kingdom 2006 Defender 110 Td5 XS CSW Zambezi Silver
Personally I recall the derision with which the somewhat naff "Defender" name was met with by all us long in the tooth die hards.

ALthough it has now been with us for 30 years or so I still think of my steeds as the 80, 88 and 110, sadly I do now occasionaly also use that other term I despised for so long "disco" (note the lower case) for the wife and boys 300tdi D1s.

To me they are ALL Land Rovers, as for all the other glitzy blingy stuff that Solihull produces well they hold little interest.

The beauty of a proper Landy is that you can look down upon all other SUVs as lesser toys, be they an Xthing, Porche tonka toy or even a £120k RR. certainly I feel you get more respect for the service staff when you turn up in a grubby battered Landy than a snotty nosed RR custodian.

Back to the thread, I seriously cannot see a true modern Defender being built, after all as mentioned, where is the market? I think in 2012 there were only 18,000 fenders built and sold. Yet all those tin boxes they produce alonside are selling like hotcakes and have of course saved the companies bacon.

I certainly doubt that whatever they replace it with will be a reasonably priced workhorse that I could afford, already the RRP of new defenders is in my opinion obscene. So instead of buying a new 90 the wife has found me a nice shabby 88 that needs a chassis up rebuild.

Thats my newest member of the collection.

Laughing

I still hate the name "Defender" He who dies with the most toys wins Smile

Defender 90 & 110, S1 80", Disco 1, S111 88
LRSOC & CVLRC
Post #364515 14th Oct 2014 10:27pm
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Pickles



Member Since: 26 May 2013
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 3753

Australia 2013 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 CSW Keswick Green
Spookytooth. Good post, hadn't thought about it much.
If the "New" Defender doesn't have much "connection" with the old, then I'd say, No, use another name,....and, it'd give our vehicles more "individuality".
AFAIMC, I suppose it depends upon what the new "one" is like.
Pickles.
Post #364541 14th Oct 2014 11:51pm
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Setok



Member Since: 16 Jan 2009
Location: Helsinki
Posts: 415

Finland 
I actually like that Overlander suggestion Smile But only if the vehicle was actually good for exactly that kind of activity.

People talk about sales numbers, but constantly ignore why the numbers are where they are, and Land Rover has been losing ground to other utility vehicles: despite not doing much to market the Defender, it still loses in terms of reputation for reliability (one of the biggest reasons for why people go elsewhere). Additionally it is not available in many key markets, with the US being the most important one.
Post #367549 27th Oct 2014 6:20pm
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JSG



Member Since: 12 Jul 2007
Location: Berkshire
Posts: 2412

United Kingdom 2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Stornoway Grey
I've come to believe that the Defender name should die along with the current model - I don't see the next model being an evolution of the Defender, but more of a new model.

I don't see it continuing with the core values and will be a major departure from the current DNA.

It will be much more of a step change than even the Series III to 90 / 110 was. John

http://www.hampshire4x4response.co.uk

2011 Tdci 110 CSW XS
Post #368566 31st Oct 2014 8:43pm
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RobKeay



Member Since: 19 Jul 2009
Location: Stafford
Posts: 1567

United Kingdom 2014 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Corris Grey
Call it Defender2

Where's the market hi lux had about 140k world wide sales. There's your market.

In terms of price a 110 is already 33k. With modern construction I would guess I'm the price point being 24-35k.
Post #368578 31st Oct 2014 9:11pm
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spudfan



Member Since: 10 Sep 2007
Location: Co Donegal
Posts: 4479

Ireland 
Call it "PHOENIX" as in from the ashes of etc etc.... 1982 88" 2.25 diesel
1992 110 200tdi csw -Zikali
2008 110 2.4 tdci csw-Zulu
2011 110 2.4 tdci csw-Masai
Post #386886 9th Jan 2015 11:02pm
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dolomite



Member Since: 05 Apr 2014
Location: pitesti
Posts: 66

Call it: TROVANTER

Trovant is a special impressive type of rock, a big one, like the ones this LR vehicle is supposed to conquer.

http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/the-trov...rocks.html
Post #386923 10th Jan 2015 7:26am
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