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Captain Worm

Member Since: 12 Sep 2010
Location: Solihull
Posts: 969

2007 Freelander 2 TD4 SE Auto Narvik Black

Ghyllie wrote:
WTF A TWO DOOR!

The original Series I SWB was a two door - as is the 90! So you can see where they are getting their styling queues from.

I agree the concept is a bit flowery and bling but then aren’t all concepts?? (Evoque excepting)

As the write up said, replacing the Defender is going to be a very hard brief and I think whichever way it is played you are going to upset someone. At the end of the day they need to be seen to making progress but at the same time keeping it functional. Keep it too boring and you wont attract any new buyers, make it too bling and all the old school will complain it is not true to the original - a very tough call to make.

That said, the UK has got good experience in bringing back old classics with modern feels... think of the new Mini - an absolute winner in my eyes (although I think they took it too far with the clubman) Freelander 2 TD4 Auto, SE, Narvik Black, Alpaca full leather, Rear Headrest Entertainment System, 6 CD, 18 HSE Wheels, Privicy tints

31st Aug 2011 9:36 am

Ghyllie

Member Since: 19 Jul 2011
Location: Over looking Loch Ness with Nessie by my side
Posts: 159

2008 Freelander 2 TD4 XS Auto Santorini Black

Am I right in thinking that TATa has a finger in both pies? LR/Jag and Hyundai/Kia oo! Shiney!
____________________________________________
55 Nissan Navara SE Black - My Toy.
08 Freelander 2 XS Santorini Black - Her Majesty's Toy.

31st Aug 2011 9:37 am

Ghyllie

Member Since: 19 Jul 2011
Location: Over looking Loch Ness with Nessie by my side
Posts: 159

Captain Worm wrote:
Ghyllie wrote:
WTF A TWO DOOR!

The original Series I SWB was a two door - as is the 90! So you can see where they are getting their styling queues from.

But be honest there's not much call for a 2 door, commercial off roader or otherwise, you just have to see what the pickup manufacturers are producing for the same market/buyers not many 2 door hi lux, Navara or L200s about! what this is really doing is testing if there is an outcry if the Def is scraped because if it is that is the end of LR as a commercial supplier they will have to fight in a market with the like of Toyoter- Land cruiser down to yaris, Nissan- Patrol down to the note (although Nissan have themselves given up on larger 4x4s with the dimise of the patrol) et al LR have/had a niche market in which they proved themselves exceptional but they now look at a world market where, say, rebadging a kia soul with a LR badge is worth more money, all over the world the LR badge is an icon, just look at this forum! and there are millions out there who aspire to owning a LR and if they upset a few thousand people in the UK by cheapening the costs and turning it to just another CAR so be it especially if they then sell hundreds of thousands of them same cheap vehicles worldwide. the LR badge will sell!
RANT OVER oo! Shiney!
____________________________________________
55 Nissan Navara SE Black - My Toy.
08 Freelander 2 XS Santorini Black - Her Majesty's Toy.

31st Aug 2011 10:21 am

Mona Geeza

Member Since: 22 May 2010
Location: Devon
Posts: 1293

2010 Freelander 2 TD4_e XS Manual Stornoway Grey

mcphersonstrut wrote:
dpcwright wrote:
That is a Kia Soul look alike

Absolutely spot on Google Kia Soul on Images and there it is.....

If they do an R version it will be a Kia R Soul

31st Aug 2011 5:10 pm

simont

Member Since: 15 Feb 2011
Location: Sunderland/Newcastle
Posts: 1809

2007 Freelander 2 TD4 GS Manual Tonga Green

Mona Geeza wrote:
mcphersonstrut wrote:
dpcwright wrote:
That is a Kia Soul look alike

Absolutely spot on Google Kia Soul on Images and there it is.....

If they do an R version it will be a Kia R Soul

If they do a 4 door version it will be a "Big Kia R Soul"

2002 Honda VFR800
2002 Toyota Celica 140 Silver (mid life crisis - again!)
2007 FL2 GS Manual Army Reconnaissance Green + freel2.com sticker

2004 Toyota Celica 140 Black - Gone
2000 Toyota Celica 140 Silver - Gone
1998 Toyota Celica ST Pearl Green - Gone
1996 Nissan Primera 1.6 - Gone
1994 Rover Montego 1.6 Auto - Gone

31st Aug 2011 5:12 pm

sweetfreedom

Member Since: 27 Aug 2011
Location: Cotswolds
Posts: 64

Defender is a poison challis for LR, much like VW's beetle..... they can never get it quite right to suit all tastes...

But I fundamentally agree with most here. It should be functional, almost behond belief and LR can do that because they have all their other products for the bling brigade, townys & yummy mummys etc etc!

I have seen some brilliant Defender concepts which didn't stray too far from the original masterpiece that carrys so so much goodwill. In fact that same goodwill is why we are all buying LR products now I think!

What worrys me is that Jeep although in desperate trouble is starting to appeal to me more and more...sorry for that! we have a Jeep GC 3.0CRD and it's great. No nonsense, tough as an old pair of boots and zero bling appeal.
LR have to watch that with the Defender. With Fiat in control of Jeep things are starting to happen and most (proper) offroaders already prefer Jeep to the new era of LR's. Things are still fine for LR just now but I really do believe that this is still, even now, resting on the Defender's laurels.... FL2 GS Auto '58reg

31st Aug 2011 6:38 pm

Mark12

Member Since: 17 Jan 2011
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 62

2011 Freelander 2 TD4 HSE Manual Ipanema Sand

Just read the article in Autocar magazine, the picture of the car from the side looks good but from the front view I think it looks like a Skoda Yeti.

31st Aug 2011 7:49 pm

toeknee

Member Since: 14 Feb 2009
Location: out and about
Posts: 1509

2007 Freelander 2 TD4 SE Manual Sumatra Black

totally agree with Mark12, Skoda Yeti on Steroids

31st Aug 2011 7:53 pm

chicken george

Member Since: 05 Dec 2007
Location: N. Yorks
Posts: 13289

2008 Freelander 2 TD4 XS Manual Santorini Black

Id buy one, 4x4 pickups are the devils work At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

31st Aug 2011 8:03 pm

athelstan

Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: Reality
Posts: 2658

The new Defender design should not be as described (or officially quoted) in the motoring journals or news media in a thousand and one words. It is simple but not simplistic:

1: It must look "hard as nails"
2: It must be "hard as nails"
3: It must be as cheap and cost effective as "hard nails"
4: It must have a platform that is as flexible as nails are: i.e. as in their various specialist forms/design specific for each task.

Now LR - get on and do it - build it in India and conquer the 4x4 utility vehicle world. If you need any assistance in reaching this goal I'll come out of retirement to help direct that mission. 2016 first year global sales target 500,000 units. Yr5 - 1 million units per annum.

1st Sep 2011 7:59 am

D99

Member Since: 08 Mar 2011
Location: UK
Posts: 386

They really will have to ensure that there is plenty of off road equipment and tyres etc available as soon as it does go on sale, and not loose sight of what the defender is all about!

1st Sep 2011 1:06 pm

AndyC

Member Since: 30 Nov 2007
Location: Where the snow dosen't melt when the sun is shining!
Posts: 4165

2007 Freelander 2 TD4 HSE Manual Stornoway Grey

The type of customers that buy a Defender dont buy one for its apperance or colour unless its camo, matt green, matt black or siver as its not built for a bunch of posers

The Defender needs an update of course and hopfully it will be very reliable and a more practicle vehicle to own than the present one. It certainly is a more intresting and possible future 4x4 vehicle for us that dare venture off asphalt, than the poncy Evoque is.

Provisionaly I would give it the thumbs up , but personaly will probably be changing sides if Freely is/when is sold 2007 Freelander 2 HSE TD4 Manual with Premium Pack & Moonroof.
Stornoway Grey with Ebony Black Pleather, Clear Indicators, Body Side Mouldings etc.

2nd Sep 2011 7:26 am

djwhyte

Member Since: 24 Aug 2010
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 336

2007 Freelander 2 i6 SE Auto Tambora Flame

I just read that the new defender concepts also has a soft-top version.

Hadn't seen it mentioned on the site so thought I would post a link http://brisbanetimes.drive.com.au/motor-ne...1k6mn.html 1st time FL2 owner. 2007 SE i6 in Tambora Flame.

15th Sep 2011 3:13 am

jaksbak@freel2

Member Since: 26 Dec 2010
Location: Fraser Coast
Posts: 225

2011 Freelander 2 SD4 SE Auto Stornoway Grey

Wow! That looks awesome, though somewhat impractical. Perfect for the range Rover owners who want to visit their friends on the farm once a year! The concept looks very cool, though it doesn't match the Defender image at all. The convertable concept would go well on the Evoque though I suspect!

16th Sep 2011 11:20 am

landy19840

Member Since: 13 Mar 2011
Location: Non
Posts: 1817

2007 Freelander 2 TD4 SE Manual Zermatt Silver

AndyC wrote:
The type of customers that buy a Defender dont buy one for its apperance or colour unless its camo, matt green, matt black or siver as its not built for a bunch of posers

The Defender needs an update of course and hopfully it will be very reliable and a more practicle vehicle to own than the present one. It certainly is a more intresting and possible future 4x4 vehicle for us that dare venture off asphalt, than the poncy Evoque is.

Provisionaly I would give it the thumbs up , but personaly will probably be changing sides if Freely is/when is sold

totally agree there, i mean they are terrible cars you dont buy one cos they are good cars, they are terrible to drive bad driving position, its a tool! But some people will disagree

16th Sep 2011 11:26 am

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