By the time the replacement for the Defender arrives the market will have gone elsewhere.

Who actually believes they have to discontinue it because of engine emissions? The engine has been changed regularly since the original 1948 1.6 litre.

If they stop making Land Rovers they might as well drop the name altogether and call it Solihull Euroboxes. Yes, mine has the lettering "Land Rover" on the bonnet - but it's not a real one, it is far too comfy for that. Everyone can spread it - Anyone can catch it. Stay home - the life you save can be your own!

I believe that it's not discontinued because of the emissions, but because of the form which isn't exactly pedestrian friendly... And in today world, especially US...

Not been sold in the USA for about 20 years and you can only import 20 plus year old Defenders into the USA where they go for silly money.

Defender does not have airbags and as far as I know it is not possible to retrofit them so doesn't comply with that bit of legislation. Also do not believe it meets future crash protection legislation. It currently meets EU5 emissions standard but not sure it would make it through the up coming EU6 standard.

On a Gaydon tour group was informed the problem with the Defender is its small niche market.

Using a 50 year old design and having the tooling setup makes it viable in todays market even though numbers are small.

To totally re design and re -tool is not commercial sound option in this case.

My take on that is we will see another platform used, more than likely Discovery which their could be two options.

New Discovery range would have far larger model range starting with a very basic down to earth version, no luxury very basic extending to high luxury levels.

or a different pizzza topping on one of the other platforms known as the Discovery Defender.


Seems a little a odds with previous marketing that the Discovery name is now being brought to the forefront, as it reputation in the States saw it being re branded as LR2,3,4 but would look now that it is becoming a brand that will incorporate the Defender replacement.

Seems to me farmers/small holders will buy Toyota hilux etc. land rover looks to be forgetting its roots? Black MY2013 SD4 GS Auto, Wood Company Armrest, Freel2 sticker.
Gone MY2010 Freelander 2 Manual TD4.e S, Alaska White.

rchrdleigh wrote:

Have a look at the article on the Daily Mail website, pretty much confirms what I said. ( www.dailymail.co.uk )

Defender replacement is not likely to appear much before 2017

Link to Daily Mail article:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-24...-2015.html

Doesn't quote Gerry McGovern but does quote John Edwards who is pretty well placed to comment.
2017 date is pure speculation but based on reasonably good sources (not Daily Mail)

that quote was from 2011 before the DC100 had even been unveiled.

Like I said, this is the problem with people (newspapers) regurgitating old or inaccurate information as the gospel truth. I have even known people to quote Dealers, claiming they are a solid JLR source.

So now we are all back to square one, there is no confirmed Defender replacement, and we are back to speculating that something new will come before 2017 - although we have no idea when, or where in the range it will be, or in fact if it will be 2017. (although Mystic Meg could have predicted 2017 and its fair to assume at least we will get a facelift on something)

http://www.paddockspares.com/blog/92/
(a blog post containing that exact quote from 2011)

alex_pescaru wrote:

I believe that it's not discontinued because of the emissions, but because of the form which isn't exactly pedestrian friendly... And in today world, especially US...

Would that really be it, front of a Discovery doesn't look particulary pedestrian friendly. 
Hung like Einstein, smart as a horse.