I think LR logic is flawed when it comes to the Defender - they say sales of that model are not enough to justify its continued existence. That is a self fulfilling prophesy because the Defender is simply not good enough to sell well - too cramped inside, poor primary and secondary safety, too expensive, difficult to manufacture - it is simply well out of date - no wonder it cannot be sold in some markets and has very limited appeal in others.
There is however a huge international market for premium SUVs or rugged utility biased cars and if LR are not careful they will exclude themselves totally from that important sector. This market is for SUVs which are clearly a better product than vehicles like the Mahindras, Marutis (Suzuki clone) or the Tata Safari for example. That is exactly the gap LR should fill with a new affordable, durable, capable but modern Defender. Landcruisers, Shoguns and the better Korean equivalents certainly sell well to those who want a premium vehicle but one which is off-road biased, not a fragile Chelsea Tractor.
Robin

As I understood it, the sales are there, it's just that it won't meet the safety standards required in a modern vehicle in its current format.

chicken george wrote:

My last Freelander 2 was an early 56 plate which most know I had for 6 1/2 years and never ever let me down in 64000 miles


apart from frying the clutch , thats a caravan inflicted injury. but it still happened and cant be ignored in a reliability survey

but you say your fl2 didnt breakdown, so it must have been the towing

Im not being a prat fl2 clutches are weak caravans are heavy , the end 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

FL2 clutch problems don't appear to have anything to do with towing, off-roading or any other kind of abuse. The problem seems to be with the mechanism not the clutch itself, and many have started slipping never having been abused at all, whereas others have been heavily abused and are still going strong.

stop letting science get in the way of a good story  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

I can't help it - I'm a scientist...

chicken george wrote:

but you say your fl2 didnt breakdown, so it must have been the towing

Im not being a prat fl2 clutches are weak caravans are heavy , the end

CG has a vested interest in hating caravans. He appears to rent out holiday cottages.

Funny that he never decries Freelanders towing stock tailers or horse boxes.

And I thought he would leave this forum when he swapped the Freelander for an RRS. 2007 TD4 SE Manual Santrini Black

Everyone stop been a set of



The end