For those of us open to change, the DC100 is a pure tease – we want it NOW, Land Rover should cancel those design clinics and start producing it immediately, but this is a Defender Concept and Land Rover didn’t get to where they are now by ignoring the preferences of their most loyal customers.
Although the Defender has been with us since 1983, this is the first radical departure planned for Land Rover’s utilitarian model since the Series I first launched in 1948. Make no mistake, this is a BIG deal for Land Rover and they’ll not be hurried into replacing the Defender until they’re absolutely sure their loyal enthusiasts approve.
John Edwards, Global Brand Director for Land Rover said, “Loved the world over for its simple, honest and distinctive design, we are determined that the new Defender will be true to its heritage, while meeting the requirements of a changing global market.
We plan to engage with existing and potential customers to help us finalise the details of the new vehicle. One thing’s for sure, it’s going to be an exciting journey, and we can’t wait to get going.”
Gerry McGovern, Director of Design at Land Rover also added, “Replacing the iconic Defender is one of the biggest challenges in the automotive design world; it is a car that inspires people worldwide. This isn’t a production-ready concept but the beginning of a four-year journey to design a relevant Defender for the 21st century.”
The Land Rover DC100 will make its debut at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, but unfortunately production of a new Defender won’t commence until 2015. For the time being, all we can do is voice our support as loudly as possible in the hope that Land Rover chose to bring that launch date forward.
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Looks like a Kia Soul…..
I saw that comment being made on Land Rover’s Facebook page. Whilst I’m not a fan of the gawky front-end, I do like the profile and think it has a lot of potential – especially once LR are able to use the new platform for the multiple-uses that the Defender and Series models are known for. Land Rover enthusiasts are in uproar, but unfortunately these aren’t the people who pay LR’s shareholders – instead LR need to acquire customers who would otherwise be spending their cash with Toyota, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Jeep. The market for these vehicles is now the Middle-East, East Asia and Africa and LR have been losing this battle for a long time.
If devout enthusiasts would like to see the Defender live on (as is) then I’d suggest they set up a charitable foundation to preserve its manufacture under licence, but I doubt that’s likely to be achievable. Change is never easy, but in LR’s case it’s a necessity.