Land Rover News: Land Rover Defender Leaks Out

[Drew Dowdell]

The Land Rover Defender leaked out via an Instagram post from the set of a 007 movie, spotted without camouflage and clearly back from some mudding around. The Defender was supposed to debut at the Frankfurt International Auto Show next month. 

The previous Defender stopped production in 2016 after a 67 year run.  Emissions and safety regulations eventually forced it out of the markets.  The new Defender retains a boxy shape, but is now much more modern in appearence. The headlights have a hooded look in place of the previously circular units. 

The Defender will initially be offered in a five passenger configuration, but eventually will also get a shorter length model to compete more directly with the Jeep Wrangler.  Those wanting a larger version will be happy too as an 8-passenger version is also planned.  Power will come from a range of turbo 4-cylinders, turbo 6-cylinder, a plug-in hybrid, and even a 6-cylinder diesel.  One thing the Defender will not have is are solid axles, moving instead to a fully independent suspension. 

The Defender will likely end up in the US market as a 2021 model sometime in late 2020. 

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[G. David Felt]

It has been interesting to see the amount of comments I have read on various sites about the Explorer and Suburban and everything loosing solid front axles for a IS setup.

I wonder if anyone will really care that this does not have solid axles? ?

[Robert Hall]

17 minutes ago, dfelt said:

It has been interesting to see the amount of comments I have read on various sites about the Explorer and Suburban and everything loosing solid front axles for a IS setup.

I wonder if anyone will really care that this does not have solid axles? ?

Probably a handful off road fans in the UK care about solid axles, but I suspect 99.99% of potential buyers don't care.... it just doesn't matter...the Explorer has never been a serious off-roader, hasn't had a solid axle in a few generations, the Grand Cherokee lost it's solid front axle in '05 w/ the WK generation, etc.  

Edited August 27, 2019 by Robert Hall

[ykX]

Old Defender was used by many militaries, not just UK.  I am sure it will mater to them as well as off roaders how sturdy it will be and how well new Defender will drive off road.

[Robert Hall]

6 minutes ago, ykX said:

Old Defender was used by many militaries, not just UK.  I am sure it will mater to them as well as off roaders how sturdy it will be and how well new Defender will drive off road.

I was only thinking about real world consumer sales... I don't know if the military market accounts for much anymore for LR...militaries seem to use a lot of custom build stuff anymore..

[ccap41]

I'd also bet that if a military were to put in a bulk order that they'd have no issue fitting a more capable setup with solid axles, if that's that desirable. 

[Drew Dowdell]

I don't see the military buying this independent suspension or not. It looks like a more capable puff cruiser than anything else. Nothing like the old Defender.  This is more their Grand Cherokee than their Wrangler.