2015 Land Rover Defender toughest yet
New Defender design may upset traditionalists, but will be the "most abusable" Land Rover yetHot on the heels of the New York motor show launch of the new second generation Range Rover Sport, Land Rover's Global Brand Manager John Edwards talked up the extreme off-road capability of the next generation Defender, expected in late 2015.
He said the new model will be "the most capable, most durable, most abusable product we make".
The current Land Rover Defender is regarded as one of the most capable and durable off-road vehicles available, so the new model will have big shoes fill.
In an interview with Australian media at the New York motor show, Edwards also confirmed the new Defender will be unmasked in the "middle of this decade".
"We sell 16,000 Defenders a year at the moment. I'm not interested in selling 16,000 in future. [We want] much bigger numbers," he said.
We've previously reported Edwards saying he wants to sell 200,000 Defenders per year, and his plans to expand the range to include more body styles. Asked if this was still the case he responds: "We have very ambitious plans for the Defender range".
To keep the cost of Land Rover's most capable off-road vehicle to a minimum, the car is likely to be manufactured in India or South America as previously reported. Edwards also intimated the design of the vehicle is almost signed off. However motoring.com.au understands the Defender's new design won't look anything like the DC100 concept (pictured), which made its debut at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show.
"The design is something which we're extremely confident about," says the Land Rover executive, but confessed it won't please everyone. He makes no apologies to traditionalists who admire the current vehicle's classic design.
"What you have to recognise is that we've been selling the current Defender for pretty much 65 years, and there are some people who say 'don’t change it, don’t change it at all'.
"Well guess what? Those guys are going to be disappointed because we've got to change it and we will change it and time moves on," said Edwards.
Read the latest news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site…
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
