Land Rover To Revive The Defender As Entry-Level Offering

Derek Kreindler
by Derek Kreindler

The Land Rover Defender commands fairly hefty prices on the used market, thanks to its brief tenure in our marketplace and its classic styling. But the revived Defender, set to debut in 2015, will not only come to America, but serve as the brand’s entry-level model.

Automotive News reports that

“The Defender would be priced below the Range Rover Evoque Pure, a new model for 2013 that is priced at $41,995, including shipping. It is one of several new products Land Rover and Jaguar, which are both owned by India’s Tata Motors, are developing as part of a global growth strategy.”

The next Defender is supposed to be previewed by the DC100 concept, which is supposed to echo the original vision of the Defender; a utilitarian, go-anywhere off-roader. It’s fair to say that today’s Land Rovers are a far cry from the brand’s original offerings, and it would be a refreshing change to get something in the spirit of the original. Especially after the (admittedly solid) Evoque, which is about as lifestyle as it gets.

Derek Kreindler
Derek Kreindler

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  • Zackman Zackman on Oct 16, 2012

    A Defender? Where are the sliding windows? Didn't the originals have them instead of this iteration with roll-down glass?

    • Signal11 Signal11 on Oct 16, 2012

      The door windows have always been roll down. Only the rear compartment glass are sliding.

  • Blowfish Blowfish on Oct 16, 2012

    the new owner ain't dumb, they'll market the segment where there's a void too. they probably can built them way cheaper in the motherland. I bet dsl will be an option too.

  • Jeffzekas Jeffzekas on Oct 16, 2012

    Keep the current design, but build it in India with cheap labor-- THEN it would be a winner!

    • See 1 previous
    • Outback_ute Outback_ute on Oct 25, 2012

      They can't because it no longer meets crash standards

  • Mightytall Mightytall on Oct 17, 2012

    I am horrified! I can't believe they are really going to replace one of the most iconic true off road vehicles with some whitewashed pansywagon ... The capabilities of the Defender are legendary and I would guess most people buy the vehicle exactly because of the classic simple rugged design. The Defender wants to be taken off the beaten path and into the wild ... doesn't care if you drive through some shrubbery and give it northwestern pinstripe job ... it's a workhorse not a ballerina. The vehicle they are currently showing as a replacement is none of that. I see pretty pink lace underwear sticking out at every nook and cranny on this thing ... god beware on a rainy day you have to take this thing on a non paved parking lot ... I can hear the shriek of horror when the 22 inch rubber meets the cold water of the first puddle... My prediction is that the car will sell ... to well off - or wannabe well off - housewifes that'll take it shopping. However the serious working crowd or the serious offroaders will have to go elsewhere. Perhaps to Mercedes G or the Jeep Wrangler ... but the pansywagon DC100 will vanish off the list of true off road vehicles and follow the path of the CR-V and its many sisters.

    • See 2 previous
    • Signal11 Signal11 on Oct 25, 2012

      @Signal11 Interesting to know about the dual cab pickup 70. I'm taking a break from my field work and haven't kept up. I do wonder how many sales of the 70 series go to the AU/mining industry. The big NGOs have standardized on the 70 series and the biggest ones operate worldwide fleets that consist of thousands of these things. All told over the past ten years, I have personally ridden in over 50 separate, individual 70 series Land Cruisers and that was just for MSF and ICRC. And that's a conservative estimate. But yeah, nothing good lasts forever.

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