“It’s now irrelevant to say form must not follow function,” Land Rover’s design director Gerry McGovern tells a group of reporters while discussing the next Defender. The truck, which is expected in 2015 and was previewed by the DC100 concept at the Frankfurt auto show, will be far more modern and comfortable, according to executives for the company. “The current Defender was technologically advanced when it launched, and the new one will be modern when it arrives, too,” global brand director John Edwards told us.
We are concerned that the Defender will be too modern; its character—tough as nails and as comfortable as a bed of them—is what gives this vehicle so much of its appeal. It’s also an anchor for one of the last remaining automakers willing to play up the off-road capabilities of its vehicles. Edwards promises, though, that the next Defender will “remain the emotional core of Land Rover.” As such, the next-gen truck will still be utilitarian and should be extraordinarily capable off-road. Useful features, such as an interior you can hose out without ruining, also will help drive home the theme.
It’s disappointing to hear that the next Defender will be far more civilized, but it’s understandable. Land Rover desperately needs to grow its sales volume, and can no longer afford to build a product that has large appeal but only small sales numbers. The truck may return to the U.S.—a decision hasn’t been made yet—but even if it did, it would be positioned differently than it was in the 1990s, when the Defender was last sold here. That truck was painfully expensive, unpleasant to drive in suburbia (unthinkable in cities), and sucked down fuel. With a more-civilized product, the company will be well situated to pitch the Defender to the sort of people who desire a Jeep Wrangler but want a bit more cachet.
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