Land Rover DC100 Concept: The Next Defender, Sort Of
Meet the (stylistic forebear to the) new boss, absolutely nothing like the old boss.
This is the Land Rover DC100 concept. It's set to debut at the Frankfurt auto show in September, and its styling hints at the next Land Rover Defender, due in 2015. 
Regardless, the DC100 is a concept, so it's essentially a rolling, touchable design sketch. The flat sides and high, broad hood echo both the Defender and every Series Land Rover ever produced; the low-profile tires and silly fender vents are impractical but necessary to both fall in with current Landie styling and auto-show fashion. With the exception of the basic proportions, little here is likely to carry over to the Defender's 2015 replacement. Whatever Land Rover decides for the final vehicle’s shape, you can expect it to ride on a derivation of the company’s current Land Rover LR4 platform—probably with complexity removed and toughness added. The go-to engine is likely to be the 2.2-liter four-cylinder turbo-diesel recently introduced in the European Jaguar XF, where it produces 187 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque. We anticipate that there will be an optional gas-fired engine as well, which could be anything from a borrowed four-banger to the company’s complex 5.0-liter V-8 to an upcoming, all-new V-6.
It also borrows a quote from legendary British automotive journalist L.J.K. Setright, one we're going to borrow as well. Writing in 1979, Setright was eulogizing the Series Land Rovers, but his words are timeless and could be just as well applied to the Defender:
I was all excited for a second thinking this was going to be a NEW model in the LR line, perhaps a regular LR2 or something, based upon the upcoming 2-door Evoque. But no, it's just a concept on the Defender, which they don't sell in the US (sadly, since 1995.) I honestly like the current timeless look of the defender. You need the hinges on the outside, and easily replaceable panels like the current model has. It just looks so dignified no matter the situation, and I couldn't say that for the goofy concept above.
(And I don't think LR had an idea about the second-hand market they were creating for the Defender 90s, which are now quite pricy in good condition!)
Land Rover does not have an idea of what the Defender stand for, it never was and never will be a fashion or trendy car.
From the very conception it is a work tool, so versatile that itself converted to legend. A legend that enabled the sales of all the other LR models.
It started with farmers, construction places, developing countries, disaster areas, helpng to discover and explore our world. Always carrying people and material in a reliable way. Never looking pretty, a dent or two just accentuates its character, no need for makeup. That is the Defender icon !
It is also the most democratic car in the world, behind the wheel can be a count, prince or a gardener you can never tell.
It never was meant to be the weekend playcar (DC100 sport)
Just take a look at the use LR gives the Defender, in every expedition (Ruta Maya, Camel Trophy, G4, LR Experience) the Defender is the workhorse that carries all the tools and supplies. What are they gonna use now?
Don't get me wrong, I know the current design is outdated, LR needs to improve:
Reliability, Greener and more powerful powertrain, reliability, Working HVAC, Cheaper to build body, reliability, Ergonomics
I really don´t care if the new Defender looks completely different from the current one. I need a car that can take the beaten path without complaining and bring me back home.
What LR needs to design is a vehicle that can keep the legend alive, and borrow part of that legend to the other LR models to improve their sales.
What I see in the DC100 is just another fashion design that could have been produced by any brand.
It might be a wonderful design but it sure does not direct your mind and heart to the lean 4X4 workhorse, that the current Defender is. Does not honor the 50+ year tradition of the car either.
Sincerely, I never expected something like this from Land Rover, the presentation did disappoint me and other many Defender owners.
We have an LR3 in our fleet that recently had a $650 windshield replacement and it cost $1500 to put new rubber on it. Before that it had a rash of electronic problems that affected the four wheel drive system, the cruise control, the lights and you could not turn the engine off without first putting it in neutral. It took the dealership a few days, and several hundred dollars, to figure out that there was a bad turn signal bulb!!! Amazing that the bulb caused all of these problems, poor engineering, very poor. Hi tech is not always better.
I have never left a comment on any of these posts, until now....
I am the proud owner of a 1987 Defender 90 and this new concept SUV is a disgrace. It does not represents the original and is a huge disappointment to me as a Defender owner. A true defender is a real truck, dependable, reliable, rugged, and durable not a tricked out Yuppie SUV.
I am hoping someone over at Land Rover sees these posts and realizes that this new concept vehicle absolutely kills its spirit and quashes it original feel.
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