Defender's Own Goal

There can be no doubt that the Land Rover Defender needs replacing. Even design bosses at the company know that the weight of affection for the 63 year old icon cannot outweigh its shortcomings, as chief Gerry McGovern concedes:


"Today's Defender is a fantastic machine but it has many faults: it is hard to build, not very space efficient, the driving position is cramped, it's  not very comfortable for passengers, and so on. We have to replace it."

Newly conglomerated into an official joint effort and the world's youngest car company, Jaguar Land Rover has an unenviable task in trying to please the core markets of the Defender while modernising it necessarily. There are also the legions of worldwide fans to consider, who despite never having owned a Defender, see the car as very much part of the automotive landscape, and to interfere with its core principles is abject blasphemy. Some paradox...

The DC100 concepts have certainly got people talking, but is all publicity really good publicity? Debate over the futuristic moon-buggy alike concept has been fierce.

Of course, these are only initial design studies, and the real 2015 production car will surely not ride on 22" rims with low profile rubber, but these show car cues are unnecessary on a Land Rover. They enhance the toy-like stance and, when combined with some of the frontal detailing, lend impressions of a pimped Skoda Yeti. The Yeti may be an excellent car but it surely isn't aesthetically worthy of Land Rover plagiarism.


It's very easy to pick holes in the DC100 concepts, since the current, long standing Defender is held in such high regard, but I do think Land Rover have sullied their achievements with the on board off roader technology, and simple hose down interior, with needless shouty styling. The car was always going to be one of the stars of the Frankfurt show; new Defenders don't come along, well, ever, and there was no possibility of it being forgotten about.


The roofless DC100 Sport is a waste of time; Land Rover have the Evoque and Range Rover Sport for totally road biased and fashion conscious customers. A yellow drop-top Landie isn't going to impress the brand faithful any more than it is likey to fit in outside the best restaurant in town. Step away from the Hummer tribute act. 


The Sport iteration was intended to demonstrate the flexibility of the new car, but with around 30 versions of the Defender currently produced, a flatbed, station wagon, or even ambulance or armed forces version would have, in my humble opinion, been a more fitting showcase for the continuation of the Defender's jack-of-all-trades ability.

 The Defender is, as always has been, a bit of a Swiss Army Knife of a car. I for one hope that the next time a glimpse into its valuable future is unveiled, we're treated to something a bit less blunt.

Does that look super-imposed to you? 

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