New Defender, 2020

RBBailey

NAS-ROW Addict
Callsign: KF7KFZ
It will be the "First Edition" version. I think they are counting on that being the first year of sales while they build up the line for coming years... and test the waters.
 

shawnpalmer

Active member
I got the opportunity to go see the new Defender yesterday. I sat in it and looked it over inside and out. It really has nothing in common with my 97 other than the name and Alpine windows. After you get past the fact that it isn't as utilitarian as the old ones, I think its still a really nice product from Land Rover. It is as nice as any of the other models they have out right now on the inside, which is good and bad. The hard plastic floors and trunk area were pretty cool with plastic 5 bar diamond plating. It has some well thought out storage areas and charging ports are everywhere. Overall, I think they morphed an iteration of a Disco that they had scrapped along the way into this new Defender. It reminds me of the LR3/LR4 in a lot of ways. It's not the Defender we are used to, but if it were called an Discovery or LR6 or even something else I think people would be really excited about it. LR is just using the Defender name to hype it up, but the car is really pretty nice. It's bigger than the pics make it look. I think it will sell well, but it's not an iconic vehicle.
 
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blueboy

Well-known member
Thx for sharing. Good basic info article. No doubt not my cup of tea, yet, could be a nice Rover for some.
 

RBBailey

NAS-ROW Addict
Callsign: KF7KFZ
Still can't get over that front end and windshield. And another thing that I noticed with the first photos of the prototypes.... that seating position....

Personally, I like being fitted into the cab. I don't like the wide seating, and I have always liked the high view seating level of RRC and Defenders. This has been deleted with this model. Look at where the bottom of the windows are. Every photo I've seen makes it look like whoever is driving it is a child. If I were in the thing, I'm sure I'd have to set the seat level to as high as it could go.

Good to see them being used off road without breaking though.
 

RBBailey

NAS-ROW Addict
Callsign: KF7KFZ
So I just built a Jeep Rubicon with the Diesel engine and with most premium stuff that I would actually want, and it came out to $60,500. (The diesel does add about $5000 to the price.)

I then went and built the Defender in the same way, even added the upgraded off-road system: $59,900.
 

WreckITFrank

Technical Excellence Contributor
So I just built a Jeep Rubicon with the Diesel engine and with most premium stuff that I would actually want, and it came out to $60,500. (The diesel does add about $5000 to the price.)

I then went and built the Defender in the same way, even added the upgraded off-road system: $59,900.

for the hell of it i did a white utilitarian (exterior) model loaded up with tech for about $62k. still hard for me to justify the gas 4 banger at that price or higher. that FCA diesel is pretty sweet (pre AEM update bullshit), been running one since 2015.
 

broncoduecer

Technical Excellence Contributor
So I just built a Jeep Rubicon with the Diesel engine and with most premium stuff that I would actually want, and it came out to $60,500. (The diesel does add about $5000 to the price.)

I then went and built the Defender in the same way, even added the upgraded off-road system: $59,900.
Interesting it’s not available in the Rubicon Recon version. Don’t see it as an option on the gladiator yet either.
 

mgreenspan

Founding Member
Yeah when I build a wrangler unlimited Sport the way I’d want it the total is $41k. That includes the diesel. Can’t do a new Defender for that price. I’d consider it in the UK because of the Diesel engine, but don’t see why a new Defender is better than just buying an Evoque with the Diesel engine.
 

RBBailey

NAS-ROW Addict
Callsign: KF7KFZ
That's right. If you lower the trim of the Jeep, it will be cheaper. I was purposefully trying to match the Jeep trim to what was offered on the Defender I'd select if I was going to jump on it. If I really were to get a Jeep, I would probably get a pretty base model. I just can't bring myself to do Jeep though. I think my wife would have to be totally in for it. I think I'm still toying with selling the Defender though, and if that were the case, I'd probably go for a LC78, or a GWagen. Either of those in the early 1990s is far and away better value than an equal Defender. I would still have the Series, and the RRC, and probably the Disco as well. So plenty of oil in the driveway still.
 

bearskinrug

Well-known member
Yeah when I build a wrangler unlimited Sport the way I’d want it the total is $41k. That includes the diesel. Can’t do a new Defender for that price. I’d consider it in the UK because of the Diesel engine, but don’t see why a new Defender is better than just buying an Evoque with the Diesel engine.
has the JLR diesel proven to be reliable? Has it been totally ruled out for US market in the defender?
 

mgreenspan

Founding Member
The diesel in my wife’s Evoque is reliable. That thing pretty much requires nothing. I’d say it’s on par with a Toyota or Honda product. I’m guessing we will never see those engines stateside, though. Thanks to every idiot that claims cars can’t get out of their way and thinks excess horsepower (350hp+) is what is required to merge onto the highway rather than paying attention and driving their vehicle appropriately. Thanks to those types of consumers we get no diesel options. They are only noticeably louder when idling in a driveway nowadays.
 

mgreenspan

Founding Member
I'd probably go for a LC78, or a GWagen.

Buy a GX470. Just do it and stop pretending you need anything else. All the benefits of a Disco (side opening rear door and a quiet comfy ride with all the benefits of a Toyota product. I’ve averaged almost 16mpg (city/town driving) over 7 years and have done nothing except for factory service intervals. Zero concern for anything. Slightly less masculine front end, but doesn’t have that loosey goosey light steering feel most newer Toyota products have these days.
 

Red90

Well-known member
The I4 diesel is okay, we never seem to see any problems with them. I do think they are a little underpowered a noisy. The 3.0 V6 diesel in the Range Rover is awesome. It's way quieter at idle than the petrol 3.0/5.0.

The engines that have been sold in the US are NOT the engines that the Defender is getting. None of those diesel have been certified for use in the US.
 

jymmiejamz

Founding Member
Callsign: KN4JHI
The engines that have been sold in the US are NOT the engines that the Defender is getting. None of those diesel have been certified for use in the US.

You can get the Ingenium 2.0L diesel in the Range Rover Velar, Jaguar F-Pace, XE, and XF. There are a couple of variants of that engine, but they are the same basic engine. There's always different things about the motors for different markets, such as being a hybrid, DPF, and SCR catalyst.
 

Red90

Well-known member
The diesel in the Velar? In the US? I did not know that. I can't see it when I look. Anyway, you can see from my link, they have been destroying themselves with fuel dilution of the oil during dpf regen.
 
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