DesertBound
Observer
I've been drawn to the go-anywhere appeal of Land Rover products for a long time (heck, my Xterra appeals to me partly because they cribbed the profile of the Disco). I've considered picking up a Disco or even an LR3 to build up as an expedition rig, rather than the Xterra, but concerns over electronic and other malfunctions have kept me waiting to see if LR can conquer the quality gremlins before I fork over my cash (not bashing LR, this is just my perception based on experiences of personal friends/co-workers). Now I'm concerned that I might never get the chance:
In the current issue of Automobile magazine, they have a section that discusses the future of LR in America. According to their sources (purportedly "some long-range product planners at the Premier Automotive Group"), Land Rover will be moving to an exclusively Range Rover product line-up in the U.S. While they mention that true off-road capability is a must, they seem to suggest that they'll be offering more high-end street-oriented vehicles a la the Range Rover Sport. They mentioned that the new LR2 would probably be discontinued here, since it's a slow seller and doesn't have much margin to begin with. The implication is that the LR3, if it continues, will become more of a tall street-oriented wagon. They say that the Defender doesn't have a future here.
I realize that this may not be true at all, but it's a little alarming if only because it probably makes some sense from a business perspective. This does fly in the face of some of the rumors we've heard recently about the Defender being modified to meet federal safety standards.
Here's the article (scroll down to the second half for LR content): Ford's Battle Plan
What do you think? Are Land Rovers days as a purveyor of truly off-road-worthy vehicles in the U.S. nearing an end? Or is this just the thinking of a few product planners within LR?
In the current issue of Automobile magazine, they have a section that discusses the future of LR in America. According to their sources (purportedly "some long-range product planners at the Premier Automotive Group"), Land Rover will be moving to an exclusively Range Rover product line-up in the U.S. While they mention that true off-road capability is a must, they seem to suggest that they'll be offering more high-end street-oriented vehicles a la the Range Rover Sport. They mentioned that the new LR2 would probably be discontinued here, since it's a slow seller and doesn't have much margin to begin with. The implication is that the LR3, if it continues, will become more of a tall street-oriented wagon. They say that the Defender doesn't have a future here.
I realize that this may not be true at all, but it's a little alarming if only because it probably makes some sense from a business perspective. This does fly in the face of some of the rumors we've heard recently about the Defender being modified to meet federal safety standards.
Here's the article (scroll down to the second half for LR content): Ford's Battle Plan
What do you think? Are Land Rovers days as a purveyor of truly off-road-worthy vehicles in the U.S. nearing an end? Or is this just the thinking of a few product planners within LR?
