New Defender News

T-Willy

Well-known member
Not sure if anyone has heard anything, but is JLR still planning on only offering Air Suspension and not Coils in North American Defenders? I seem to recall they were hard on that about 8-12 months back but...well, a lot has changed in the last 12 months!




Interesting article -- a 130 is a neat option, especially if it can be had without the extra row of seats. A 1-ton payload with over a foot more room than the 110 would have some excellent usefulness for the Overlanding market. One thing that got me wondering is this last bit:



I think that the author of the article might be misconstruing the reality here, or perhaps I'm taking their writing too literally. The existence of an electric-powerplant Defender doesn't mean it's "losing" it's internal combustion engines as the quote stated, it just means there will be an electric model offered. The linked article suggests that 60% of JLR vehicles will be electric by 2030 so....that's 40% that are still using dinosaur juice, so I don't see ICE Defenders going away anytime soon.

The 130 is a quite promising touring wagon.

JLR stands out among manufacturers for its attention to off-road and payload-capable wagons. No others seem to value this combination. I wish they would.
 

naks

Well-known member
render of the 110 bakkie


normal_render%2Bof%2Bthe%2B110%2Bbakkie.jpg
 

ChasingOurTrunks

Well-known member
Pretty good article on Overland SUV of the Year: https://expeditionportal.com/overland-suv-of-the-year/

Quote the conclusion below which I think is very fair. If JLR had spent the last 20 years higher in the reliability rankings (Not even needing to be the best -- say top 10) instead of at the bottom, I wonder if this would have resulted in stealing the crown from the Land Cruiser; in other words, if JLR had proven that they can do "complex" reliably over the last 20 years, I wonder how much of a deal breaker that complexity/newness would be and whether that would change the outcome for the Editors Choice award.

The Editor’s Choice Award goes to the product that the lead evaluator would pick for their own long-distance, remote travels. It is not a high-score award, which often favors outliers that lack excellence on a whole. On specifications and aggregate performance alone, the Defender is the superior vehicle in this test. It is better at everything performance-related except the most extreme technical terrain (reserved for the Wrangler). In addition to performance, it provides a laundry list of overland-worthy features, from a factory snorkel to an integrated air compressor to an Autohome roof tent. The list of best-in-test attributes is dizzying, including payload, roof load, road and dirt ride quality, limit handling performance, traction control tuning, ground clearance, acceleration (5.8 seconds, 0-60 mph), and even departure angle. The Defender is also a rolling computer, with its plethora of systems and sensors working to make everything easier—more comfortable and complex. Even the park sensors tick to vibrate dust off the proximity detectors.

The Toyota Land Cruiser is easy to dismiss because of its age and lack of electronic wizardry, but that is what makes the 200 exceptional. In my conversations with the lead engineer, he explained why the 200 is the strongest TLC ever made. The durability testing alone would likely leave most competitors in the scrap heap. I consider it to be the most reliable offering and the most elegant solution to the challenge, which is to explore the remote corners of the globe. Even in stock form, the vehicle is up to the task, but it is also ready for customization to match any mission: massive axles, ladder frame, monstrous transfer case, and half- million-mile service life.
While the Defender is exceptional in attributes and worthy of broad praise, we are an adventure publication that travels into the deep back of beyond. That is my reservation with the 110. It is too new, too unproven, and too complicated to award our highest honor (and associated recommendation to our readers). We need to see a few years of reliability and durability to vaunt it to the top. If it does that, then we will print it on the first page, in bold, and eat our reservations with a healthy dose of groveling. Until then, give me a 200-Series Land Cruiser, a set of Slee sliders, and an Old Man Emu lift with 35- x 10.5-inch tires. I will check back in on the Defender after another lap around the globe.
 

T-Willy

Well-known member
Pretty good article on Overland SUV of the Year: https://expeditionportal.com/overland-suv-of-the-year/

Quote the conclusion below which I think is very fair. If JLR had spent the last 20 years higher in the reliability rankings (Not even needing to be the best -- say top 10) instead of at the bottom, I wonder if this would have resulted in stealing the crown from the Land Cruiser; in other words, if JLR had proven that they can do "complex" reliably over the last 20 years, I wonder how much of a deal breaker that complexity/newness would be and whether that would change the outcome for the Editors Choice award.

Good question. But, I think it was a well-reasoned and fair conclusion. Excellent article overall; thorough, clear, and--wait, Wrangler's quiet payload increase?--informative.
 

DieselRanger

Well-known member
Good question. But, I think it was a well-reasoned and fair conclusion. Excellent article overall; thorough, clear, and--wait, Wrangler's quiet payload increase?--informative.
I can respect it, certainly. But since Scott included so many old Toyotas, why didn't he also include the L462 Land Rover Discovery 5? It is more different from the Defender than the GX is from the LC200, and has at least as much aftermarket support as the Defender, if not more due to being three years older. I would argue it competes directly with both the LC and the GX in terms of comfort+capability. Tech is similar to the Defender, it has a larger cargo area, and nearly 2,000 lbs of cargo capacity. At least until MY21 they offered a Diesel in the US, and still offer them overseas as they do with the Defender. In fact, since we can't get a Defender with a diesel in the US, I am completely satisfied with my Discovery Td6.
 
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T-Willy

Well-known member
I can respect it, certainly. But since Scott included so many old Toyotas, why didn't he also include the L462 Land Rover Discovery 5? It is more different from the Defender than the GX is from the LC200, and has at least as much aftermarket support as the Defender, if not more due to being three years older. I would argue it competes directly with both the LC and the GX in terms of comfort+capability. Tech is similar to the Defender, it has a larger cargo area, and nearly 2,000 lbs of cargo capacity. At least until MY21 they offered a Diesel in the US, and still offer them overseas as they do with the Defender. In fact, since we can't get a Defender with a diesel in the US, I am completely satisfied with my Discovery Td6.

Good point, I agree--a competitor to all three Toyotas (GX included) with more payload at 2010 lbs.
 

JackW

Explorer
I agree completely about asking why the Discovery 5 wasn't included. My TDV6 Discovery was a great vehicle that could swallow a cased seven foot interior door, get over 600 miles on a tank of fuel and easily walk up a tough hill climb that defeated a 109" Series II pickup on a trail ride. It was an outstanding road trip car and a great daily driver.
 

A.J.M

Explorer
Yeah but he did change the engine in the 500,000 mile bracket.
And change that one due to a fault.

Its an ex highway agency car, so it racked up 180,000 miles or so before being sold off.

It now tows a trailer and ships cars up/down the U.K.

Full main dealer history as well I believe as they gave him a car with a tow bar to use when his was in getting sorted.
 

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