2015’s Defender? Land Rover updates its core vehicle

September 01,2011

There are some cars that are meant to stay just the way they are (sorry, Billy Joel); they can be updated and modernized underneath, but tampering with their shape is sacrilege. So it is with the Land Rover Defender, which should forever look like it was assembled from Lego blocks.

Still, Jaguar-Land Rover, now under the Tata group, will show off a new Defender concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Called DC100, it may become the production model in 2015.

Gerry McGovern, Director of Design, Land Rover said: “Replacing the iconic Defender is one of the biggest challenges in the automotive design world; it is a car that inspires people worldwide. This isn’t a production-ready concept but the beginning of a four-year journey to design a relevant Defender for the 21st century.”

John Edwards, Global Brand Director, Land Rover added: “Loved the world over for its simple, honest and distinctive design, we are determined that the new Defender will be true to its heritage, while meeting the requirements of a changing global market.

“We plan to engage with existing and potential customers to help us finalize the details of the new vehicle. One thing’s for sure, it’s going to be an exciting journey, and we can’t wait to get going.”

The DC100 has shades of the FJ Cruiser, inspired by, but not a replacement of, the iconic original Land Cruiser. The new Defender concept certainly isn’t to everyone’s tastes, particularly some diehard LR Defender fans that we know. So look forward to more new revisions before the final production version is announced.

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