Its awful, full stop. The whole point of the defender was to be a utility offroad vehicle, this looks like a womans sports car.
I would love to see this used by the army
What I don't get is how ****ing blind to the truth most of you are.
1. The original Land Rover was really meant to be a more civilised tractor than anything else "with PTO's everywhere". It totally failed. It was from here that it became popular as a utility vehicle.
2. However that utility status is somewhat blinkered. The Series Land Rover was withdrawn from the US market in the 70's and apart from some limited numbers the Defender has not been sold there. And when it was it was 100% as a leisure vehicle and 100% not a utility one.
3. In other world markets like Australia, Asia and Africa the Defender is not seen as a mainstream utility vehicle. It's seen as old, out dated, expensive, underpowered and unreliable. It's really only here in Blighty and a few other select markets that it is still sold as a utility vehicle.
4. For many many years Land Rover's bulk sales and main income have come from non utility vehicles. Why should they then pitch the new Defender at a market which they no longer dominate or really have any world market share in?
5. Army use. Well it's not as if military sales are flooding the Land Rover factory for the current model is it? Yes additional sales through military is desirable, but it's hardly the prime market these days.
6. Look at a Jeep Wrangler. This in the US market is the main vehicle the Defender will be up against, a vehicle designed and sold for "fun" and "pleasure". If people want to tow or haul something in the States they'll buy a Dodge Ram or F150, vehicles a class size bigger than a Defender. There may well be a longer term aim to target this market also, but with so many big players, LR will have their work cut out to even be noticed, let alone succeed. And all the while the LR brand is moving up market as a prestige brand. A 100% utility vehicle would be at odds with this.
7. Despite the Defenders popularity in the UK as a workhorse, look how much of a lifestyle vehicle it has become here. There are now many Defenders that never see anything but tarmac. And you can dress them up with fancy alloys and bits of urban trim.