saxavordian
Well-Known Member
Any complaints
from ulez whining wallflowers and I'll take the exhaust manifold off.
Any complaints
from ulez whining wallflowers and I'll take the exhaust manifold off.
Western Slope Rover
Well-Known Member
The old Defender would have been successful here in the US had government mandates allowed it to be sold here. Emissions and the lack of passive restraints kept it off our market, same as the Jimny (Samurai).
We liked 'em, but couldn't buy 'em. They still go for crazy money, if you can find one.
lightning
Well-Known Member
There's a gap in the market for someone to produce a working vehicle for around ÂŁ30,000
lf Suzuki can do it for ÂŁ20,000 then surely a larger version is possible at under ÂŁ30,000
The Suzuki has a separate chassis with the same drivetrain as an old Defender, with a five speed manual transmission with a mechanical low range selector. The interior is plastic with no fancy trim materials that will look manky after a couple of years on the farm.
But it still incorporates all the safety features demanded by law today. ÂŁ20,000 was the top "XS" specification and there was a cheaper one (like the old Defender County) for around ÂŁ17,000
The "Commercial" version is still available but it's too small to be a serious contender. lt's currently around ÂŁ21,000 including VAT
lf Suzuki can do it for ÂŁ20,000 then surely a larger version is possible at under ÂŁ30,000
The Suzuki has a separate chassis with the same drivetrain as an old Defender, with a five speed manual transmission with a mechanical low range selector. The interior is plastic with no fancy trim materials that will look manky after a couple of years on the farm.
But it still incorporates all the safety features demanded by law today. ÂŁ20,000 was the top "XS" specification and there was a cheaper one (like the old Defender County) for around ÂŁ17,000
The "Commercial" version is still available but it's too small to be a serious contender. lt's currently around ÂŁ21,000 including VAT
potus
Well-Known Member
I'd have thought the Ford Bronco would be a reasonable vehicle that more of us might have been able to afford, capable too.
Pity its not UK available
300bhp/ton
Well-Known Member
The Bronco is not designed to meet EU Type Approval. And would require lots of changes to be compatible. Ford have previously said they have no intention to bring it to Europe.
If you look at Wrangler sales in the EU you can it may not be worth it for Ford. I think they have been selling 150,000 - 200,000 Broncos a year in the USA. For all of Europe they’d probably do well to shift 10,000 - 15,000 units. The sums probably don’t add up. It’s not as if the U.K. or EU is a big market for “proper” 4x4’s. We tend to like crossovers and SUVs or posh posing wagons if you have a bit more to spend.
I’d also guess that if they did bring it over here. It would no longer be affordable and good value for money. Just look at how Ford price the Mustang over here and how Jeep price the Wrangler.
I am surprised the Bronco Sport hasn’t made its way here though. But again maybe the Americans think it is just too much fun and exciting type of vehicle to really interest many EU/UK buyers.
