2020 Defender Spy Shots....

[mpinco]

Looks like the LR3/4. Still say LR is stuggling with the new Defender as the design point of multi-use/farm/ranch/military is not within their current 'design language' of sleek but boring.

 

[Victory_Overland]

That short wheelbase canvas wrapped one is the most promising thing I've seen yet. I'm still holding out hope for a commercial version with some diesel and off-road liveliness! Still holding onto hope...........

 

[mpinco]

JLR struggling. They are in re-trench mode.

Jaguar Land Rover announces turnaround plan as sales slide

"......The poor performance has resulted in a pretax loss of $116 million for Jaguar Land Rover. .......

......In the more immediate future, Jaguar Land Rover is hoping to turn things around with a new plan announced Wednesday. A specific target is a reduction in costs over the next 18 months by $644 million to $5.1 billion. The automaker will also aim to improve efficiencies in areas such as purchasing and logistics and raise funds via the sale of non-core assets.........."

Discussion of Jaguar going all EV. The downside to that is that EV's are also struggling. As our Governor noted, even with subsidies, sales are much less than needed.

 

[roving1]

The problem is that it is flat bottom with that clearance everywhere. On a traditional truck, that low clearance was only in two small locations. The rest of the vehicle is much higher.

This made me literally make a sort of surprised elated sound after reading it. Sooooo many people don't understand this and spout off breakover and clearance specs with no concept of this.

 

[naks]

This made me literally make a sort of surprised elated sound after reading it. Sooooo many people don't understand this and spout off breakover and clearance specs with no concept of this.

not that much of an issue with air suspension

 

[roving1]

not that much of an issue with air suspension

Yeah at full height it probably has 100 points at the same clearance that most vehicles have maybe 3 or 4 points and as a bonus has very little down travel too. Completely missing the point.

 

[naks]

what does it matter if it can perform just as well or even better than something with solid axles?

maybe go drive a modern LR off-road to find out for yourself

 

[J!m]

what does it matter if it can perform just as well or even better than something with solid axles?

maybe go drive a modern LR off-road to find out for yourself

That’s a great idea!

I suggest two races, to make it fair. I have an old style Defender 110 3-door. We can pair it with an LR4 with every off road enhancement offered by LR.

Race one: normal conditions on the route of choice.

Second race, we remove the battery and fuel cut solenoid plunger from both trucks and follow the same route. Pop start them both and go...

Where’s the LR4?

Capability under ideal conditions is one thing. Capability under ALL conditions is another.

 

[naks]

Why stop there? Let's just go back to horse-drawn carriages...

Sent from my G8441 using Tapatalk

 

[DieselRanger]

Why stop there? Let's just go back to horse-drawn carriages...

Sent from my G8441 using Tapatalk

With my hands and feet I can go up a vertical wall. Try THAT in your new-fangled "horse-drawn carriage".

In 20 years, people will be on this forum arguing about whether the new ultra-light battery packs in the Discovery 7 make it better than the old 3.0L dinosaur-burner in the Defender 5, and how long your're going to have to wait to recharge with a 4-foot solar panel and blah blah blah.

Technology marches on. My diesel D5 goes anywhere I want it to, without drama.

 

[naks]

Technology marches on. My diesel D5 goes anywhere I want it to, without drama.

that's also my point

 

[Red90]

Technology marches on. My diesel D5 goes anywhere I want it to, without drama.

You are either missing the point, don't want to see it or do not have the relevant experience to see it. A unibody, independent suspension vehicle is simple inherently limited in becoming a "serious" off road vehicle. The point of sticking with a multilink, live axle, body on frame setup is to allow that to be possible, either stock or through modifications. The goal with the "Land Rover" series 5.... should be to create something that is better off road than anything on the planet and capable of being built to be able to win competitive off road races, while being acceptable to drive on road.

Creating a really nice road vehicle that costs two to three times as much as a normal vehicle that tops out at intermediate trails and is nearly impossible to modify is not the point of what a "Land Rover" was meant to be.

 

[NYCRover]

I am trying to set my expectations low for the new Defender, but the best case outcome is that we say, "it's not THAT bad."

I agree w/ most saying this is probably more like the LR4 than anything else. You will probably have to get a custom/restoration build to get a true utility truck like the outgoing legacy Defender. If it looks closer to something like the LR4 and has a diesel engine, I will probably buy it once my LR4 bites the dust. The D5 is maybe the ugliest thing I've seen.

it's really a shame that auto manufactures don't make utility trucks available to US consumers.

 

[naks]

CTIS definitely wins my vote!

Tire Inflation

A new patent application from Jaguar Land Rover shows a central tire inflation system that could be destined for the new Defender. The patent application shows a very detailed system that interacts with various modules in the vehicle and adjusts tire pressures based on drive mode. The usual functions of a central tire inflation system are displayed, but JLR takes it a step further by integrating features such as a “Puncture Assist Mode.”

The features that are integrated into the drive modes appear to offer tire inflation for various environments and circumstances. The base or interim tire inflation pressure is set to 29 PSI and is adjusted based on the option selected. The example for the standard on road mode is set to 33 PSI in the front with 36 PSI in the rear. These pressures are very similar to what is listed on the placard for the current Land Rover Discovery, which is on the same platform that should underpin the Defender.

Going further into the various modes, we see that there is also a “High Load Mode” which pumps up the tires to over 40 PSI presumably to be able to take on extra weight. As expected, there are various examples of off-road modes which take the pressures down to a range between 20 and 26 PSI depending on the option that is selected. There is also a “Recovery Mode” which takes the pressures all the way down to 17 PSI which would likely be used to recover the vehicle out of sand or mud.

The integration of the system would allow it to work with the ABS and stability control modules so that the vehicle would be prevented from setting pressures out of range. In one example, the application states that the stability control module could communicate with the tire inflation module in order to prevent a situation where the vehicle would experience excessive oversteer or understeer.

https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/future-cars/a25010312/2020-land-rover-defender-info/

 

[Buliwyf]

JLR struggling. They are in re-trench mode.

Jaguar Land Rover announces turnaround plan as sales slide

"......The poor performance has resulted in a pretax loss of $116 million for Jaguar Land Rover. .......

......In the more immediate future, Jaguar Land Rover is hoping to turn things around with a new plan announced Wednesday. A specific target is a reduction in costs over the next 18 months by $644 million to $5.1 billion. The automaker will also aim to improve efficiencies in areas such as purchasing and logistics and raise funds via the sale of non-core assets.........."

Discussion of Jaguar going all EV. The downside to that is that EV's are also struggling. As our Governor noted, even with subsidies, sales are much less than needed.

Put an interior into these that doesn't suck. Fix the rattles. Attach real mirrors. Make sure it doesn't leak. Put solid Dana 60 axles under it. Match pricing with the Jeep Rubicon Gladiator. And actually sell them in the US.

Sure, it can't do anything a Powerwagon or Superduty don't already do better. But they don't have a swanky Land Rover badge on the hood.

Use the brand name for what it is/was. And quit making minivans nobody wants. Company is heading in the wrong direction. Honda makes nice minivans.