Curious to get your take on the new direction of Disco

[Eniam17]

IN 10 years many of us will all be wheeling a Disco5 wether we realize it or not right now. Just like what happend when the D2 came out, the LR3 came out, the MKIII came out. Same thing over and over and over again. We can leave it at that and save a lot of time and energy debating.

I agree w/ Roverrandom that Land Rover should have updated the Defender from basically 1983 to now. Still hoping they get that model right and get back into the utility market.

 

[SteveMfr]

Looking at the pic... Why on earth did LR separate RR as a unique brand? Now all LRs are going to look like RRs? Maybe they going to phase out the LR brand...

 

[roverandom]

I wouldn't say I see many LR3's on the trail? No MKIII RR, very few if any P38's and DII's are only just beginning to become more common despite the fact they have been cheap to buy for years?

Loads of Disco I, RRC and Series/Defenders though.
Why? Because despite shoddy build quality and a poor reliability reputation DI, RRC and old Series/Defenders are the easiest to modify.



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[roverandom]

That utility vehicle for the Chinese market is in solid hands with Toyota, Mitsubishi, Nissan and others offering a much better product reliability wise than Land Rover, or Jeep, is likely to offer without significant investment-and if you were looking at it from Rovers optic, why bother?

R-
Ray

I can give you 1,390,510,630 reasons Land Rover should invest heavily in the utility market in China. That's the estimated population and they can't all need expensive status symbols like RR,RRS, D4 or Ewok's?

Given that the population growth is rising fast in developing nations with poor infrastructure and falling in the west it would seem like an affordable, rugged utility vehicle would be a good idea?

The world has many, many expensive crossover and pseudo SUV's to keep the deep pockets happy. The rest of us need something a little more practical. Land Rover fell asleep at the wheel with it's once mighty market share of the worlds utility 4wd market and the Japanese came and took over. Just because the Japanese now have product's dominating the utility market doesn't mean Land Rover should be cowed into not even trying? They need to grow a pair and take that market back.

In China's case Japan is still not looked upon too favourably thanks to their treatment of civilians in WWII so Land Rover would have a distinct advantage. LR already have a factory in China.......

This of course is just my 2c.




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[Eniam17]

Does anyone have faith the new defender will be what many of us are looking for? Isn't it possible they are purposely moving the rr lineup into ultra nigh end luxury, the disco into luxury/utility, and maybe the new defender will be what many of us hope. I'm not ready to give up on that yet.

 

[roverandom]

I'm thinking that is exactly the plan.

I think in the next 10 years we will see at least three totally separate platforms with distinct "Defender" vehicles servicing the purely commercial, lifestyle /sport/off roader and 'family' SUV markets.

That's what I hope anyway.


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[tacr2man]

One reason why landrover didnt challenge jeep that much in US is US import requirements , and US market conservatism , that has changed dramatically over the years esp since fuel prices went on the up path , even now without defenders LR only sends petrol engines to US . Probably a reason why Jeep dont figure much thru out Europe . their petrol engines are thirsty , and the diesel engine options , eg VM were not a raging sucess. LR have realised that selling to the buyer who will spend big eg RR owners, is more profitable than NGO etc that that want at the lowest possible price. LR history explains the reasons the series etc were not developed that much (mostly cash flow diverted to prop up other parts of current owners ) . The improvements in each model gently tries to pull the current owners up market (more profit) , and LR bring in a model variation just below to infill. This has happened with RR (disco introduced) then RR sport , discovery (freelander introduced) Freelander, soon sport to be brought in . Its a business plan that seems to be paying off big time in output (bottom line) . JMHO

 

[David Harris]

IN 10 years many of us will all be wheeling a Disco5 wether we realize it or not right now.

I think that really depends on what the D5 is when it comes out. If it is more along the lines of the LR4 then that could be true. If it becomes a continuation of the LR2 then there won't be many using it off road in a serious way. We don't really know anything yet. I agree that the Defender is the one to watch in terms of the off road mantle.

 

[roverandom]

One reason why landrover didnt challenge jeep that much in US is US import requirements , and US market conservatism , that has changed dramatically over the years esp since fuel prices went on the up path , even now without defenders LR only sends petrol engines to US . Probably a reason why Jeep dont figure much thru out Europe . their petrol engines are thirsty , and the diesel engine options , eg VM were not a raging sucess. LR have realised that selling to the buyer who will spend big eg RR owners, is more profitable than NGO etc that that want at the lowest possible price. LR history explains the reasons the series etc were not developed that much (mostly cash flow diverted to prop up other parts of current owners ) . The improvements in each model gently tries to pull the current owners up market (more profit) , and LR bring in a model variation just below to infill. This has happened with RR (disco introduced) then RR sport , discovery (freelander introduced) Freelander, soon sport to be brought in . Its a business plan that seems to be paying off big time in output (bottom line) . JMHO

From the moment it was released in 1970 the Range Rover has always been a cash cow for it's parent company. Had the 110/90/Defender seen even half the kind of development the RR has undergone over the years it could sell anywhere, including the ultra competitive US market.

In the late 1940's Rover motor cars were a upmarket manufacturer when they took a chance on the Land Rover. Within two years basic Series I's LR were out selling Rovers.


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[ZG]

I see plenty of newer vehicles on the trail. Certainly a great showing at SCARR

 

[PhyrraM]

The reason LR is chasing the luxo-car segment in China is because China is heading towards a wealth inequality situation seen only in African counties so far. There isn't and likely won't be a market for a cheaper utility vehicle. Only high end cars for the wealthy and 'sub-cars" (motorcycles, bikes, etc) for the poor.

 

[DougG]

I don't have a problem with the direction Land Rover is going, but Land Rover always produced a vehicle that looked like nothing else. The new Discovery is an exact replica of the Ford Explorer and that is the sad part.