New Defender News
- Thread starter blackangie
- Start date
SkiWill
Well-known member
I watched that last night and was actually going to post it as well. I thought it was as close to an objective evaluation as I have seen. Taking emotion out of it, which seems to be nearly impossible for most people when it comes to old vs. new Defender, there is no doubt that with appropriate line choice, the new Defender is remarkably effective and capable off road as is the old Defender with the addition of aftermarket locking differentials. I think it also ends up being a good advertisement for the Lucky 8 lower control arm rock sliders as well.
I still would like to see more data regarding long term reliability and durability of the new Defender, but it's too early in the product's lifecycle for sufficient data in my perspective. Thanks for posting. I'm sure it will stir up some reactions. New Defender posts always do.
DieselRanger
Well-known member
It's still a little too easy being green for my tastes. Maybe with a matte wrap, or if it was more olive/OD than sage....The 75th Anniversary is a little more subdued in a "real photo" than in the images above:
DieselRanger
Well-known member
Notes: Defender was bone stock, on 20" wheels and OE "crap" Goodyear tires...with no flats.
The trick with the 20’s is not to air down unless on the beach. I’ve done all kinds of stuff on my crap Adventures and they are still going. Won’t buy them again, but airing down on 20’s is risky. LR instructor told me not to bother. Doesn’t add much traction on 20’s anyway.
catmann
Active member
Looks like more shake-up at JLR as Tata forced the boss out. Who knows what plans may change at this point...
How Bollore's plans for Jaguar Land Rover were derailed by chip crisis
Thierry Bollore was close to generating positive results at JLR, but global events conspired against him.
Nick Gibbs
Thierry Bollore’s two-year stint as CEO of Jaguar Land Rover was memorable for failing to generate a single profitable quarter during a period when rival luxury automakers were posting record margins.
However, the Frenchman’s turnround at the troubled UK automaker was on the cusp of generating positive results, even as global events conspired against him.
Bollore’s most recent public appearance at last week’s quarterly results call will presumably be his last after JLR owners Tata Motors said he will step down effective Dec. 31 for “personal reasons” that were reportedly not health related.
The former Renault CEO did not appear comfortable in the spotlight and he was not an active participant in these investor calls, but last week he spoke passionately about the subject that dogged his tenure at JLR: the shortage of chips.
“We should not forget that the supply of chips is really a crisis in our sector,” he said, adding that it would take “years” before the situation returned to normal.
The Financial Times in the UK reported it was Bollore’s inability to mitigate this crisis that prompted Tata bosses to push for his resignation.
It was a tough task. As a smaller player in the industry, JLR found it harder to get much-needed deals with chipmakers amid the supply squeeze.
In September, one supplier even severed its agreement with the company, hitting production for the month until it was persuaded back on board.
Adrian Mardell, JLR's chief financial officer, and now its interim CEO, vented his frustration at the company’s inability to get hold of the precious semiconductors.
“It’s hard work for us, we were behind the clock,” he said. “It’s a bit like turning up at buffet two weeks late -- some of the stuff left is not what you want.”
The lack of chips meant JLR was slower than usual ramping up production of the keenly awaited replacements for its twin profit engines, the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport large SUVs.
JLR prioritized the two luxury SUVs, as well as its popular and high-priced Land Rover Defender for chips and by end of September, 72 percent of the company’s huge 205,000 order bank of cars were for those three cars.
Bollore had done plenty at the company to ensure that once it overcame production issues, profits could flow. His Reimagine strategy called for fewer sales that concentrated on more luxurious vehicles commanding higher prices.
Figures presented to investors showed this had worked. JLR’s breakeven point had come down from 660,000 wholesales in the 2019 financial year to around 300,000 for the current financial year.
Revenue per unit meanwhile was up to 70,000 pounds ($83,000).
After joining JLR in September 2020, Bollore’s frank assessment of the automaker’s product plans, inherited from previous CEO Ralf Speth, led him to conclude that much was outdated.
He wrote off one billion pounds of investment into the planned Modular Longitudinal Architecture electrified platform, killing the electric Jaguar XJ sedan, an electric Land Rover dubbed ‘Road Rover’ and the Jaguar J-Pace SUV.
Under his new plan, Jaguar would no longer compete with BMW but instead would become a luxury electric brand in 2025 with its own dedicated platform called Panthera.
Behind the scenes, Bollore was transforming JLR.
An ambitious program called Refocus aimed to digitize the company, cut production spend and improve JLR’s long time bugbear of unreliability.
He also inked a deal with Nvidia to collaborate on software.
Refocus was claimed to have delivered 1.5 billion pounds of value in the financial year to the end of April 2022.
A job-cutting program that started when JLR’s profit run came to an abrupt halt in 2019 slowed under Bollore and employees were trained in new ‘agile’ ways of digital working.
By all accounts, JLR became a more pleasant place to work.
Bollore also brought in new blood from different industries.
In 2021, Lennard Hoornik joined as chief commercial officer from UK innovation company Dyson. In July this year, former BMW executive Barbara Bergmeier started as director of industrial operations after moving from Airbus Defence and Space.
It’s tempting to believe that a consignment of chips at the right time could have given Bollore a profitable quarter and allowed him to continue the transformation he started.
Now the search begins for a new CEO, and the future of UK’s anchor car company remains in question amid a troubled time for the country’s auto industry as a whole.
How Bollore's plans for Jaguar Land Rover were derailed by chip crisis
Thierry Bollore was close to generating positive results at JLR, but global events conspired against him.
Nick Gibbs
Thierry Bollore’s two-year stint as CEO of Jaguar Land Rover was memorable for failing to generate a single profitable quarter during a period when rival luxury automakers were posting record margins.
However, the Frenchman’s turnround at the troubled UK automaker was on the cusp of generating positive results, even as global events conspired against him.
Bollore’s most recent public appearance at last week’s quarterly results call will presumably be his last after JLR owners Tata Motors said he will step down effective Dec. 31 for “personal reasons” that were reportedly not health related.
The former Renault CEO did not appear comfortable in the spotlight and he was not an active participant in these investor calls, but last week he spoke passionately about the subject that dogged his tenure at JLR: the shortage of chips.
“We should not forget that the supply of chips is really a crisis in our sector,” he said, adding that it would take “years” before the situation returned to normal.
The Financial Times in the UK reported it was Bollore’s inability to mitigate this crisis that prompted Tata bosses to push for his resignation.
It was a tough task. As a smaller player in the industry, JLR found it harder to get much-needed deals with chipmakers amid the supply squeeze.
In September, one supplier even severed its agreement with the company, hitting production for the month until it was persuaded back on board.
Adrian Mardell, JLR's chief financial officer, and now its interim CEO, vented his frustration at the company’s inability to get hold of the precious semiconductors.
“It’s hard work for us, we were behind the clock,” he said. “It’s a bit like turning up at buffet two weeks late -- some of the stuff left is not what you want.”
The lack of chips meant JLR was slower than usual ramping up production of the keenly awaited replacements for its twin profit engines, the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport large SUVs.
JLR prioritized the two luxury SUVs, as well as its popular and high-priced Land Rover Defender for chips and by end of September, 72 percent of the company’s huge 205,000 order bank of cars were for those three cars.
Bollore had done plenty at the company to ensure that once it overcame production issues, profits could flow. His Reimagine strategy called for fewer sales that concentrated on more luxurious vehicles commanding higher prices.
Figures presented to investors showed this had worked. JLR’s breakeven point had come down from 660,000 wholesales in the 2019 financial year to around 300,000 for the current financial year.
Revenue per unit meanwhile was up to 70,000 pounds ($83,000).
After joining JLR in September 2020, Bollore’s frank assessment of the automaker’s product plans, inherited from previous CEO Ralf Speth, led him to conclude that much was outdated.
He wrote off one billion pounds of investment into the planned Modular Longitudinal Architecture electrified platform, killing the electric Jaguar XJ sedan, an electric Land Rover dubbed ‘Road Rover’ and the Jaguar J-Pace SUV.
Under his new plan, Jaguar would no longer compete with BMW but instead would become a luxury electric brand in 2025 with its own dedicated platform called Panthera.
Behind the scenes, Bollore was transforming JLR.
An ambitious program called Refocus aimed to digitize the company, cut production spend and improve JLR’s long time bugbear of unreliability.
He also inked a deal with Nvidia to collaborate on software.
Refocus was claimed to have delivered 1.5 billion pounds of value in the financial year to the end of April 2022.
A job-cutting program that started when JLR’s profit run came to an abrupt halt in 2019 slowed under Bollore and employees were trained in new ‘agile’ ways of digital working.
By all accounts, JLR became a more pleasant place to work.
Bollore also brought in new blood from different industries.
In 2021, Lennard Hoornik joined as chief commercial officer from UK innovation company Dyson. In July this year, former BMW executive Barbara Bergmeier started as director of industrial operations after moving from Airbus Defence and Space.
It’s tempting to believe that a consignment of chips at the right time could have given Bollore a profitable quarter and allowed him to continue the transformation he started.
Now the search begins for a new CEO, and the future of UK’s anchor car company remains in question amid a troubled time for the country’s auto industry as a whole.
DieselRanger
Well-known member
The article makes it sounds like Tata is out of touch with the necessity of the investments Bollore was directing. Wondering what the background really is - but the failure to maintain a contract with a key supplier, or to negotiate a supply chain strategy that could mitigate being a small customer in a pool of much larger buyers is serious.
ChasingOurTrunks
Well-known member
………maybe if they didn’t use 50,000 microchips per Defender, the microchip shortage wouldn’t have been such a problem?
(I’m gonna head for the hills now and watch from afar. Anyone who wants to join me, bring popcorn!)
(Kidding of course! Hope this is taken in the spirit it’s intended!)
(I’m gonna head for the hills now and watch from afar. Anyone who wants to join me, bring popcorn!)
(Kidding of course! Hope this is taken in the spirit it’s intended!)
Had a couple of days in the north of England for off roading.
We were in 2 classic 90s and a L322.
in among the farms with Hilux pick ups, was a green 90 hardback, covered in mud and sitting with a livestock trailer attached.
nice to see they are being used by farmers.
The 90 I was in maxed out at 7 water leaks from the bulkhead into the footwells…
We were in 2 classic 90s and a L322.
in among the farms with Hilux pick ups, was a green 90 hardback, covered in mud and sitting with a livestock trailer attached.
nice to see they are being used by farmers.
The 90 I was in maxed out at 7 water leaks from the bulkhead into the footwells…
naks
Well-known member
New all-electric Land Rover Defender on the way with 300-mile range: https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/land-...ectric-land-rover-defender-way-300-mile-range
"... The latest version of the popular 4x4 was only introduced in 2020, yet it’s likely that we’ll see fully electric versions of the 90, 110 and 130 arriving as part of a refreshed Defender line-up in 2025, with cars reaching customers in 2026.
The move is likely to mean a switch in platform tech, from the current D7 Premium Lightweight Architecture to Land Rover’s advanced new MLA Flex platform. MLA can support fully electric powertrains as well as internal combustion engines, and already underpins the firm’s new Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models, with all-electric versions of those cars due from 2024.
The switch in platform will come at a time when the Defender is due a mid-life refresh, but don’t expect huge alterations to the car’s look, despite the change in architecture. As with the Discovery Sport when it switched platforms to Land Rover’s Premium Transverse Architecture in 2019 (as part of a mid-life update) to allow for greater electrification, the look and dimensions of the Defender are expected to remain the same.
There may be some changes to the infotainment system inside, with a slightly larger screen, but the cabin design has been so well received by customers that it’s not expected to be altered too much. An increase in the use of sustainable materials is likely, though, as Land Rover looks to boost its credentials in this area.
The firm’s engineers are bullish about the prospect of its iconic 4x4 going electric and the benefits this will bring to its off-road performance. Greater control of the electric power delivery through software management is possible, along with advanced torque vectoring. Both will further boost the Defender’s serious off-roading ability, while a completely flat underside will deliver greater ground clearance, too.
Technical details of the Defender EV’s sister vehicle, the all-electric Range Rover due in 2024, have yet to be revealed, but Land Rover insiders suggest a battery of around 100kWh will fit easily within the MLA platform, and the aim will be for at least 300 miles of all-electric running.
We’re yet to see how Land Rover differentiates the look of its all-electric models from internal combustion-engined cars, but with less cooling needed, we’d expect the intakes on the ICE model to be blanked over for the electric version – as previewed by our exclusive Defender EV image. ..."
"... The latest version of the popular 4x4 was only introduced in 2020, yet it’s likely that we’ll see fully electric versions of the 90, 110 and 130 arriving as part of a refreshed Defender line-up in 2025, with cars reaching customers in 2026.
The move is likely to mean a switch in platform tech, from the current D7 Premium Lightweight Architecture to Land Rover’s advanced new MLA Flex platform. MLA can support fully electric powertrains as well as internal combustion engines, and already underpins the firm’s new Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models, with all-electric versions of those cars due from 2024.
The switch in platform will come at a time when the Defender is due a mid-life refresh, but don’t expect huge alterations to the car’s look, despite the change in architecture. As with the Discovery Sport when it switched platforms to Land Rover’s Premium Transverse Architecture in 2019 (as part of a mid-life update) to allow for greater electrification, the look and dimensions of the Defender are expected to remain the same.
There may be some changes to the infotainment system inside, with a slightly larger screen, but the cabin design has been so well received by customers that it’s not expected to be altered too much. An increase in the use of sustainable materials is likely, though, as Land Rover looks to boost its credentials in this area.
The firm’s engineers are bullish about the prospect of its iconic 4x4 going electric and the benefits this will bring to its off-road performance. Greater control of the electric power delivery through software management is possible, along with advanced torque vectoring. Both will further boost the Defender’s serious off-roading ability, while a completely flat underside will deliver greater ground clearance, too.
Technical details of the Defender EV’s sister vehicle, the all-electric Range Rover due in 2024, have yet to be revealed, but Land Rover insiders suggest a battery of around 100kWh will fit easily within the MLA platform, and the aim will be for at least 300 miles of all-electric running.
We’re yet to see how Land Rover differentiates the look of its all-electric models from internal combustion-engined cars, but with less cooling needed, we’d expect the intakes on the ICE model to be blanked over for the electric version – as previewed by our exclusive Defender EV image. ..."
