Demonstrating what anyone with any sense knew months ago..
I saw this video (and Doug DeMuro's) last night. I can't in good faith deny that the new Defender is more similar in architecture and overall proportions to a LR3/4 than the old Defender. However, I still think the new Defender is an excellent car. Is it a
real Defender? That's for you to decide. Personally, I think it's a proper Defender since LR has actively gone to great lengths to make this a suitable 21st century replacement for the old Defender. I know the styling isn't for everyone, but I still maintain that the current design would be universally accepted if it were the 3rd/4th redesign (Which is what it should be if LR had actually updated this along the same path as say Porsche did with their 911).
While DeMuro isn't exactly the end-all for vehicles, his interior review of the New Defender really impressed me. I love the non-carpeted floors and the modular nature of the interior setup/layout. I'm also very impressed that LR went out of their way to design the electronics to meet the IP67 water immersion standard (30 min to 1 hr of waterproof - depends on source); that's a far cry from P38 ecu's that would crap out as soon as they even thought about water. So is this a "Real" Defender? Yes, much like a 992 is a real 911, even though the 992 shares far more in common (visually and mechanically) with a last generation Panamera than a "real 911" 930/964.