But, the Bronco concept was heavily criticized due to front and rear independent suspension.
No, it was widely criticized because it was originally designed to compete against the Scion and thus was heavily based on the Escape and they were going to try and build it to a price point below $15000 to compete. They have recently dug it back up and changed it to be based on a new F100 but I seriously doubt that either of them will happen. They want to compete with the Wrangler and the rumors are that it will take the form of the original Bronco in running gear but who knows about the powertrain. Originally, it was designed for a 2.0 TDi with 6 speed auto FWD with an automatic awd system. If they upsize it, money says that they will chicken out on the diesel and slap another gas motor in it. They have the Transit Connect here which gets a diesel everywhere else but they chose to put an underpowered 4 cyl with 4 speed auto in it here and have gone on record saying that they will go electric before they go diesel.
They want to build a completely new truck and I dont think that Ford has the guts, and rightfully so, to do it. Too much money at risk to build a truck right now and they are being smart and focusing on a smarter, more efficient and better looking car line like what they give their European markets. Other than the iconic Wrangler, does anyone want a 2 door SUV? Hell, even Jeep had to add 2 doors for the Wrangler to successfully expand their market share (I see far more Unlimiteds than 2 doors) and stay relevant. Markets say they want 4 doors and there is no such thing as a 4 door Bronco, except that hideous Centurion thing. I know about the FJ Cruiser but Toyotas market line is so diverse that they can spread any lose or marginal profit across the whole model line.
Land Rover, however, has had a Defender 4 door since day one and can tap into a following but they will need a serious updating in EVERYTHING. I bought my Disco over a 110 and did it because the Defender of now is not safe (side impact? Nada), not comfortable (Im 6'4" and looking out the window requires a stooping down), has no creature comforts (due to minimalist, utilitarian design) and no good for an up to date American market. Its a farm vehicle everywhere else. It was never meant to be a daily driven, comfortable option for transportation. We dont need a farm vehicle as we have better, more capable offerings from Ford, Dodge and Chevrolet to fill that requirement. People dont want solid axles as the ride sucks compared to the modern independent system, which are growing in capability too. People dont want to be separated from an oncoming vehicle by only a thin sheet of aluminum. People want to be isolated from NVH present in daily life and they want to do it in total, not just knees, air conditioned comfort. They will not buy anything else in large numbers. Look at the current Land Cruiser. Its continually evolved and is in use in many markets where a day to day drive involves much more than what an average American will ever drive through. Oh, and it started sporting independent suspension some time ago and the aftermarket has whole heartedly picked it up and made it into a confident off road option. The UZJ100 is a very popular, and capable truck YET offers all the above.
LR has a tough job to do. They need to balance their heritage AND current market demands in order to be relevant on a global scale. The concept is hideous but at least they are taking a stab at it. They can use the tech that has been developed over years in their Discos and RRs, dumb it down a bit, and sell it in a nice package. Will it be cheap? Probably not. More importantly, I dont even think that it will come the States as our perception of LR is so much different than the rest of the world. For us, as in our market, LR is not an off road vehicle. It is a luxury vehicle capable of going off road but probably never will. Unless they do what other companies like Toyota, Honda, Ford, GM, etc... do and create a model of the Defender specifically for our market, which they dont have the money to do, a Defender will never come here. A truly global market offering, including America, would have to be all that is mentioned above and in order to do that, the price will jump across the board and as a result, it will lose utility and accessibility, which is what LR's are known for everywhere else.
We all say we want simple trucks but in reality, these simple trucks are unmarketable and no company would be crazy enough to do it. I like my comfy seats, a/c, power windows and locks, great thoughtful dash layout, safety and relative simplicity. We, alas, are not a viable market. We are not even a blip on their screen. A markets overall demand will trump heritage all day long because a car company has to make money in order to thrive. Jeep can do it because they have never pretended to be anything but an off road friendly marque and know that a special edition like a Rubicon can be built in numbers in low cost Mexico for cheap and sell it and a marginal profit. They can stand to lose a little bit of money on a Rubicon as for every one Rubicon sold, there will be 5 or 6 cheapo X versions sold. LR can not do that. Can LR redesign their Defender, build it in Britain, import it to the US and sell it for the price of a Rubicon? Nope. Thats the reason why I dont see the US getting one.
