Land Rover stopped with the production of the Defender last year, but the company didn’t just discontinue the iconic off-roader. The brand-new vehicle is expected to return, and it will carry the Defender name proudly. The Land Rover high executives agreed to talk about the new model, while in September last year, Jaguar Land Rover chief executive Dr. Ralph Speth said that bosses had already driven the test mules of 2018 Land Rover Defender.
Creating a brand-new model of the iconic classic vehicles is a tricky business, and Land Rover has a task to assemble a new 4×4 with off-road capability on par with the brand’s DNA. Although, they need to make sure that they will make a profit because we all know that only enthusiast will buy the Defender.
According to Dr. Ralf Speth, the basic design and engineering work is developed enough for him to give it a shot. He said: “I have driven test mules already and also tried the car against competitors, in on- and off-road environments. It’s sensational.”
He refused to give the exact release date, but he did say this: “It is coming. We are working an authentic successor of the predecessor. I have to say it was one of my saddest moments in my career at Jaguar Land Rover when we stopped the production line of this vehicle because I just love it. But we will make a successor to this vehicle and you can be sure it will be even more capable. Nevertheless, it will have the DNA of the current car.”
When asked whether the new Defender could be profitable or not, he responded: “The new vehicle, as with all our vehicles, has to make money. It will be a sensational vehicle and I think there will be a lot of demand for it.”
In order to reduce costs, the 2018 Land Rover Defender will use some of the components from other models produced by this company. “We’re already doing this now. We used the modular architecture and elements of our chassis for weight reduction to make the new Discovery a better-handling car. We will do so also in the future because we always learn,” stated Speth.
Land Rover has big plans. Not only will the company introduce the basic Defender, but they will also launch the entire family of models, which is a great news. Moreover, the performance SVR version of the upcoming 4×4 vehicle is possible according to the design boss Gerry McGovern. This carmaker plans to develop the new variant in the newly established Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) division because they could launch the new luxurious off-roader in Russia and China – two markets where the Mercedes G 63 AMG sweeps all the competition.
Don’t be surprised if you see the Defender SVX and the luxurious SVA version in the lineup sometime after the official introduction. McGovern said about SVO: “The beauty of SVO is that it allows you to play. It lets you take vehicles and heighten their essence. We can do that with all of them, whether it’s a Range Rover, Discovery or a Defender.”
He continued: “The Defender is all about durability – that indestructible, durable vehicle which is what a family of Defenders would be. In its core form, it can be something that can be quite elemental up to something incredibly luxurious.”
One thing is for sure – the 2018 Land Rover Defender will be one great off-roader. The details about the new vehicle are scarce, but we expect to see a lot of aluminum for both the chassis and the body. In the end, McGovern explained: “When you see the new Defender, people will know it’s worthy of carrying the badge. It will be able to do everything it says on the tin.”
New 2018 Land Rover Defender Release Date and Price
The 2018 Land Rover Defender will go on sale probably in late 2018 or early 2019. We are still waiting for the official confirmation, but at least we know that it is coming. The outgoing model costs about £25,000, so we expect the price of the new vehicle to remain in this range. Follow us for more details.
