John Craddock Ltd Magazine (General News)
Sources at Jaguar Land Rover have suggested the replacement for the Defender series could be in full production by 2019. Details are still scarce about what exactly the plans are for the new model, but the car giant will be well aware it won’t be easy to replace such an iconic vehicle. Another concern is where the vehicle will be produced, with some speculation that production could be moved overseas to a new factory in Slovakia, but the company has claimed it would be reluctant to move away from Britain.
What Do We Know About The New Defender?
One of the most likely features for the new Defender will be an aluminium monocoque structure and skin along with all-independent suspension. A longitudinal engine is also expected with a 4×4 system featuring a low-range ‘box and transfer case. The vehicle is unlikely to be much bigger than the outgoing 90 and 110 models with only a small increase in size planned. The design will be simple and modern, but probably won’t bear much resemblance to the DC100 concept shown back in 2011.
There are also plans for more than one model of Defender in the future, with Jaguar Land Rover planning to create a “small-family” of vehicles in the future. JLR have also said the new Defender project is one of their highest priorities which makes a late 2018 release possible if production starts soon.
The Future of The Defender
It’s going to be a difficult task for everyone at Jaguar Land Rover to capture the spirit of the original Defender but the outgoing model simply couldn’t keep up with rigorous EU safety regulations. Production was also very labour intensive and the vehicle was only selling between 15,000 to 20,000 models each year, meaning a change was almost inevitable.
However, at John Craddock we will continue to stock a huge range of Land Rover parts for Defenders old and new with more products in stock than ever before.
Please feel free to contact us directly for more information.
