Production of the iconic Land Rover Defender 4x4 has finally come to an end after over 67 years of continuous manufacture and over two million sales. While many will understandably be looking back at all the things the Defender has achieved in its long history, there’s also the opportunity to look to what comes next.
So what exactly is next? Well, it has been known for quite some time that Land Rover would end production of the Defender this year and a successor has been in the works for many years now.
Although concepts of a new Defender have appeared now and then over the last five years, Land Rover has actually confirmed very little about what the final production model will be like.
There’s been lots of discussion within Land Rover and the Defender’s fan base as to how a replacement should be made in order to be relevant to the modern 4x4 market, and interest the Defender’s die-hard fans. This is a tricky task for Land Rover and the manufacturer is unlikely to say much about the next Defender before this year is over.
However, some reports on Land Rover’s activities from not-so-long-ago provide some clues as to what Land Rover have in mind for the Defender’s successor.
Here are some things we reckon are likely to happen with the next Land Rover Defender.
It will probably be built in Slovakia
Just before 2015 ended, Jaguar Land Rover confirmed it was investing £1 billion to set up a new production factory in the Slovakian city of Nitra. This plant will employ 2,800 workers and it will reportedly build the Discovery Sport 4x4 for overseas markets.
Not surprisingly, this new plant has been pinpointed by many as the place the next Defender will be built.
Jaguar Land Rover’s UK plants in Solihull and Halewood are already very busy building other 4x4s including the Range Rover, Range Rover Evoque, Discovery Sport and Range Rover Sport.
A fresh and empty production line that’s still based in Europe sounds like a good place for an all-new model that will have a lot pressure to succeed from the get-go.
The final product will be very different to the DC100 concept
At certain motor shows over the past few years Land Rover has showed off a concept SUV known as the DC100. The concept sports a very different look to the boxy, old-school Defender featuring more curvaceous lines and more of the design quirks found on modern crossovers.
However, more recent online reports which cite company insiders suggest that the next production Defender is going to look quite different to the DC100 and closer to the traditional 4x4 fans are familiar with.
The DC100 may still eventually evolve into a production model, but potentially as a small luxury crossover below the Defender. As is the intention with the DC100 concept, the next Defender aims to deliver a much more appealing on-road drive while remaining incredibly versatile against off-road terrain.
Although the new Defender is likely to be a little more fashion-conscious than before, like the DC100 is, some commercial variants are rumoured. Reports suggest that a family of Defenders is the plan from Land Rover.
That doesn’t just mean a choice of different length of wheelbases, a choice of hard or soft-top and station wagon and pick-up bodystyles like last time. It could lead to Defenders of different sizes and possibly even at least one variant based on the same platform as the Discovery Sport and Evoque.
Launch date is likely 2018
While Land Rover has yet to release an official launch date for the next Defender, 2018 is the year of arrival according to a vast array of online reports.
Before release, another new concept previewing the next Defender could show up in public at least once before this year is over. Upcoming motor shows such as the one in Paris this October or perhaps the much sooner one that starts in late March in New York are events to keep an eye on.
When it eventually arrives, the starting price for the next-generation Defender will likely be somewhere in the region of £30,000.
