Land Rover purists can breathe a sigh of relief: the latest word from England is that the Methuselah-like Defender will continue on and receive a full redesign.
A report from Auto Express indicates that the new Defender, which will bow in concept form at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, will be a “futuristic reinvention” of the current car. While its styling may be revolutionary, its off-road performance should be vintage Defender thanks to a rugged platform borrowed from the capable LR4.
The venerable off-roader’s future had previously been in doubt, with its cessation a distinct possibility due to European safety and fuel-economy regulations that make sales of the current model impossible after 2016. Thankfully, it seems that Land Rover has now figured out a business case for updating the iconic model.
Expect a new range of diesel and gasoline four-cylinder engines under the hood, while the interior, which will finally get modern navigation and infotainment systems, will be a far cry from the bare-bones cabin of the current model.
In 1996, Land Rover chose to pull the Defender off the US market rather than invest in adding airbags to the ancient truck. No word on whether the upcoming model will return to American shores.
Check back in mid-September for more information on the new Defender.
References
1.’Defender Show Shock…’ view
