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LRO Magazine report that the ICON is underway
6th Oct 2009
The long-speculated Defender replacement is developing on the drawing board ready for a 2012 debut.
It is the one vehicle in the Land Rover line-up that can trace its ancestry right back to the very beginning in the late 40s. Even to the uninitiated the Defender is still recognisable as THE Land Rover but we all knew it couldn't go on forever.
Ever tightening restrictions in various markets have seen the Defender fighting for its life for a number of years. Land Rover have performed miracles in keeping this agricultural truck as up to date as possible and have been able to keep it 'current' against all the odds.
But Land Rover have finally realised that after 2012 when even more motoring red-tape comes on line even they cannot keep re-launching it, they need to start from scratch.
So at the super-secure research bunker at Gaydon 'Project ICON' is underway.
Initial speculation indicates that the new vehicle will use the same T5 chassis platform as the current Discovery and RR Sport, but will be released just at the time when the Disco moves on to another, much lighter all aluminium platform.
Although the twin-rail steel chassis carries an additional 500kg weight handicap compared to the alloy frames it does allow Land Rover to retain the meccano like versatility that the Defender is most valued for as it allows myriad configurations unavailable anywhere else in the motoring world.
The one main departure for the new Defender will be the independent suspension format of the T5 chassis. Beam Axles are likely to be consigned to the history books but it does offer the ability to utilise both simple springs and full air suspension options depending on intended use.
Land Rover will undoubtably develop the new Defender in the UK and early vehicles will be built here but it is a well known fact that parent company, TATA, are keen to move vehicle manufacturing to other locations. Jaguar Land Rover bosses are already working on plans to create a CKD system (completely knocked down) whereby the vehicles are effectively flat-packed and sent to other plants to be built.
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