07 January, 2014
Following new European laws on fuel emissions Jaguar Land Rover have announced that they’ll be ceasing production of their prolific Land Rover Defender in December 2015. Being described as one of Land Rover’s three pillars, along with the Range Rover and Discovery, the 4x4 model will always be remembered for its ‘iconic status’ ‘inspiring people worldwide’ since 1948.
The decision to stop production was mainly legislation based and due to the stricter rules for car emissions being brought in for 2020 by the European Council and Parliament, there were certain conditions the Defender could not meet and it could not be adapted to do so. This follows the late VW Camper Van that also saw its production halted ahead of government legislation.
A star is born
Having been in production for over 67 years, the Land Rover wasn’t given the name ‘Defender’ until the early 1990s. Over 2 million Defenders have been sold and have been experienced by people all over the world. Not hiding away from the lime light, it has starred in many Box office hits including James Bond, Skyfall, and Lara Croft, Tomb Raider, as well as being a popular choice of car for many Royal Family members from King George V1 in 1948 to our current Queen.
Updating the classic
However, already laid out are plans for a replacement model to be launched in 2016, promised ‘to be true to its heritage, while meeting the requirements of a changing global market.’ This includes plans for many hi-tech special features, including ‘Wade Aid’ (using sonar to assess water depth), ‘Terrain Response’ (to optimises car settings for any type of environment), a ‘Terrain-I’ feature (which creates a 3D visual map of what’s ahead on the dashboard screen) and a retractable tyre spikes for driving on snow and ice. These small ‘family’ of defenders will include a sporty beach-buggy style.
This also means that the current Defenders will ultimately become classics in their own right, and will one day grace collector’s garages and auctions along with other classic vehicles. In the meantime we will wait anticipation to see how Land Rover raises the bar with their new line.
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