No new Disco or Defender until 2018

Land Rover is in no hurry to rush out replacements for two of its most important models, the Discovery and Defender, with neither likely to be available in Australia until 2018.

motoring.com.au understands both models are at least two years away from local release, although we could see a preview of the revolutionary new Defender at a major motor show next year in the form of a concept design.

The reason for the delay could be due to the fact the British SUV specialist's sub-brand, Range Rover, is currently working on a fourth model (and perhaps a third 'Discovery' model) to slot between the Evoque and Range Rover Sport, as revealed exclusively by motoring.com.au earlier this month.

But Land Rover design director Gerry McGovern says the timing of the new Defender is not as important as the end result, and he insists the company will not rush out an unworthy successor to the existing model, production of which ceases this year.

McGovern says the focus is on creating class-leading vehicles in terms of off-road prowess – particularly in the case of the Defender, which is expected to be built on a new aluminium chassis in the UK at Solihull alongside the Range Rover.

At the New York motor show in April, McGovern confirmed the new Defender will have a far more modern appearance and will be "incredibly durable".

As previously reported, leaked details suggest the new Defender could also feature interchangeable parts with globally available rough-and-ready vehicles like Toyota HiLux.

"It has to be even more capable than the original and kick the shit out of everything else [off-road]," stated the outspoken Englishman.

And the design?

"I think it's the biggest challenge. One of the reasons [Defender] is loved so much is because it's familiar. It's been around for 65 years, like your grandmother or a sofa. It's always been there.

"The reality is we can't design a car like that anymore," added McGovern, conceding that safety requirements, aerodynamics and CO2 emissions regulations steer the design in certain directions.

The current model hasn't changed shape since its inception in 1948, but the new model is expected to take a radical new design direction – though perhaps not as radical as the controversial DC100 concept revealed back in 2011 — while retaining the classic styling cues of the current Defender.

"If the Defender had have changed through a natural cycle, every 10 years, through 60 years, what would it be like today? That's the answer you're looking for, that's what we need to create," said McGovern.

"It needs to be thoroughly modern but capture the essence and honesty of the original."

The Discovery 5, meanwhile, will take a slightly different approach. No longer a rural work vehicle but more of a family hauler with go-anywhere ability, the Discovery's successor looks set to become a technology leader for the Land Rover brand, and could debut the company's vaunted augmented reality systems, which can create a 'see-through' bonnet for easier off-road positioning.

Disco 5 is also a candidate to debut Land Rover's autonomous off-road systems, which were mooted in 2014 and are claimed to a vehicle 'unboggable'.

Like the company's expanding Discovery model family, which has spawned the acclaimed Discovery Sport, the next-generation Defender range will also expand in scope.

"Let me just say this: The new generation of Defender... There will be a family of them," said McGovern.

"I'm not going to tell you what they are but the most important thing is relevance. They need to be relevant to a world that has changed massively since the original Defender was created."

In other words, expect five- and seven-seat wagons, utes/pick-ups and possibly a few surprise body styles too, as part of a plan to bring more variety, capability and relevance to the new Defender family, which Land Rover plans to make a significant player in its global sales push.

"By 2020 there's going to be 22 million SUV-type products sold globally. That's a lot of vehicles. At the moment we're doing about 400,000," said McGovern, noting that in 2015 that'll rise to around 500,000 thanks to the Discovery Sport.

As for the all-important question of price — a key consideration in the utilitarian off-road segment – McGovern was evasive.

"Price of entry? It'll be the real deal," he said.

Quizzed over whether the new Defender will be as affordable as current model, the designer wouldn't say.