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Feann Torr16 Apr 2019
NEWS

New Land Rover Defender here early 2020

Loyal Aussie Defender owners help fast-track new Landie, but will they like what they see?

The all-new 2020 Land Rover Defender will be revealed in September and available in Australia sooner than first thought, with first deliveries arriving in early 2020.

The order books for the new Land Rover Defender will open later this year, by which time the automotive world will have judged the vehicle's contemporary design.

The new Defender could court controversy when it's revealed later than expected in September. Spy photos reveal the crucial new mud-plugger will not wear a retro design like its predecessor, whose iconic styling can be traced back to 1948.

Indeed, the new model will bring thoroughly modern visuals to the table, but like its grand-pappy will be available in both two-door and four-door body styles. There may even be ute versions in future.

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Land Rover started an unofficial pre-reveal campaign late last year, when several camouflaged vehicles – both short-wheelbase ‘90’ and long-wheelbase ‘130’ versions – were caught testing, leading to speculation of a late 2018 reveal. But the first official ‘spy’ shot in January confirmed a more drawn-out teaser strategy.

Talking to journalists at the global launch of the facelifted 2020 Jaguar XE sedan, JLR Australia’s communications chief Tim Krieger stated the new Defender “…will be revealed around September, but we won't see customer deliveries until early next year”.

"There will be something [revealed] around Frankfurt [motor show]. Whether it's at the motor show or whether it's out of show, we're figuring that out at the moment."

Australia will be a key global market for the new model, hence the short gap between the new SUV’s reveal in September to its local arrival in early 2020.

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"Australia is one of the few markets that continued to sell the Defender right up to the end.

"So in a sense, the brand name is probably stronger in Australia because we haven't had this hiatus like some of the other markets who haven't sold it in a number of years. So that's a positive," said Krieger.

"The interest that new car commands is just huge."

The big question will be whether rusted-on Defender owners will take a liking to the new model, whose styling may not be to everyone's liking.

"I think it's good to look forward on these things," said Krieger of the new Defender's design, which he's been privy to.

"I think you can't just keep repeating the past," he added, despite vehicles such as the Mercedes-Benz G-Class and Suzuki Jimny off-roaders trading strongly on their boxy, retro looks.

"But it's going to be really interesting. That will be one of the fascinating [things]… to see what is the reaction. And I think it's a really tough market so it's a big challenge with the design going [forward].”

Despite ditching its robust ladder-frame chassis for a lighter and more refined car-like monocoque chassis, not to mention a more luxurious interior as seen in leaked shots, the British brand claims the new Defender will be the "most capable off-road Land Rover vehicle ever."

Them's fighting words, and they need to be.

Along with the new second-generation Range Rover Evoque arriving here in May, the new Defender will be vital for Land Rover which in partnership with sister brand Jaguar took a colossal financial hit recently, posting a $US4 billion loss in the fourth quarter of 2018.

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Sales in China have sputtered to a halt and are now going backwards, but it’s not just in the world's biggest new-vehicle market where Jaguar Land Rover is hurting.

"You've got Brexit. Brexit is just a disaster and all those operational things like WLTP [new emissisions regulations], stink bugs, you name it -- it really has been a perfect storm since pretty much the end of last year up to now."

While Jaguar sales have increased in Australia in 2019, Land Rover sales are down almost 18 per cent. But Krieger says there is light at the end of the tunnel.

"The really positive thing is with the first clear air we had in March, we did 1300-odd Land Rovers, and Jaguar's up 38 per cent year on year."

"New Evoque … we're really, really positive about it. So I think that will be a good volume seller for us. Then you've got Defender [global premiere] coming up later in the year which will be huge."

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