Does the Land Rover Defender DC100 Sport show the direction of travel?

It looks like Land Rover will make a Defender very much in spirit of the old Defender, but built for the 21st Century

Back in 2011, Land Rover showed off what they said was a precursor to the next generation Defender. With the Defender now having ceased production – we’re sorry if that comes as a shock to anyone who’s been in a coma for the last six months – it seems a good time to review what was thought then to be the natural successor. And, in some ways, may be.

As the reviewer at the time said: “Land Rover has just finished teaching us – via the hugely successful Evoque project – that these days it doesn’t build concepts just to throw them away.”

Perhaps the most important point is that the DC100 Sport shares so little with the outgoing Defender. While die-hards might mourn that thought, many more will cheer. For example, just sit in the concept car and you see how different it is. You sit in rather than on the seat. You don’t need to have the driver’s window open to be able to get comfy. And that dashboard is contoured, not an abrupt wall in front of you.

However, it all looks tough and durable, this is not a sell-out. They’ve also managed to make it lower while keeping impressive ground clearance. Similarly, the body is very 90-ish with short frontal overhang and an almost non-existent one at the rear. With a fairly wide track you have something that should be seriously good off-road without losing any of the legendary ability of the old models.

We should see the new model in 2018, and it will doubtless surprise us.

At the same time, this new Defender will be considerably more enjoyable on the road. It will make some compromises, whereas the old Defender refused to make any compromises to personal comfort at all, whether you were a City broker or a Welsh sheepdog.

The model we drove on a beach in California had the V8 engine and auto box. That’s probably right for California but it won’t be the box-office item this side of the Pond. At the time of testing the concept, it was unclear whether under all this there would be a ladder chassis or monocoque construction, but whatever is there, this looks like a clear and welcome signpost for the next generation of Defender.

We should see the new model in 2018, and it will doubtless surprise us. One thing that will change, we are sure, is the styling which, in 2011, divided opinion sharply. What else remains or appears for the first time, we will have to wait and see, but for now it looks like Land Rover will make a Defender very much in the spirit of the old Defender, but built for the 21^st Century.