Shown in concept form at the Frankfurt motor show, the new Defender will retain the format that Land Rover calls ‘configurable’, meaning the new model will be available in a host of wheelbase lengths and body styles.
Indeed, Land Rover were so keen to emphasise this, that it displayed the vehicle in both ‘car’ and ‘van’ forms, plus in a more leisure oriented open-top design under ‘Sport’ badging.
As well as giving fleets a hint of how the next Defender could look, the concepts were also used as a technology showcase for 4×4 systems.
Included in the concepts, named DC100, were terrain scanning systems which could ‘view’ the ground ahead and then set the car up ready to best cope with any obstacle and sonar to check the depth of water, before fording.
While Land Rover has not confirmed if the concepts will make production, it has confirmed there will be a new Defender in 2015. However, a spokesman refused to rule out the possibility that the current car may also continue in parallel alongside the new 4×4.
