New Defender

What do people think of the new Defender? l am looking to buy the Commercial version for my business.

My missus says why not trade in the Jimny as they've offered £28,000 but we both love "Kevin" our Kinetic Yellow SZ5 and l will most likely sell my 2005 Defender instead.

l didn't like the new Defender when it came out, but once l got over the fact that it "wasn't a Defender" and had a drive, it's actually a very nice vehicle.

Even in base specification it's fully loaded and l actually think it looks better in base spec with the steel wheels, which is what l would order.

 

I'm not a fan, I think it's ugly and has too many gizmos. It will be a nightmare when those start failing - very expensive to repair. The neighbour here had to replace a key for their discovery and it cost a bomb.
also I don't know how much they are in the UK but couldn't you buy like 5x jimnys for one defender? 
just my opinion though!

This thread is going to show the diversity in people.
The look has grown on me, I could even be persuaded to say I like it. But for me also way too many Gizmos, something I hate in vehicles. But then that's just me and the fact I maintain all my vehicles myself. It just creates unnecessary work as " the features" line up to go wrong, one reason new vehicles spend time at the dealership. 
Take this bias out of the equation and add a liking of letting dealer's sort out any problems, it would be something I would consider. I don't see it as any different to the other luxury offerings, worth a look if you want one.
The majority stopped being  working vehicles the day they fitted carpets as standard in my opinion. I can clean the mud out of my Series 2 with a jet washer, that's how it should be 

 

Landrover have consistently shown that they put technology ahead of reliability. I don't know about you, but I have zero desire for a technologically advanced car, and I certainly wouldn't want one made by Landrover. I think I'm one of the lucky few that consider even the most basic of modern cars perfectly adequate and comfortable for my needs. 4wd and towing aside, there are many small vans that would be far more practical than a Defender for commercial use.

Having owned a previous model Defender from new and experienced the eye watering after-sales/service charges and questionable skills of the main dealership's technicians (to diagnose and repair)- I wouldn't trust the reliability of the new model technology beyond a short run to ASDA or the school run. The very idea of actually owning one and relying on a Land Rover dealership to keep it running gives me a severe dose of the heebie jeebies!

I quite like the visual appearance of the new Defender but until Land Rover can deliver a strong reputation for robust components, reliability and excellent after-sales service I won't be placing an order any time soon.

The Suzuki Jimny has been brilliant by comparison both for business and personal use.

At business any of my colleagues who selected the Land Rover option as a 'company' car quickly learned the name of the service receptionist at the local dealership. Funnily enough the problems they suffered usually manifested themselves on the day they were heading to key business meetings. I'd describe the new Defender as a triumph of style over substance until proven otherwise.

Not a fan, but my opinion is probably tainted by the fact that all the new Defenders in my area are blinged up to the max - massive wheels, tiny profile tyres, blacked out everything. They seem to have been adopted by the BMW X6 crowd, which is not a good thing.

If they'd made it a bit smaller, a bit less luxurious and a bit less complex I'd like it a lot more.

If you need to do a lot of towing then I would go for it.
Be prepared though……
You will be on a long waiting list with no confirmed delivery date.
You will constantly be offered alternative low mileage stock Defenders at super inflated prices.
Your order may be cancelled at any time.
The running costs will be eye watering if used as a daily driver.

People may think I’m mad but I choose an LCV Jimny over the new Defender 90.  I think I made the right choice, the smiles per mile beat any JLR vehicle i’ve owned as does the +ve reaction i get from other road users.  
 

^^^^^^ Yes the waiting list is long. Chap at work is on the list, his estimated ETA for his new Defender is tail end of this year, he ordered August 2022...
Demand / Brexit / COVID / chip shortage (it has a few) all possible causes, but the certainty is a wait.
 

I wonder if the main reason so many people don't like the new Defender is similar to when BMW brought out the new Mini? If they'd have just stopped production of the old model and brought the new one out with a new name, people wouldn't be so quick to compare the before and after and say "That's not a Defender, it looks nothing like and is too complex."

lnteresting replies. l am definitely with you all on the reliability aspect, it is definitely a concern.

Over on the Defender forums it doesn't seem too bad with regard to faults and cars spending more time at the dealer than on people's drives.

l would go for a base specification with coil suspension, steel wheels and no "bling"

They aren't generally being bought by owners of the old model Defender, probably due to the price. Reaction to the new model is mixed on the "Classic" Defender forum. TBH l think Land Rover were aiming for a different market with the new one, and in that respect they seem to have succeeded as there is a huge order backlog.

The cheapest is the 90 Commercial at £48,000. Land Rover have deleted all the cheaper versions including the D200 which was £3,000 less.
The cheapest car version is now £58,000!! Delve into the massive options list and you can easily spend another £10,000
ln addition the Commercial comes in white and any other colour is an extra £1,000

Delivery for the Commercial is quoted at 18 months which doesn't really bother me because it will give me more time to save up, the more l can put in the lower the monthly payments.

l am still in two minds, £50,000 is a lot for a car in my book, although being a business purchase it will be tax deductible.

If you are a known producer and you sell everything that you make, why would you need to advertise?

Just seen an advert on TV for a Defender.

Or am I being cynical?

Roger