Land Rover working on the Project Icon a.k.a Defender replacement

Planned for a 2012 launch, the replacement for the traditional 61-year-old Land Rover is underway in JLR’s Gaydon design center. Dubbed Project Icon, the plan is for a relatively simple, steel-suspended workhorse meant to attract lower-end Discovery buyers.

The vehicle is expected to arrive soon after Land Rover’s existing iconic model, the Defender, reaches the end of the road. Hence, the latest model would then be able to reach the Defender’s more than 160 various export markets. The new Project Icon workhorse is based on the sturdy, capable but heavy T5 steel platform chassis used for the current Discovery and Range Rover Sport models. Incidentally, these two models will be replaced beyond 2012 by aluminum-based models, which are between 400kg and 500kg lighter.
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Yonder7 - 9/25/2009 2:52:56 PM

-3 Boost

Why?, if next year, Tata will kill them.

M35MT - 9/25/2009 4:26:20 PM

+4 Boost

You're kidding, right? I hope you're not stupid enough to think the LR brand would be 'killed'.

Yonder7 - 9/25/2009 2:53:20 PM

+2 Boost

I realy hope they do not touch Jaguar.

2ndbimmer - 9/25/2009 6:38:48 PM

+5 Boost

THANK GOD!!! FINALLY!!!! I cannot wait! Hopefully it will still have a V8. Otherwise, I am going to american expidition vehicles and ordering my Hemi wrangler.

2ndbimmer - 9/25/2009 6:40:03 PM

+1 Boost

wait, nothing for the US? what the heck!?

truckman - 9/25/2009 7:23:15 PM

+1 Boost

This is a nice vehicle, just outrageously expensive to fix, I would like to see other manufacturers make something like this.

tango - 9/25/2009 9:36:36 PM

+3 Boost

Independent suspension in a Defender?!? Say it isn't so!

truckman - 9/27/2009 4:52:22 AM

0 Boost

Tango, I don't know how I missed that, independent suspension! Independent suspension on off road race trucks are great with all the wheel travel, this is going to be a princess with limited suspension travel, I guarantee it, the old one was great with two solid axles that flexed great , that is if you can afford to maintain it$$.

truckman - 9/29/2009 4:48:11 AM

+1 Boost

To all the Land Rover fans that deboost the truth, defend why you disagree with the obvious reality that I have stated above, just try.lol

TheRealJT - 9/30/2009 11:00:22 PM

+1 Boost

I'll believe it when I see it-----they've been talking about a Defender re-do for 10 years now.