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No matter if you loved it, or hated it, the outgoing Land Rover Defender was an icon, and any car that can survive for so many years, and become such a centrepiece in culture will be a very hard act to follow.
However follow it Jaguar Land Rover must, and as 2020 edges ever closer we are seeing more leaks and spy shots of the new Defender. Land Rover is said to be focusing on the phrase 'premium durability' – meaning that, while the new Defender should be every bit as tough as the old model, it won't look as overtly aggressive and in speaking to Autocar Gerry McGovern said: "We have to stop thinking about function in a durable way. When you're buying into the brand, you're buying a premium product."
Another huge benefit of the 'old' Defender was it's versatility, in its heyday the car was used in everything from taking kids to school to attacking the front lines in the military, to fixing train tracks and even supporting fire-engines and ambulances in hard to reach areas. Land Rover knows this, and want to make sure the new model can be as practical in every day life, with as many options as the original. So in addition to the traditional short and long-wheelbase versions, there are plans for a pick-up truck, an even smaller SUV and numerous trim levels that will prioritise either everyday use in towns or hardcore off-roading.
JLR are clearly taking their time with the new Defender, but what do you think? Do you think that they can ever replicate the success of the old model?