Does anyone have any insight from their Dealer on when the Bulletin outlining the official changes, specs and prices for the 2023MY is due to hit the street? My contact at JLR North America told me "October" but I have no reason to believe that, or my local Dealer, since everything else they have told me has been incorrect.

Rumours I am aware of:

* New "Junior" Defender 80 model (Source: https://www.caranddriver.com/land-rover/defender-80)
* New "8-seater" Defender 130 with extended wheelbase (Source: https://www.motorauthority.com/news/...-130-spy-shots)
* New "SVR" high performance model (Source: https://www.motortrend.com/news/2023...8-future-cars/)

 

Defender 80!

You can’t make this stuff up. It truly is clown world.

 

With the struggles to even offer the components on the MY22 versions, and supply chain issues expected to continue well into 2022, I doubt you’ll see much at all in improvements/additions to the range. Probably just a few minor tweaks to justify a new designation.

With the waiting list for these things, there is no real incentive for JLR to have to update things. As it stands people are having to accept lower spec, or vehicles with features missing in order to get their hands on a new Defender. Can’t see that changing anytime soon.

What would be nice is if JLR got on top of the quality issues that seem to be ******* so many vehicles.

 

Instead they introduce special editions (007 Parts Bin Special)... where they only have to update graphics and charge more.

 

I personally like the fact that JLR stay true to their outward design from year to year. The models look great to begin with and they don't stray too far from it. Even a ten year old Evoque vs the current model year, the heritage is there. This may contribute to better residuals and resale values. There isn't much they need to do differently with the Defender anytime soon IMO, just work out some of the minor issues. I would love to see the side-camera view when the turn signal is on for better visibility and safety but I suspect that could just as easily be an OTA update.

 

There is no heritage left at JLR. They are about profit at this point. Heritage ended when the G4 Challenge ended around 2006. Since then it has been all down hill. Now they come out with a Trophy Edition junk wrapped Defender they mark up 15% and say it's Speshul. If Land Rover had any brains they would take some of their profits and have off road events like they used to. With overlanding being and becoming such a huge thing now, it is the perfect time for LR to capitalize on their heritage but they don't. And they don't because the power players don't care. And the power players (executives, exterior and interior designers, engineers) don't care because they are probably thirty year olds who drive BMW's.

 

Since 2006, when the heritage apparently came to an abrupt end and things started falling apart for Land Rover, their vehicle sales - in the US alone - have pretty much doubled. So, there's that inconvenient truth. They're all about profits alright, but name a car company that's in it for the glory these days. Either that, or you die.

PS: And while having a Camel Trophy again - with real men in a jeal ungle somewhere in a third world country - sounds great on paper and would scream heritage like no other event could, it would probably **** off environmentalists, human rights advocates, women in general, PETA, Tesla fans, and tons of other people.
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Isn’t the Trophy thing just North America?

I still see heritage in their vehicles. They have embraced the terrain capabilities wholeheartedly, and comfort has always been blended with technology. Just look at the very first RR: prestige, elegance, and technical capability. It defined a whole segment. That RR wasn’t cheap either. As far as I can tell, they’ve followed a logical trajectory that can be traced back.

If they were only building Land Rover Series cars, they’d have ceased to exist 40 years ago.

 

On that note, and with Dyson's CCO defecting to JLR 2 months ago, presented without comment:

https://www.fastcompany.com/90669658/the-inside-story-of-dysons-700-million-quest-to-design-an-electric-car