I was talking to the Parts dept manager while picking up some parts for my tow package. I asked him if Land Rover was ever going to bring back the Defender. His response was he heard that Land Rover was going to begin selling them again in the US next year. Any truth to that statement? I haven't even seen a press release so needless to say I was sceptical. I just let it slide and figured that it was just from some guy wanting to impress a customer.

 

Bloody hell! Did you see that pig?

 

Exactly. I don't know much about the defender, I'm only a little under a year and a half into my Land Rover ownership, so am pretty new to LR. What is the reason that LR does not sell the Defender to N.America? Do they figure that they cannot sell it in sufficient numbers? Perhaps they need to develop an off-shoot with more options/specs that N.American customers prefer. V8 diesel comest to mind....

 

Roll over crash requirement was one reason and I think emissions was another. Defender in the UK is now only available with a 2.4 Duratorque turbo diesel engine - the V8 and V6 TD's are Range Rover and Discovery territory only. Last I heard, which was a while back now, the current Defender will only be available for a few years before being superceded by a new, 'less agriculturallly biased' Defender - the end of an era looms[]