Saw it at the hardware store. Looked it over. Talked to the guy. I didn't get a chance to REALLY look it over with a fine-toothed comb. I was ho-hum on the new style from magazine pictures and articles. Seeing it in real life didn't move the needle for me. I think L/R took a swing and a miss on going with the very modern design. Would have been nice if they'd have kept more of the traditional Defender cues and also kept it simple. Obviously they're going for the real high end market. There's an abundance of gee-whiz tech ....too much tech on it, IMO ..way too much to go quirky wrong and/or fail when ya need it. Esp considering L/R quality record and reputation on electrics. But yeah, some of the off-road tech is kind of interesting. Not saying all of the tech is bad. The interior seemed oddly geometric, considering how they toned down and smoothed out the exterior a lot.

They ride real low during normal driving. They have more of a highway touring appearance to them. More of a cross-country, national park / interstate touring car 'look'. Or gravel road overlanding look is what I see, vs an off-road look like you'd expect from a Defender. Yes you can raise the height on the trail ...the last couple inches only in low range, and some of the off-road tech is nice, don't get me wrong. The owner said going to a tire larger than a 33 wasn't possible, although 33 is a good size. That's a lot more than can fit under a stock Disco 1. ha ha. Honestly his tires didn't look like 33's to me, but that's what he said. And finally, a lot of plastic. Kind of like what you'd see on an Chevy Avalanche! Lot of loose plastic mud flaps, small splash deflectors and other plastic (expensive) parts hanging down that would get conveniently removed a few times down a real trail.

I know from reading L/R did incorporate a lot of real off-roading capabilities in these, but they sure don't look off-road-like. I guess the design was probably to look more 'adventure touring' more than off-road like ...such as the Defender was. And really that's what the Disco 1 was when it came out too. I guess there's Jeep and the upcoming Bronco if you want to look 'off road ready'. Maybe the design will grow on me in the future (doubt it). Sticking with my Hummer H3 and Disco for now.

Anyone else see one on the road yet? How do you compare to your Disco 1?

 

I honestly tried to like Land Rover's from 1948 to 2009, but after owning my LR3 and all it's stupid issues and my 4th LR with EAS I changed my view from 1948 to 2004 lol. The newer stuff since Tata took over = never has floated my boat like the old English charmed LR's. The LR3 had a great 4.4L engine, but my LR3 had to many glitches no one could track down to fully enjoy it. I know a guy that has a well built new D110 with the lift that allows massive tires, and he absolutely loves it. However I had laughed when I saw him open the rear cargo door and just how tiny it is vs say a D1/D2. It's way to early to tell how they'll hold up, but I did price one out to my personal spec and it was around 62K. That sounds like a lot then you go try and configure a Toyota 4Runner TRD or Bronco 4x4 and you'll blow past that pretty quickly so in that respect the lower model D110's aren't that bad of a buy for all the tech you still get. I also noticed on the 2022 D110 you could get one without EAS!!!!

I honestly want to see the INEOS Grenadier do well. I love the interior and exterior and it took the D110 body style then updated it. Interior looks like something out of a fighter jet and the optional windows over the driver & passenger is awesome! Also still rocking solid axles front and rear!

 

I agree, the INEOS Grenadier is where Land Rover (in my opinion) should have went with the Defender (although I'd personally rather see a more mainstream interior in the Grenadier). They had such a rich history with the iconic Defender, they just looked past it. You're right about the D110's: there were a handful of basic ergonomic principles L/R violated such as seating position (really cramped and odd) and the rear cargo area as you pointed out. Those could have all been set straight with a modernization program but still kept the heritage alive. I think they'd have scored a 10 (and a ton of global sales) if they'd have offered a modernized Grenadier-looking pick-up truck along with the SUV. Solid axle ...and somewhat bare-bones (for certain models), like Ford will offer on the Bronco. Such a rig would sell like hot-cakes in the currently hot pick-up market.

I guess $62k in the current market ..where 60k is the new $30k (from a few yrs ago) is less than I expected. Seemed they were in the $70's when I last looked. Like you say, you price out a Toyota or even a Rubicon and you can get over $60k. One of these days I'll swing by the L/R dealer and look a new Defender over real well. Maybe I'll think different after that.

 

Yeah I didn't even mention a Jeep Rubicon because the prices on those things is just INSANE........ I owned an 05 Rubicon back in the day and it was fully loaded with every option for 26K and even then it felt like I had overpaid because it was built so CHEAP. I have no idea how anyone thinks a V8 JLU is worth 80k.

The only part of the Grenadier interior I don't care for is the center mounted cluster kinda like a Mini Cooper. Rest of it looks like how some Defender 90/110 custom interiors actually turned out on 160K trucks I've seen over the years.

Some people seem to have very good things to say about the new Defender while some have had dead engines after 400 miles, or stupid LR typical issues when it's barely a month old. I was shocked when the new full size RR came out and they went back to the BMW 4.4L V8..... That thing was awful back in the 03-05 full size RR!!!!! The Jag 4.2/4.4L was the best thing LR ever slapped into one of their vehicles IMHO.

 

My biggest fear is that a rig like the Grenadier, as cool as it would be, and looks, would be uber-expensive. A buddy of mine has owned an LR4 for a number of yrs and AFAIK he hasn't had too many of the odd Land Rover bugaboos that some people have experienced. (knock on wood).

Now I'm getting off-topic, but I can't say enough about the Hummer H3 (the small one) as an alternate 4x4 rig. Good DD and off-roader too. Vertical upright windshield pushed way out there. Up-turned military-vehicle-esque steering wheel. High-tech DOHC engine. Very easy to work on. It's very un-GM-like. Mine's got the Adventure and Luxury pkgs ..factory 33's, electric factory rear locker, leather and all that. It reminds me of somewhere between the driving experience of the Disco and my 1st gen Toyota RN 4x4 pickup ...from the early 80's. Only bummer is the rear locker works (only) in low. Parts prices are high, but if ya keep them up they go a long time. It'll be interesting when the Bronco comes out. I've driven two of them at dealers around here. Lockers work in high range too. I really liked the soft top rig better than the one with glass tops.

I'll let you all know when I get a chance to look over and test drive a new Defender. But like you say, all that tech, you know its going to be a real bummer when those funky land rover odd-ball bugaboos start rearing their head's.

Aaaahhhh. Always fun to chit-chat about various 4x4's.

(NOTE: not my H3 ...one I copied from the internet)

 

Top pic was taken on the drive home, and the lower pic was it probably 4 months before I sold it.

You don't have to tell me about the H3! I actually owned 2 of them and was over on the forums a lot. First one was an 08 H3 Hummer Alpha with the 5.3L V8, but no lockers. I got it used with 90K on it, thing was flawless inside and out. Even had an ARB, and Warn M8000 winch on it. Traded keys for keys at a dealership in Dallas, TX. I truly swapped keys for my 08 F150 FX4 with the same mileage. I paid nothing but the 7.00 inspection!! Truck was fantastic! You could stuff tons of gear in the back door, and cubby bins, I slapped on a THOR rear bumper, and GOBI rack. Then my wife liked driving it some much I got rid of the last 2 Jeeps I had and got her an 07 with barely 72K on it. I once again walked away only paying like 60.00 in cash.... Red on the outside with the cool Black/Red cloth seats and trim on the inside and it had the Adventure package. I took both of them thru stuff my 05 Jeep Wrangler got stuck on. Zero issues on either of them. I truly think the H3 is a very capable 4x4 that gets overlooked due to all the H2 DUB stuff. Had Hummer stayed in business the H4 might have put a serious dent in Jeep sales. Lots of guys were doing the SAS on them and truly kicking but out on the trails. It was built very well, good plastics, and simple to work on.

I still see a good bit of them cruising around (mainly 3.7L I5's) but they're in great shape. Sure they aren't off roaded like mine were, but I would buy another one without question. I basically got the 08 for 17.9K drove it nearly 5 years put 60K on it, sold it for 17.1K, then sold the Gobi for 1k. Also sold the 07 for nearly what I paid for it as well. Both had zero mechanical issues when I sold them and were ready for many many many more miles to be put on them. Sadly the guy that bought my Alpha was a complete idiot and during Hurricane Harvey I saw a post on his FB that showed water up to the windows........ Then the next post was transmission is acting weird, and electronics are acting up so sadly I think he killed it due to buying something he couldn't afford (48 years old and had to have a co-signer) so I think he just drove thru to water to have it written off. Sad end to a flawless vehicle that served me and my family well.

 

Ha ha ...nice rig! (and the disco too). Well, I guess I don't have to tell you anything about H3's. Best part is they don't have a lot of ridiculous nonsense tech to flake out, like some of the newer vehicles do. Pretty much an old-school like 4x4. About as old-school as you can get these days anyway. Which kind of is the theme with Disco 1's (to weave back to the previous L/R topic).

 

Yep totally agree, well built and nothing really goes wrong. There was that lower support bushing that wore out, but on the forums you could get that custom big huge unit (was on the Alpha) and it was guaranteed for life. The D1 the Alpha was towing was my first LR after many years without one. It was a 98 LSE in British Racing Green in good shape with a bad front timing cover gasket which leaked coolant into the engine for 500.00. Then like 3 weeks later another 98 LSE popped up in Woodcote Green which is still my favorite D1 color. I bought it as well and got some small misc parts off the other one to make the Woodcote green one perfect then I sold the other one for 1k without really touching it.



Cleanest interior of a D1 I have ever owned I mean it looked like the 98 D1 brochure minus the aftermarket radio.

 

Wow, I was going to say... those are the cleanest seats I've ever seen! Very nice.

Is that an aftermarket rear view mirror? Is that clock orig L/R? Looks like someone did a favor and put in a full-clear windshield so you don't have to look through the shaded part of the windshield. I bought a full-clear w/s too, but haven't put it in yet. How many do you see with the chrome front bumper?!

How's the headliner? That's on my next summer's D1 to-do list

 

I sadly sold that D1 years ago. Rearview mirror = D2, seats were original analog clock = 95 RRC, and the previous owner was a Dr who babied it and strictly dealer serviced. Windshield was the OEM LR glass, and the headliner was great.