Steve Cropley
Duster makes a great impression
MONDAY
Will Land Rover’s new Defender saga ever end? As you’ll read elsewhere, the much-postponed debut now looks like running into 2020, amazing considering we were told back in 2011 (while driving the ‘Defenderish’ DC100 concept on the beach in Los Angeles) that the ‘new icon’ would pop in 2014. The grapevine says the delay has been down to a succession of concepts bombing in styling clinics around the world. The words “nice, but not a Defender” have been ringing in the ears of researchers for years.
I was delighted to hear new whispers that the company is doing something that has been staring it in the face all along: making the modern Defender shamelessly reminiscent of the old one. The Mini and Fiat 500 (among others) have shown how a body with strong visual links to an enduring classic attracts buyers in greater than expected numbers, despite new mechanicals and different dimensions.
After making one of the world’s most famous cars for 68 years, Land Rover people should have known they’d always need a product to answer the question: ‘what’s a Land Rover?’. Jeep has always understood this: its latest Wrangler continues to make the most direct possible link with the iconic wartime Jeep that started it all.
TUESDAY
Satisfying drive in the latest version of a car I’ve always admired, the Dacia Duster. I really like its perfect size, jaunty styling, lack of pretension and the sensible nature of its proven Renault mechanicals. This was a mid-spec, 1.6-litre, petrol, two-wheel-drive model, well equipped yet priced at just £13,000. It did all the right things on a two-hour sojourn out of London: handled well, rode brilliantly, looked good and provided plenty of interior space. It had flaws – a wheezy engine, over-light steering at parking speeds and thick windscreen pillars among them – but I was sorry to give it back, which is always the test.
WEDNESDAY
Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark, back to lead the company after a previous term as sales and marketing director, understands and bonds with Bentley buyers like few others. While Mr Editor Tisshaw and I were interviewing him recently, he entertained us with a tale that perfectly illustrates the spectrum of Bentley buyers, and the wide appeal of the latest products. It concerns a Chinese woman, many times a millionaire from her start-up children’s clothing business, who had bought a Bentayga W12.
“She had chosen the car for many reasons,” Hallmark explained, “but she especially liked its craftsmanship and upholstery quality. ‘This car costs less than my handbag collection,’ she told us. ‘Given that the area of its leather seats is greater than all my bags put together, how come it’s so cheap?’.”
Hallmark, a man rarely stuck for words, replied quickly: “We’re very happy with what you paid for the car. Perhaps you should ask the handbag makers why their products are so expensive…”
Her Bentayga W12 cost less than her handbag collection
FRIDAY
Are you under 25 and seeking an absorbing job in the motor industry? Or, if not so young, you’ll probably know a few who are. In either event, you need to be aware that our annual competition to attract new talent to the car business, the Autocar-courland Next Generation Award, is open for entries now and stays that way until the end of the month. To enter, you need to come up with a succinct and compelling idea that will improve motoring (full details at autocar.co.uk/nextgenerationaward) and be prepared to present it to our panel of motor industry luminaries.
The winner takes away an £8000 prize, plus five varied months of work experience provided by the award’s sponsors. The hope is that, as in the past, the winner will find his or her ideal job on that work experience journey. Enter now and you could join an illustrious band of winners.