LAND ROVER DEFENDER
FOUR years have passed since the last of the ‘old Defenders’ ended 67 years of continuous production of a line of 4x4s that evolved from the original 1948 Land Rover.
What will appear as the Defender in 2020 bears no resemblance to the past and is very much a product of today. No separate chassis and no live axles, the new Defender couldn’t be any more high-tech with its largely aluminium monocoque construction and fully independent suspension.
The good news is the Defender has been developed from the current Discovery platform, which in turn was developed from the current Range Rover/range Rover Sport platform that debuted in late 2012, so it has provenance. It will be initially available in Australia in a number of spec levels with lots of equipment options but only as a ‘110’ four-door wagon. A two-door ‘90’ will follow, possibly in 2021.
Australian buyers can choose from two four-cylinder 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesels (147kw and 177kw) or a supercharged and turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine with a sizzling 294kw and an energy recouping ‘mild hybrid’ system.
All Australian models will have an eight-speed automatic gearbox, dual-range full-time 4x4 and height-adjustable air suspension. Wheel sizes start at 18-inch and Land Rover promises the new Defender will be the most off-road capable Land Rover ever. We can’t wait!
ALSO slated for a mid-year release is the next-generation D-MAX, which unlike the current D-MAX is not a result of a joint venture with General Motors. This new D-MAX is in fact an Isuzu from the ground up, which is the way that Isuzu has historically gone about designing its own utes.
The 2020 D-MAX is bigger overall than the current model, no doubt to compete with the big utes like the Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok. The 2020 D-MAX also will be better equipped and seemingly more passenger-car like in presentation and detail compared to the more commercially flavoured current model. At the same time, more wading depth and a standard rear locker suggest more 4x4 ability; although, the true benefit of the locker will depend on how it is integrated with the electronic traction control as some lockers switch off the ETC across both axles, so don’t bring much benefit.
Significantly, the 2020 D-MAX will be powered by a slightly tuned-up (140kw/450nm vs. 130kw/430nm) version of long-serving
3.0-litre four-cylinder diesel currently used, presumably backed by the current six-speed Aisin automatic and six-speed Isuzu manual gearboxes.
While a smaller (1.9-litre) bi-turbo and Euro 6 compliant diesel is offered elsewhere, it’s unlikely to come to Australia until Euro 6 does. If and when Euro 6 comes into play, Isuzu may still prefer to fit selective catalytic reduction technology (Adblue) to the ‘big’ 3.0-litre four.
New features on the D-MAX include electric power steering, tilt-and-reach steering wheel adjustment, auto headlights and wipers, and Apple Carplay/android Auto. Rear cross-traffic alert and blind-spot warning also become standard features. The Thai reveal of the 2020 D-MAX didn’t mention AEB, but that could well make
it onto Australian models.
IN 2020, Toyota’s Landcruiser 200 will be 13 years old while its Prado, or Landcruiser 150, will be 11 years old. Time for new models, one would think. Mind you, we have been saying that for ages and new models are yet to materialise. What’s more, Toyota is saying nothing.
The timeline for release in Australia of either a 200 replacement (let’s call it a 300) or a 150 replacement (let’s call it a 180) will likely hinge around the implementation of Euro 6 emissions regulations, which is still up in the air. If Toyota released the ‘300’ and the ‘180’ now – as in time of writing – it could make do with the current Euro 5 diesel engines. If Euro 6 comes into play before then, the 2.8-litre four in Prado can be readily converted to Euro 6 with the addition of selective catalytic reduction (Adblue). Toyota has already told us that much. The 4.5-litre V8 diesel should also be able to meet Euro 6 but will require more work.
New petrol engines for both the ‘300’ and the ‘180’ are also in the pipeline, but they may not appear in Australian models in the short term while buyer preference in this market sector remains firmly in the diesel camp. And when new petrol engines do appear they will be most likely teamed up to secondary electric motors in hybrid powertrains.
Otherwise it’s probably business as usual; separate chassis, a rear live axle and mechanical full-time 4x4.