All good things must come to an end, and the end is near for the Land Rover Defender. Solihull production of the current Defender is due to end in December 2015, and Land Rover will use this year to celebrate its global automotive icon. For the farewell, LR has released three limited edition Defenders. Why three?
“We wanted to mark the end of Defender production at Solihull with a special edition but coming up with a single identity was impossible, so we developed three very different interpretations of the Defender to reflect its strength and breadth of character,” said Nick Rogers, Land Rover vehicle line director.
The exclusive Autobiography Edition is the posh one, with its comprehensive equipment list, unique dual-tone paintwork, full Windsor leather upholstery and a power upgrade from 122 PS to 150 PS. Only 80 Defender Autobiography Editions will be available in the UK, produced exclusively as a 90 Station Wagon and priced from £61,845 (RM334,966).
The Heritage Edition mixes nostalgic design cues with modern creature comforts. Identified by Grasmere Green paint and a contrasting white roof, it also comes with a heritage grille and HUE 166 graphics, recalling the reg plate of the first ever pre-production Land Rover nicknamed ‘Huey’. It hits showrooms from August with production limited to 400 units. Prices will start from £27,800 (RM150,577).
The Adventure Edition is the tough guy. It comes with additional underbody protection and Goodyear MT/R tyres to boost the Defender’s famed all-terrain capability. Unique decals and a leather-trimmed cabin ensure the Adventure Edition stands out from the Defender crowd. A total of 600 units will be made, priced at £43,495 (RM235,575).
While wiping tears and cringing at the thought of the DC100 concept, take heart that Land Rover is investigating the possibility of maintaining production of the current Defender at an overseas production facility. Any continuation would see low volume production maintained for sale outside the EU.
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Sob sob sob…..
Very sad, indeed.
A hero must be laid to rest
Why shld the current Defender be “maintained on low volume production”?
Just transfer entire production line to India and bring dwn costs and keep offering the current Defender as well as its new replacement especially in 3rd world markets and lets see which one the customer prefers.
personally i think they should have just kept the production of the current Defender, and releasing new updates from time to time, like what MB is doing to its own G Class, without really coming up with something to replace it. they should have gone ahead with releasing an all new model, but calling it another name if they dont want people to be confused, much like again MB has done to its SUV lineup.
yes, it might be too costly to produce etc., but it is an icon of the car industry around the world already, and there’s a special value to keep it alive, not to mention generating substantial profit for the company if it is done right. The retro market is very much still alive and kicking, and i think it is growing even!
Easily 1 of the best 4×4 ever
Owning the Heritage Edition is a must in my bucket list if I’m residing in the UK… Haha..
love that orange one…talk abt a car having personality!
I guess I have to wait for the 1:24 scale models to come out and purchase all three!
I hope the owners can find a ‘second home’ to the dies and moulds so that they can continue wtih the production and spare parts.
Here’s the video about thee car: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4roB2KHK3PE
:(
So sad when they announce the production will end some time back. Even more sad today that there will be final run and I cannot buy…no moneeey…
if money no issue, this is a must have car in my garage alongside merc g wagon. sadly money is a big big issue…huhuhu.so long…