THOUGH it was only sold in limited quantities over a handful of sporadic years in North America, Land Rover's Defender — a direct descendant of the first 1948 Land Rover — continues to thrive in many markets across the world.
The distinctly dated workhorse will give way to a thoroughly modernised variant reportedly codenamed Project Icon for the 2012 model year.
Based heavily on the T5 steel platform chassis currently used in the Range Rover Sport and LR4, according to Britain's Autocar, the Project Icon
replacement will be capable of meeting the ever-stricter emissions and safety laws that have spelled doom for the Defender.
The chassis will allow the next-generation rig to be offered in a multitude of bodystyles, including hard and soft top variants and a utilitarian pickup style.
Expect the LR4's 2.7-liter diesel engine, which is not offered in North America, to be the standard powertrain in the next-generation Defender.
If the model is earmarked for North American consumption, the advanced 5.0-liter V8 developed with Jaguar used in the LR4 and Range Rover Sport seems like a match made in heaven.
www. leftlanenews.com
Sunday, September 27, 2009
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