New Land Rover Defender: Revised DC100 at Los Angeles Motor Show

The New Land Rover Defender DC100 Concept

It’s reported that Land Rover will be taking a revised version of the new Land Rover Concept – the Land Rover DC100 – to the Los Angeles Motor Show.

We had the first view of the new Land Rover Defender – the Land Rover DC100 Concept – at the Frankfurt Motor Show last month. And of its sport derivative, the Land Rover DC100 Sport, too.

But Land Rover made it clear that the DC100 is a work in progress, and that they were looking for feedback as the quest to replace the Defender with a 21st version gathers speed over the coming years.

The overall response to the new Defender was positive, even if the DC100 Sporty was wildly ‘Concept-y’. But it appears that Land Rover are moving the DC100 on quite quickly, and are planning to show a revised version at the Los Angeles Motor Show next month.

We don’t know how much the MK II version of the DC100 will change (Land Rover could do what Alfa Romeo did with the 4C and just change the colour), but if nothing else it show that Land Rover are keen to get the new Defender under the noses of the American car buyer. Which could mean the new Defender returning to the USA.

In conversation with Inside Line, Land Rover’s Global Brand Director, John Edwards, has said that the DC100 mustn’t concentrate on being appealing to ‘Surfer Dudes’ in North America, but must be fit for the ‘…Red Cross, Zambia or the Australian Outback’. Which are sensible perspectives, especially as Land Rover has plenty of vehicles that can fulfil that market.

But he went on to say that ‘…it would be nice if we can sell it [the new Defender] to Surfer dudes.’ Which Inside Line has taken as confirmation that the new Defender – when it arrives in 2015 – is heading to US shores. Which is entirely reasonable.

It also explains the sport new Defender concept – the DC100 Sport – which, with a bit less concept and a bit more practicality – is conceived exactly for the ‘Surfer Dude’ market. The DC100 Sport could well be the variant Land Rover sees as a prime candidate for the US market.

But it seems likely that, although Land Rover intends making the new Defender fit for the Third World, it sees sales in the First World as vital. And it could be the plan, with the current Land Rover Defender now likely to survive for another 10 years, to get sales of the new Defender rolling in Western markets before rolling out a real rufty-tufty version for the Third World, as the old Defender starts to retreat from the market.

We may learn more at Los Angeles.