Messing with the Almighty or a Makeover Long Overdue?
A car that serviced the military, aided farmers, and accompanied adventurers on a journey through undiscovered lands is ready to step into new shoes, bigger and better!
The Land Rover DC100 SUV Coupe is the new age incarnation of the iconic Defender which has ruled the roads of adventure for 63 long years! Gerry McGovern, Land Rover’s Director of Design, says: “Replacing the iconic Defender is one of the biggest challenges in the automotive design world; it is a car that inspires people worldwide. The DC100 isn’t a production-ready concept, but the beginning of a four-year journey to design a relevant Defender for the 21st century”.
The New Concept Landrover – The Land Rover DC100 SUV Coupe
The world got the first look of this much talked about makeover at the Frankfurt Auto Show and it sure made a stellar first impression! The DC (Defender Concept) gets the ‘100’ from the car’s 100 inch wheelbase that supports a powerful and seemingly indestructible design. Its heavy grille is complimented by contoured headlamps. While its sweeping hood covers a 5L V8 engine, though Land Rover may also opt for a V6 engine in the final design. The classic Defender-like boxy shape is retained and so are the prominent vertical handles that open up to leather covered seats and an elegant dashboard. Gone are the days of mind boggling buttons adorning the dashboard, whose operations seemed like rocket science! The Land Rover DC100 SUV Coupe is equipped with a touchscreen interface which is easy to use and good to look at!
Land Rover plans to arm its DC100 SUV with technological prowess that can give the Batmobile some serious competition! And if you think this is an overstatement, then perhaps the Terrain I will change your mind. It is a forward sensing system that detects obstacles in your path and produces a mathematically accurate model that will help you steer clear off it! Whilst the Terrain I is helping you avoid obstacles, the Terrain Response System automatically selects the most suitable driving mode depending on the terrain. While it’s Spikes on Demand function deploys tire spikes as soon as you touch ice or snow. The Leisure Key wristband option is perfect for the absent minded and extra cautious, a waterproof and shockproof device, it allows you to access the car sans a key! And for those concerned about the fuel economy, the Land Rover DC100 SUV Coupe comes with a fuel-saving option, the Drive Disconnect, a technology that puts the vehicle in a front wheel drive thereby increasing fuel economy by an unprecedented 7%!
Whether all these high-tech functions make the final cut or not, it is quite clear that the Land Rover team is leaving no stone unturned to ensure the Defender’s power packed re-introduction. Land Rover’s Global Brand Director, John Edwards, sums it up by declaring, “The Defender has always been at the heart of the Land Rover Brand and single-handedly defines our go-anywhere, can-do spirit. Our ambition is to create an all new Defender for a global market that remains absolutely faithfully to its original DNA: tough, versatile, durable and capable. At the same time, it will be developed for the 21st century and adaptable for the needs of future generations”. Whether the new Land Rover DC100 SUV Coupe outshines its predecessor or not, only 2015 will tell!
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