Photo: Andrey Konopatov
Apart from a handful of purists - and we say "handful" only when compared to the hordes of first-time customers the new model will reel in - everyone agrees the 2020 Land Rover Defender is a success. It's got the looks, it's got the off-roading abilities, and it's got enough of the heritage to make ensure it stays connected to the past.
Reinterpreting an iconic car is never a simple task, especially one that has so few design cues. It's essentially a box on wheels, so how are you supposed to bring that into the 21st century? After all, 1948 and 2020 boxes have striking similarities, so where else to look for inspiration?
The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is the best and only similar example, and we can all see just how afraid the German carmaker and its designers are of messing with the SUV's looks. It's getting rounder, but the transformation is implemented so slowly that it makes watching stalactites grow seem like an exciting alternative (trivia fact, they grow by less than an inch every 100 years).
So the Land Rover team deserved commendation for its courage regardless of how the new Defender turned out. The fact they churned out a visually appealing vehicle that is instantly recognizable as a Defender is a credit to the human race ingenuity as a whole and to the talent and vision of a select few individuals that work for the British carmaker.
But, after the well-deserved pat on the back, comes the harsh reality. A great job they might have done, but that doesn't mean there wasn't room for more. Just have a look at this sketch made by Andrey Konopatov, and tell us it doesn't make the actual model look like a harmless toy for toddlers. It doesn't make it unappealing, just a little bit too tame. If you were out off-roading, which of the two vehicles would inspire more confidence before a wheel was turned? No need to write in, the answer is obvious.
Of course, this is only a drawing and, assuming it came to that, the actual vehicle would have looked different, but there's no escaping these more square-ish headlights and the chiseled bumper and grille make for a - dare we say it? - better Defender. Sadly, this will never be more than a skilled man's sketch; luckily, the 2020 Land Rover Defender isn't bad either. You can't win them all.
The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is the best and only similar example, and we can all see just how afraid the German carmaker and its designers are of messing with the SUV's looks. It's getting rounder, but the transformation is implemented so slowly that it makes watching stalactites grow seem like an exciting alternative (trivia fact, they grow by less than an inch every 100 years).
So the Land Rover team deserved commendation for its courage regardless of how the new Defender turned out. The fact they churned out a visually appealing vehicle that is instantly recognizable as a Defender is a credit to the human race ingenuity as a whole and to the talent and vision of a select few individuals that work for the British carmaker.
But, after the well-deserved pat on the back, comes the harsh reality. A great job they might have done, but that doesn't mean there wasn't room for more. Just have a look at this sketch made by Andrey Konopatov, and tell us it doesn't make the actual model look like a harmless toy for toddlers. It doesn't make it unappealing, just a little bit too tame. If you were out off-roading, which of the two vehicles would inspire more confidence before a wheel was turned? No need to write in, the answer is obvious.
Of course, this is only a drawing and, assuming it came to that, the actual vehicle would have looked different, but there's no escaping these more square-ish headlights and the chiseled bumper and grille make for a - dare we say it? - better Defender. Sadly, this will never be more than a skilled man's sketch; luckily, the 2020 Land Rover Defender isn't bad either. You can't win them all.
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