Land Rover Defender to be axed by mid 2015

One of the most iconic off-roader, Land Rover Defender will be put to rest by the end of 2015. This will be a sad news for all the off-roader enthusiasts and Defender fans, as the vehicle didn't comply with the modern safety and emissions requirements.

The first Land Rover Defender came into existence back in 1948 and has minutely changed in the years since. However, the true off roader, four wheel drive will not celebrate its 70th birthday. Land Rover Defender isn't been the company's best selling vehicle, but it constantly managed to grab around 15,000 to 20,000 units each year.

Land Rover Defender has already been discontinued in the US, and soon will be phased out from other nations as well. This year so far, the company only sold 561 units in Europe, while in Australia, the company sold 487 units, which rather looks an impressive figure. The big 4-Wheel drive no longer meets the current minimum safety standards such as driver and passenger sider airbags, so this harsh decision come before rest of the nations will also declare the same norms, making the Defender unacceptable on roads.

However, we could also witness the Defender replacement in the near future, as the company had previewed one possible defender replacement called as DC100 concept. While Land Rover has taken the decision for Defender, the major question arises is that when we will see the Defender's replacement?

It is speculated that the Defender replacement will come into existence by the end of 2015, however few media reports suggest that it will make its way not before 2018. The company is expected to develop the new vehicle using an all-new aluminium-intensive architecture based on the new Range Rover, which will make the new model more expensive.

Source : CarDekho - Land Rover cars - Land Rover Defender to be axed by mid 2015