New Launches
Show Report: CV Show 2012
What a cracking event the 2012 Commercial Vehicle Show turned out to be, thanks in no small part to Ford… Read More
Mitsubishi L200 4x4 Long-Term Test 1
We has just taken delivery of a Mitsubishi L200 4x4 Club Cab for long-term appraisal… Read More
Ford Transit ECOnetic Brief Test
We’ve been putting a SWB 100hp 2.2TDi Euro 5 Transit 280 ECOnetic through its paces… Read More
Renault Kangoo ZE 2011 European Launch
Renault is at the forefront of manufacturers offering a mass produced factory-built electric van… Read More
Fuso Canter 2011 European Launch
Fuso has completely revamped its range of light and heavy truck Canter chassis and chassis crew cabs… Read More
Iveco Daily 2011 European Launch
Iveco has introduced new, latest generation diesels to its Daily range, along with detail changes inside and out… Read More
Ford Transit 2011 European Launch
Ford takes the iconic Transit to the next stage with an all-new range of 2.2-litre Euro 5 diesels… Read More
Volkswagen Crafter 2011 UK Launch
VW’s large panel van has undergone a serious makeover with changes to the front-end styling and the cab interior, as well as new Euro 5 diesels… Read More
Ford Transit Connect Electric Brief Test
We spent a day with the battery-powered Connect to get a better idea of what it’s like to live with in its natural, urban environment. Read More
Mercedes-Benz Vito E-CELL Brief Test
Currently undergoing trials with selected fleet customers in the UK, we managed to get behind the wheel of a battery-powered Vito E-CELL… Read More
All-new Defender 2015 to be built in India
Following the appearance of the Defender 100 and Sport Concepts at the Delhi Motor Show it’s been revealed in an interview with Ratan Tata, chairman of Land Rover’s parent company Tata, for Autocar magazine that final production models of the next generation Defender will be built in Pune, India. Introduction to the global market is scheduled for 2015.Moving production to India will have the twin benefits of lowering production costs, enabling Land Rover to keep the selling price sensible, while at the same time locating Defender production adjacent to the important Asia-Pacific markets. Models destined for Europe will probably be shipped to the UK in kit form for final assembly.
Other revelations include that the new Defender will ape the current model’s body-on-chassis design, rather than be a monocoque construction, so that bodywork adaptability is retained; an important factor for its success in the light commercial and military sectors. It’s likely that it will use an updated, lightened version of the T5 ladder frame chassis from the Discovery and Range Rover Sport.Exterior styling is believed to follow the main cues exhibited by the Concepts, but expect significant changes to the front-end appearance and cab interior. Power will come from new four-cylinder diesel and petrol engines — current 2012 model-year Defender uses a 2.2-litre Euro 5 diesel from the Ford Transit and Ranger — which in all likelihood will be supplied from a UK plant as far as models destined for Europe are concerned.
