I can add the following, from the variosu theories and info that can be gained from the (highly cryptic and unreliable) sources at Land Rover that crop up from time to time:
As has been said, Land Rover change what they say about their future model line-up about every week or so, so some of this won't make much sense.
The current Defender is expected to stay around until 2008/9, when the new EU regulations on Pedestrian Safety standards mean that the flat front, metal bumper and high ground clearance of the tradtional 4x4s will have to go.
The T5 chassis (as already used in the Disco 3 and the Range Rover Sport) should form the basis of the new model. Ford being Ford, the company is likely to drastically alter the model range. At the moment there are 9 standard Defender vehicles on the 3 standard chassis sizes, many of which don't sell (when was the last time you saw a Td5 110 pick-up that wasn't an HCPU?). Sales of Defender Station Wagons have increased with the introduction of the all-singing all-dancing XS models, so these are likely to form the core of the new model range, with a Hard Top and Dual Cab completing the range. Unlike now, where the Station Wagons are Vans with seats, these utility models are going to Station Wagons with the seats removed (if that makes sense- I mean that the Defender is going to be designed to be a mainly passenger-carrying car).
There are rumours from some quarters of an all-new utility model based on the Disco III coil-sprung chassis to compete in the 'luxury pick up' market that is huge in the USA and is picking up in the UK with the high-spec Mitsubishi L200s and their type.
The Td5 engine will not be able to meet the next batch of Euro emissions regulations (Euro V, I think) without serious re-working. Since the Defender is now the only vehicle to use this engine (and sells small numbers) it makes sense to replace it with an existing unit to see the current Defender to the end of its life. The TdV6 won't fit. The most likely choice is the 2.4-litre 4-cylinder 'Puma' Common Rail TD engine used in the Ford Transit van, which from what I've read is an excellent engine.
My personal opinion is that the Defender will remain a workhorse at heart. Ford must surely know that the Defender is still 'THE Land Rover' that most people think of when they hear the word, and its image as a tough, no-frills go-anywhere vehicle is what makes all the others so desirable.
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