New Defender Commercial

[mf7480]

Am I missing something? I’ve specced a Defender commercial S with the stuff you really want in a car, and to match the spec of a Wildtrack Ranger. Tow bar, metallic paint, mudflaps, 3 seats in the front, alloy wheels. And that’s about it, not gone too mad with it. It’s come out at £62,000+VAT! I’m really keen for one so was hoping there would be some sort of 25% discount available but no, there’s a few hundred quid at most. No NFU/ Anglia farmers/ dealer discounts to be had.

Are they completely bonkers? I could literally buy TWO Ford Ranger Wildtracks with NFU discount with a 10 speed box, all the spec to match, AND have £4,000 change. I’m sure it’s a more advanced vehicle but I cannot see where they’re coming from with these prices. They must be aiming them more at London Plumbers than us humble farmers.

EDIT the 62k figure may include VAT- the website is unclear

 

[jamesfalky]

90HT is more comparable in price with a double cab pickup, I have had mine two weeks now and put just over 1000 miles on it and love it, not even comparable to a pickup for driving!

The only thing with the 90 is you don't get air suspension and load space is limited, but unlike a pickup, the load space is much more useful as everything you put in there stays dry and isn't susceptible to being stolen!

 

[Johnnyboxer]

It’s nice though, but bonkers price

You get a fair bit of extras as stock though

I'm one step closer to my perfect LAND ROVER DEFENDER. See configuration.

LAND ROVER DEFENDER

buildyour.landrover.co.uk

 

[An Gof]

Just face it, we are NOT the target market.
Any way with JLR reputation on reliability why would anyone want one?

For the record we have continuously owned a Land Rover on this farm for over 60 years. My current Defender will be the last.

 

[Courier]

It’s nice though, but bonkers price

You get a fair bit of extras as stock though

I'm one step closer to my perfect LAND ROVER DEFENDER. See configuration.

LAND ROVER DEFENDER

buildyour.landrover.co.uk

How can they get away with calling it a "Hard Top" when the "Hard Top" could only be removed and replaced with the aid of cutting gear and advanced bodyshop facilities and incur structural instabilities into the bargain...!

 

[Lincsman]

The LR business model is to sell 1 car at 60% profit rather than 2 cars at 30% profit and keep up the premium brand illusion.

 

[Andrew K]

Cant see how you can have ordered a Commercial vehicle with a spec up to 62 K, I have got a 90 hardtop on order with most useful add ons, and it was circa 50 K or 40k with the VAT back. I also got a useful discount. In my view the commercial version is where the value lies as top dollar pickup trucks are not that far away on price.

 

[B R C]

LWB commercial considerably more than SWB. Air suspension standard on LWB, not sure if you can de spec it. Never had a defender on this farm, in fact my father never had a 4wd in his life. When my L200 lease runs out going to get a new defender, I think they good great, life’s too short... Might not a commercial version though.

 

[deleted user 837354]

Psssst... they aren't trying to sell these cars to farmers or power companies....

 

[B R C]

It ok Ollie, I’m only a part time farmer so I can one

 

[hally]

Am I missing something? I’ve specced a Defender commercial S with the stuff you really want in a car, and to match the spec of a Wildtrack Ranger. Tow bar, metallic paint, mudflaps, 3 seats in the front, alloy wheels. And that’s about it, not gone too mad with it. It’s come out at £62,000+VAT! I’m really keen for one so was hoping there would be some sort of 25% discount available but no, there’s a few hundred quid at most. No NFU/ Anglia farmers/ dealer discounts to be had.

Are they completely bonkers? I could literally buy TWO Ford Ranger Wildtracks with NFU discount with a 10 speed box, all the spec to match, AND have £4,000 change. I’m sure it’s a more advanced vehicle but I cannot see where they’re coming from with these prices. They must be aiming them more at London Plumbers than us humble farmers.

Top gear the other night said they had 85 computers on board so sadly can’t see them any good for farming long term. New land cruiser lwb commercial auto 32k. Tested and proven and I suspect will be going when the Land Rover is in the dealers with the laptop plugged in ( and I speak as a discovery 5 owner)

 

[mf7480]

LWB commercial considerably more than SWB. Air suspension standard on LWB, not sure if you can de spec it. Never had a defender on this farm, in fact my father never had a 4wd in his life. When my L200 lease runs out going to get a new defender, I think they good great, life’s too short... Might not a commercial version though.

Don’t get me wrong, I really, really want one. But I’d also need 5 seats so would have to pay £5k for a seat conversion. A proper passenger model is the obvious way but I get taxed to buggery pulling a lot of money out of the business for a personal car. Far, far more tax efficient to run a commercial where possible.

 

[RH15LEW]

The 90 commercial is the one i really want, but it boils my p**s that they wont offer the D250/300, air suspension and leather seats. They already have them...just offer them as an option!

 

[mf7480]

Cant see how you can have ordered a Commercial vehicle with a spec up to 62 K, I have got a 90 hardtop on order with most useful add ons, and it was circa 50 K or 40k with the VAT back. I also got a useful discount. In my view the commercial version is where the value lies as top dollar pickup trucks are not that far away on price.

Just had a play on the configurator. You’re quite right, the 90 commercial is much better value than the rest of the range.

If money was no issue I’d have a V8 110, actually I don’t think it’s a bad buy compared to the competition. Same money as a 992 Porsche, RS6 Audi, and 60k less than a G wagen.

it’s just 75k out of my budget, which is my problem not Land Rover’s

 

[B R C]

How long before Defenders might get that same discounts that the rest of the range get? Bit ironic that the one vehicle that could be classed as a work vehicle for farmers is only one that doesn’t have discount atm. I guess because demand is relatively high and new model.

 

[egbert]

Just face it, we are NOT the target market.
Any way with JLR reputation on reliability why would anyone want one?

For the record we have continuously owned a Land Rover on this farm for over 60 years. My current Defender will be the last. ☹

the question that intrigues me is...
if JLR still produced the Defender of your choice, would you be in the market?

I used to keep em new, but stopped when the bulkhead migrated back into my knees.
The current 110 HCPU is 2003...so that's a few sales they've lost.
(it's just had a galv chassis, and I'm 57.....so likely to be my last too!)

The wifes disco will be up for renewal dreckly...that decision is unmade as yet.
But £60k? Not gonna happen.

 

[An Gof]

the question that intrigues me is...
if JLR still produced the Defender of your choice, would you be in the market?

I used to keep em new, but stopped when the bulkhead migrated back into my knees.
The current 110 HCPU is 2003...so that's a few sales they've lost.
(it's just had a galv chassis, and I'm 57.....so likely to be my last too!)

The wifes disco will be up for renewal dreckly...that decision is unmade as yet.
But £60k? Not gonna happen.

Yes, I would still be in the market. Used to change every three years when the warranty was up. When you have spent your whole life with a LR as the farm vehicle you become a bit attached to them and rather sentimental. I’m a “big chap” but still manage to shoe horn myself in ...... must be the practice I had with the Lotus Elise when the roof was on

I really do not want a twin cab pickup or anything too long. I guess my ideal replacement would be a short wheelbase Toyota Landcruiser 70 series models that they do in Oz

 

[Richard Smyth]

Yes, I would still be in the market. Used to change every three years when the warranty was up. When you have spent your whole life with a LR as the farm vehicle you become a bit attached to them and rather sentimental. I’m a “big chap” but still manage to shoe horn myself in ...... must be the practice I had with the Lotus Elise when the roof was on

I really do not want a twin cab pickup or anything too long. I guess my ideal replacement would be a short wheelbase Toyota Landcruiser 70 series models that they do in Oz

nothing short about a 70 series landcruiser. Big numb things with no steering lock. Horrible things and we have one

 

[An Gof]

nothing short about a 70 series landcruiser. Big numb things with no steering lock. Horrible things and we have one

Ah, can’t beat the voice of experience. Am I thinking of the wrong model? Which is the single cab swb model that often has the flat rear pick up platform? Is that the 79 series?

 

[Cowabunga]

Am I missing something? I’ve specced a Defender commercial S with the stuff you really want in a car, and to match the spec of a Wildtrack Ranger. Tow bar, metallic paint, mudflaps, 3 seats in the front, alloy wheels. And that’s about it, not gone too mad with it. It’s come out at £62,000+VAT! I’m really keen for one so was hoping there would be some sort of 25% discount available but no, there’s a few hundred quid at most. No NFU/ Anglia farmers/ dealer discounts to be had.

Are they completely bonkers? I could literally buy TWO Ford Ranger Wildtracks with NFU discount with a 10 speed box, all the spec to match, AND have £4,000 change. I’m sure it’s a more advanced vehicle but I cannot see where they’re coming from with these prices. They must be aiming them more at London Plumbers than us humble farmers.

Yes they are completely bonkers but so are some of their customers. Their commercial variant production is, or certainly was, extremely inefficient with the vehicles being completely built as passenger cars before being sent to Special Vehicles' shed to be stripped down partially and all the commercial bits added on top. Hence the things being relatively far more expensive than the passenger versions before adding VAT. Remember also that the on-the-road additions are also a fraction of the passenger versions because I believe that there is no luxury car tax of 3-4k on these and the first road tax is also less than a third.

In summary they are a blatant rip-off. If it wasn't for the tax reliefs available on the commercial they would never sell more than a small handful to people with money to waste.