Though it was only sold in limited quantities over a handful of sporadic years in North America, Land Rover’s Defender – a direct descendant of the first 1948 Land Rover – continues to thrive in many markets across the world. Our illustrator has now created what is believed to be an accurate representation of the reportedly codenamed Project Icon – the next generation Land Rover Defender, to be released for the 2012 model year.<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n Based heavily on the T5 steel platform chassis currently used in the Range Rover Sport and LR4, according to Britain’s Autocar, the Project Icon replacement will <\/span> be capable of meeting the ever-stricter emissions and safety laws that have spelled doom for the Defender as U.S. laws outlawed the sale of new Defenders beginning in 1997 due to the lack of airbags.<\/p>\n The chassis will allow the next-generation rig to be offered in a multitude of bodystyles, including hard- and soft-top variants and a utilitarian pickup style.<\/p>\n Our illustrations show the likely move towards a slightly longer, slightly more modern design when compared to the original which remained virtually unchanged for decades.<\/p>\n Expect the LR4’s 195 horsepower 2.7-liter diesel V6, which isn’t offered in North America, to be the standard powertrain in the next-generation Defender for global markets. If the model is earmarked for North American consumption, the advanced 5.0-liter V8 developed with Jaguar used in the LR4 and Range Rover Sport seems like a match made in heaven.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n