Land Rover reveals two Defenders at Frankfurt

Land Rover has taken the wraps off not one, but two Defender concepts at the Frankfurt motor show – a DC100 and DC100 Sport.

Both funky-looking vehicles are based on a lightweight platform that explores the use of high-tech materials. Numerous technologies are showcased, such as Terrain-i, a scanning system that can warn of obstacles and suggest alternative routes. Wade Aid measures water depth with sonar to aid in fording streams. The DC100 also demonstrates tyre spikes that can be deployed by the driver.

Three-across seating and a fold-down front windshield evoke past Defenders.

The DC100 concepts feature a permanent four-wheel-drive system powered by either a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder petrol or diesel engine paired to an eight-speed transmission. Both engines are part of a hybrid system.

Land Rover officials emphasised that neither the DC100 or the DC100 Sport were production-ready vehicles, but merely testosterone-enriched concepts. But the company reiterated that the new Defender, the production version of the DC100, would be a lean and hungry machine.

“Land Rover remains committed to a goal of reducing curb weights of its SUVs by as much as 500 kilos over the next 10 years, via the use of lighter materials such as aluminum, high-strength steel and carbon fiber,” said John Edwards, the company’s global brand director, during the brand’s news conference.