The DC100 certainly is a cool looking drawing, but is it really the right design to replace the Defender? We aren't so sure. To us, the Defender should stay true to its roots and be the halo for the brand, much like the Porsche 911 or Jeep Wrangler - two vehicles that aren't retro, but rather direct descendants of the originals. While Land Rover mulls that thought over and listens to feedback, here are some vehicles that could have been the parents to the DC100...
The Honda Element, with its similar greenhouse, boxy, upright design, and compact proportions, seems like a natural to undergo a DNA paternity test. It is sort of like a Japanese Doppelganger.
Some have mentioned the 4-door Flex as having inspired the DC100. This isn't too far-fetched because Ford previously owned Land Rover, and the Flex was inspired by the Range Rover line. Full circle, indeed.
Do you see more than a little passing resemblance to the Toyota FJ Cruiser in the DC 100? Us too. "Are you my Daddy?"
There certainly seems to be more Land Rover Freelander than Defender in the DC100's design. Maybe that is the problem.
Land Rover should take a page from Jeep. If they are going to go on-road oriented with all of their models, maybe they should leave the icon as a pure, evolved link to the past with solid-axles and class-leading trail ability. This is a Jeep Wrangler JK for posterity.
And just because we love Defenders, here is the current one for comparison. This is one case where we'd prefer the outgoing model - a real Defender and not a pretender.
So are we missing any vehicle that you see in the DC100? Let us know...