[n:CorE]

Finally, lets not forget this is a Jaguar-Land Rover plant, while all the off-roading enthusiasts are waiting for the defender to be launched in India. I'd like to ponder on the fact if Jaguar plans to get the 2012 2.2d XF diesel as a CKD in this unit! ..

Anyone has any idea of jaguar's intentions of the 2012 2.2d XF diesel in India?

A car which can shake up the mighty segment leader, the 520d and definitely my next buy

[nilanjanray]

The price is pretty steep for us Indians. I had been researching the South African SUV market to understand the comparative price and reliability of vehicles, and had found that the Freelander 2 (median spec price) costs ~ same as the Fortuner in SA:

Freelander 2 | Off-Road Vehicle For Sale | Land Rover South Africa
Toyota Highlights

But here in India, we have to pay (ex showroom) 19L for a Fortuner and 34L for a Freelander2.

[shankar.balan]

your points are fair. Lets also remember that even abroad many of these big, deadly and imposing SUV's are used to ferry kids to and from school by their moms. hence the "soccer mom" image and/ or the "chelsea tractor" euphemism.

I dont however agree with your point that in India only the Safari owners come closest to using their SUV the way a traditional SUV should be used.

There are plenty of us out here who have bought our Boleros, SUMOs, Scorpios, Taveras and other such vehiclesfor just this exact purpose! Utility. And that is also why many of us sitting here are eagerly awaiting the launch of vehicles like the Duster - an affordable, tough, utilitarian SUV with all the safety kit that we require. LR Freelander and other such vehicles will end up being bought primarily by successful status seekers and urban poseurs in India and will hardly ever venture out into the great wide yonder.

Originally Posted by Trapezio

I agree with shortbread, the Defender will just not cut in India. Its a hardcore offroader designed for farm/military usage. The interiors are purely functional. Its just a couple of years since it got a proper set of aircons.

In India, where anything above 10 lakhs is used for office treks and weekend trips to outskirts by executives, the Defender will struggle to sell. All cars above 10 lakhs should be luxurious, 'status symbols' and 100% reliable like a Corolla. Not a single SUV is used as a traditional SUV should be used, in India. Perhaps Safari owners comes closest.

I am sure many will remove the vehicle from their shopping list citing lack of headroom, ac does not chill enough, lizards might be nesting in the panel gaps, poor ride quality etc! As is usual here some neighbourhood taxiwallah might proudly proclaim that his Scorpio is better than the LR defender.

Perhaps LR should wait till the market grows a bit more, car consumers get exposed a bit more to different brands etc. This way they can get the next platform too (assuming it goes ahead).

[samyakmodi]

am i missing something here??

as far as i remember, the prices are still the same.

i got this mail from them somewhere about a year back

[StarrySky]

Originally Posted by samyakmodi

am i missing something here??

as far as i remember, the prices are still the same.

i got this mail from them somewhere about a year back

If I understand correctly, the S-variant has been dropped. The SE variant now starts at Rs.33.89L. The HSE variant is now available at Rs.40L.