New Land Rover Defender Won’t Have a Manual Option
The long-anticipated 2020 Land Rover Defender
has been finally presented at the exhibition in Germany. In general, this model
received a lot of favorable reviews, but some design solutions for this truck
raise some arguments between admirers of the Series.
The first “problem” is that the new car won’t have a common light truck trim level (frame is replaced with an aluminum integral body and independent suspensions (on both sides) are used instead of axles), despite the fact that this model has gained popularity worldwide as a pickup truck. It can be assumed that, with the increasing popularity of pickups as daily drivers and family vehicles, a Defender pickup could be a bestseller.
But the most surprising thing about the new Defender is its powertrain, or more specifically the lack of a manual transmission option. The first Defender, which left the production line in 1948 and phased out of production three years ago, came with a manual transmission only. The 2020 Defender, in turn, following the mass automation trend is equipped with an 8-speed automatic transmission.
During the interview at the recent exhibition in Frankfurt, where the new Defender model was actually presented, Nick Rogers, head of engineering department in Land Rover, gave an interview, where he elaborated on the gearbox choice of the brand. First of all, Mr. Rogers pointed out that with the availability of modern highly-efficient automatic transmissions and the current trend towards automation, it would be madness and just an economically unviable solution.
Nick Rogers giving an interview at the Frankfurt Motor Show 2019
Mr. Rogers said that the new Defender is
staffed with advanced software that is responsible for proper operation of the
transmission unit, "e-turbo systems", and many other elements, all of
which make it possible that "when you slow down (the mild hybrid
drivetrain) accumulates energy". It should be acknowledged that modern
automatics are more efficient, safer and more convenient than manuals.
Moreover, the automatic unit is installed in the Defender’s center stack, facilitating the task of including a 3-rd row of seating while complying with the latest safety rules. Finally, it is problematic for manual models to comply with 2019 Euro NCAP standards. In addition, it should be mentioned that it would be a painstaking endeavor to implement an energy recuperation technology together with a manual unit. Due to all mentioned arguments, manual transmission became one step closer to its extinction in new models.
