Land Rover's archaic but iconic Defender is set to be replaced soon but the company is not entirely sure which direction the new 4x4 should take. That's why they're planning to reveal a concept vehicle at the Frankfurt Motor Show this September, according to Autocar. The production model is reportedly due around 2015.
The show car will give the world a glimpse of what Land Rover has in mind for the Defender's replacement and basically allow the public to determine whether the company is on the right track with its idea of a modernized bundu basher.
In an interview with Autocar, Land Rover's brand director John Edwards admitted that he cannot imagine the company not producing a successor to the Defender, but that they would not be able to compete with mainstream 4x4s on price so the end product would have to desirable enough to its target market to command a premium.
Land Rover has yet to decide whether to create a unique new chassis for the Defender or whether to simplify the underpinnings of the current Discovery but either way, Land Rover knows that it still needs to be simple enough to repair in remote areas and tough enough to apt to the needs of military operations.