Land Rover DC100, DC100 Sport Heading to LA Auto Show, Hint at Defender's Return

Colum Wood
by Colum Wood

First unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Show, Land Rover has announced it will showcase both the DC100 and DC100 Sport concepts at the Los Angeles Auto Show later this week. More than just a regional unveiling, this announcement is an indication by Land Rover that it is looking to offer the next-generation Defender (which the concepts were created to inspire) in North America.

“The Defender has always been at the heart of the Land Rover Brand and single-handedly defines our go-anywhere, can-do sprit. Our ambition is to create an all new Defender for a global market that remains absolutely faithfully to its original DNA: tough, versatile, durable and capable. At the same time, it will be developed for the 21st century and adaptable for the needs of future generations,” said John Edwards, Land Rover Global Brand Director.

“Our intention is to introduce the all new Defender in the middle of the decade – there’s a lot of work to do to meet these dates and our concepts are just the start of the journey. We are here in LA to showcase our DC100 and DC100 Sport concepts and start to actively explore the possibility of bringing the future Defender to North America.”

Of note, Land Rover describes the DC100 Sport as “bursting with California cool,” while also commenting that both concepts have been designed with hybrid versions in mind – ideal for North America. The unique hybrid system includes a “Driveline Disconnect” system that physically (not electronically) disconnected the rear axle to significantly improve fuel economy.

GALLERY: Land Rover DC100 Sport

GALLERY: Land Rover DC100

See AutoGuide’s complete LA Auto Show Preview here

Colum Wood
Colum Wood

With AutoGuide from its launch, Colum previously acted as Editor-in-Chief of Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine where he became a certifiable car snob driving supercars like the Koenigsegg CCX and racing down the autobahn in anything over 500 hp. He has won numerous automotive journalism awards including the Best Video Journalism Award in 2014 and 2015 from the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Colum founded Geared Content Studios, VerticalScope's in-house branded content division and works to find ways to integrate brands organically into content.

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