Exactly sixty seven years after the original was unveiled the Land Rover Defender will be replaced and the recently released DC 100 and DC 100 SportConcepts give us an idea of what we can expect from the company and their next-gen model scheduled for production in 2015. With a reputation for being the most rugged and versatile of off-road vehicles since 1948, the vehicle has consistently sold approximately 25,000 units a year worldwide after the current model’s introduction in 2007.

The Land Rover DC100 Concept and the DC100 Sport Concept are powered by a 2.0 liter 4-cylinder diesel engine with hybrid compatibility mated to an 8speed transmission. Both the concepts unveiled at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show were based upon key elements of the legendary vehicle after which updated versions of the same were shown at the LA Auto Show to gauge public reaction.

John Edwards, Land Rover Global Brand Director has said, “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.”

via thetorquereport