Attention 4×4 enthusiasts and hybrid lovers alike: your days of car-buying turmoil and indecision are coming to an end. According to a report published in AutoCar, the 62-year Land Rover Defender, an off-road icon, is going green(er).
Land Rover’s parent company, Tata Motors, has officially sanctioned the new Defender project. The 2014 Defender will be the company’s flagship model and should help to reemphasize Land Rover’s dedication to the adventure-seeking off-road space. Aside from being an incredible performer off-road, the 2014 Defender may also boast Land Rover’s patented Electric Rear Axle Drive technology, which will vastly improve fuel economy and serve to lower emissions.
The Defender was sold for only a short time in the US and if you’re not familiar; I highly recommend you read up on this iconic beast of burden. This is the SUV that teenage boys dream about. It’s what you take on safari in Africa and what you drive through the jungles of South America and Asia. It’s the off-road capability of a Hummer with the classic style of a Jaguar. It’s rugged, yet sophisticated. Simple, yet luxurious.
Ladies and gentlemen of the luxury safari set, start the countdown for the new and improved Defender!
It seems not all people – or companies – are born with a sense of humor. The Wall Street Journal reports that luxury conglomerate, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, is suing Hyundai over its recent Super Bowl ad for the new Sonata midsize sedan.
The ad poses the question, “What if we made luxury available to everyone?” and shows funny images of luxury goods in unexpected settings. Police officers nibble on caviar in one scene; a gigantic yacht sits quietly on a suburban street in another.
But the scene that LVMH takes offense to involves a game of basketball where players use a ball emblazoned with the famous Louis Vuitton Toile Monogram of x’s and o’s. The lawsuit alleges, “Hyundai’s conduct has caused and will likely continue to cause confusion, mistake, and deception among the general consuming public as to the origin and quality of its products advertised in the offending commercial,” and LVMH is seeking damages and the complete removal of all copies of the advertisement.
LVMH argues in their suit that Hyundai will unfairly benefit from the association with Louis Vuitton imagery. But how is this any different than the satire routinely seen on Saturday Night Live? If we follow Louis Vuitton’s reasoning, SNL should be paying royalties every time they spoof a product or poke fun at a politician.
Knock-off products are one thing; satire another. For better or worse, the Toile Monogram is a well-known symbol of modern luxury and Hyundai was taking a fair and funny shot. I think that the folks at LVMH should take two monogrammed chill pills and laugh this one off.
Remember your last trip to Europe? If you rented a car, chances are that it was probably smaller, far more fuel-efficient, possibly diesel, and almost certainly NOT for sale here in the States. What is with that!?
Even if that coveted car was from Ford, GM, Volkswagen or another brand that sells in the US – the likelihood of of being able to buy that car stateside is slim.
I was reminded of this frustrating situation by the introduction of the 2012 Ford Focus Wagon. Long story short: this new wagon is aesthetically appealing, environmentally friendly and has some great features and options. But…it will NOT be made available in North America.
Ford cites poor historical sales of wagons as the reason why this Focus variant will avoid our shores but I think that they’re missing a big shift in the way that Americans think about utility. As with the stock market, past performance is no guarantee of the future and I hope that Ford will reconsider bringing this sleek, utility-laden wagon to the US. Until then, we’ll have to (ahem) focus our attention on the few wagon choices currently available.
For those of you who are interested in thrifty vehicles with utility, check out these other smart choices at Honk.
