Is this the 2015 Land Rover Defender DC100?

We have a photo of the 2015 Land Rover defender from China’s Patent Office. Is this the first view of the production version of the new Defender?

We reported just last week that Land Rover are planning the replacement for the iconic Defender to be a world car and will be selling Defenders in the US for the first time since 1997.

To be fair, we expect Land Rover to be trying to flog the new Defender Sport – the DC100 Sport Concept – to kids in California who want something funky to cruise to the beach in, but the workhorse new Defender – the Defender DC100 Concept - is a vital car for Land Rover to keep its roots alive.

So what appears to perhaps be the first photo of a production version of the DC100 – which has appeared from the Chinese Patent Office – is interesting. It could be that the image is just a cursory filing from Land Rover to protect their design from the attention of China’s plagiarists, but it does suggest the original concept is the route Land Rover are pursuing.

It could also be that Land Rover are planning to build the new Defender a bit sooner than we thought, and maybe building a Chery version too as the JLR Joint Venture with Chery will require Chery-badged Jaguars and Land Rovers to keep the Chinese authorities happy.

But whatever this photo of the new Defender is, it’s interesting. You can see more on China’s auto.sohu.com who managed to grab a set of photos from the patent office.

Land Rover Defender DC100 Sport Photos >>

Land Rover Defender DC100 Photos >>

By Cars UK