The long-awaited replacement for the long running Land Rover Defender was released last year. To
the dismay of many, the replacement vehicle has been pitched as an upmarket sports utility vehicle
(SUV), very different to the no-frills vehicle that preceded it, popular with farmers, adventurers, utility
companies and armies the world over.
You are the chief engineer at an established automotive manufacturer whose aim it is to produce a
4×4 for the modern age. The vehicle is intended to fill the gap created by the demise of the original
Land Rover Defender and should be similar in size and concept. The vehicle will have to be capable of
operating in a wide variety of terrain, both on and off road. It is important that its impact on the
environment is minimised, but it should also be borne in mind that the vehicle will be used in parts of
the world with little or no infrastructure. It is expected that the first vehicles will available for purchase
in 2026.
Your task is to create a suitable engineering specification for the vehicle.
You will need to propose what you consider to be the optimum chassis and powertrain specification
for such a vehicle. You do not need to consider the aesthetics of the body and interior.
Systems that should be covered include:
Power unit
Cooling
Gearbox/final drive
Suspension front and rear,
Braking system
Steering system
Overall layout and arrangement of the components
Body structure
Any other system or components related or connected to the above.
Maximum length: 6 pages of text, plus up to 6 additional pages for figures and tables. The figures and
tables should not be mixed with the text, they should be on separate sheets.
Format: 12-point Calibri font and with 1.15 line spacing. A4 page size, portrait orientation.
References are required and are not included in the maximum page count.
