Land Rover Defender to stay rugged

• Next Defender 'hard as nails'
• Due on sale 2017
• Next evolution of DC100 concept car revealed

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The new Land Rover Defender will not lose any of its capabilities or off-road credentials when it goes on sale in 2017, the company's design boss, Gerry McGovern, has told What Car?.

'It will be as hard as nails and a working tool,' he said. 'The new Defender will be affordable and stripped right down'.

McGovern was speaking on the eve of today's Los Angeles motor show where the company revealed a new, more rugged version of the DC100 Concept – first revealed at the Frankfurt motor show in September – which is designed to show what a future Defender could look like.

Land Rover boss John Edwards also revealed to What Car? that the company is likely to offer the all-new Defender in as many configurations as the current car, including a variety of wheelbases and special military versions.

He also admitted that it would make a pick-up to rival the Mitsubishi L200 and VW Amarok 'if there is a business case'.

See also: Land Rover DC100 Sport driven