Posted in car review

LAND ROVER DC100

 Published Date: 07/03/2020

DC100 and DC100 Sport Concept
I can’t remember the last time Land Rover released a concept for their next model. After long meetings, lots of drawing, erasing and fine-tuning they have brought their best concept car for ages. 
Multifunctional steering wheel
MODERNIZED LEGENDARY DESIGN 
Its design borrows heavily from early Land Rovers but they have reinvented the design giving it a modern twist. It has a twin round headlamps and purposeful grille. It also has the recognizable long bonnet and the upright windscreen.

DC100

A winch, capable of supporting the weight of the car, is neatly integrated into the front grille and towing ‘eyes’ have been built into each corner of the off- roader. Protective trims run all round the car that further help reveal it’s off road capabilities.

Front of the DC100

The rear cover can also be removed to convert it into a pick-up hence boosting the rear storage space. Rear round LED lights are visible at the back while the spare wheel is integrated with the rear door. A spoiler sits out at back while similar towing ‘eyes’ in the front are visible at the back. On the roof it has solar panels that power on-board systems, reducing the load on the engine and also improve overall fuel efficiency. 

Rear of the DC100
Another concept version known as the DC100 Sport borrows its design cues from the famous canvas roofed Land Rovers. It has a wrap round aero screen and cut-down side windows for exciting open-air motoring.

Design echos past Land Rovers

Flowing back from the seats is a twin-humped fastback roofline that surrounds the rear generous load bed that also has fittings designed to secure extreme sports equipment like a bicycle.

Removable touch screen
Under the bonnet is a 2.0 liter four-cylinder diesel engine.  Married to the engine is an eight speed ZF automatic transmission, with Intelligent Stop/Start system. 
FUNCTIONAL INTERIOR
Inside, the door structure flows into the cabin before forming an elegant beam running the width of the dash. The passenger seat can be folded out of the way to increase carrying capacity. The middle seat conceals a large secure storage area. 

Solar panel

In front of the middle seat is a machined aluminum tray which contains induction charging technology to power electronic devices. The gear knob is mounted at the center console below a removable touch screen. This reduces the time the driver’s hand is away from the wheel while changing gear. This increases control during off-road or high-speed driving.

Round front headlamp
A removable touch screen allows all functions of the DC100 to be controlled via the screen using a combination of swipe and press gestures on the touchscreen. The steering wheel includes four shortcut keys that reconfigure the touchscreen to control functions such as navigation, audio and climate. The touch screen is removable from the DC100 to extend its functionality.

View from the top

It’s finished in shock and water-resistant silicon and is equipped with its own power source, camera and satellite connectivity. This allows it to be used as a portable navigation tool with an internal hard drive that can record HD video footage and stills images.

TOP CLASS 4X4 EQUIPMENT
The DC100 comes equipped with some cool 4X4 equipment. There is Auto Terrain Response system that allows it to adapt to the driving environment automatically. Let me explain.

DC100 Sport

There is a clever system that gathers data from sensors that assess the suspension, steering angle, wheel slip and braking and acceleration inputs from the driver. It then automatically adjusts the spring, gearing and power delivery.

Rear wheel integrated to the back

The DC100 hence feels controllable and comfortable at any given environment. It even has cameras that monitor the surface and can detect if the area is covered by sand, grass, mud, gravel, snow or tarmac and adjust the vehicle accordingly to fit in the environment. 

Design echos past canvas covered Land Rover
Another system is Intelligent Terrain Mapping. This scans the ground ahead and displays it on the touch screen inside. It then calculates a safe path around the area while warning the driver of any obstacle ahead. The system can also suggest alternative routes that the driver can use. In another scenario the system can scan the road ahead for any pedestrians or any obstacles and warn the driver.

Tow eye

It can even safely stop the car if the driver does not respond. The other cool system is a Wide Aid sonar system. This scans the water depth in flooded areas and alerts the driver on whether to proceed or not.

Rear of the DC100 sport

The system utilizes scanners mounted in the bumpers and wing mirrors. The information is then sent to the touch screen. The system can also optimize the DC100 by raising the ride height, closing body vents, selecting a lower gear to maintain engine revs and advising on the optimum speed for the depth of water. The system allows for movement in a water mass with a depth of 750mm. 

Side view of the DC100 sport
A Leisure Key that uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is available. The concept comes with a set of RFID chips built into impact and water resistant items such as wristbands and watches.

Waterproof Leisure Key

This allows the main key to be left in a slot in the glove box which deactivates the key and transfers the lock to the chip. The driver can go on with his activities as the car is left secure. When the driver comes back the DC100 automatically unlocks itself and reactivates the key. 

Front of the DC100 sport
Lastly there is a driver-deployable spiked tire system. This is operated by an electro-mechanical system mounted within the tire on the inside of the wheel. On activation, the technology causes air to inflate a secondary air chamber.

Interior of the DC100

This has filling pods molded into the tread of the tire which contain the spikes. The spikes rise just above the tread surface and fix into place for driving on packed snow and ice. When conditions have eased, the spikes can be retracted, preventing the need to carry two sets of tires or snow chains.

Rear storage space
IT’S DESTINY
The Land Rover Design team has done a splendid job. The DC100 demonstrated that Land Rover still has what it takes to be the ultimate 4X4 king. By now you might be wondering why Land Rover have bothered to make this amazing concept. Many will even think that they might never see the real thing on our streets. The truth is that the DC100 is a concept for the mighty Land Rover Defender. The best news of all; the next Defender on the road might look something close to the DC100.