Land Rover Defender

Introduction

The Land Rover Defender does not need an introduction, because it has been an iconic off road utility vehicle for past 65 years that is ruling out every terrain offered to it. The rugged off roader was earlier called as “Land Rover Ninety” and the “Land Rover One Ten”. The British manufactured four-wheel-drive off-road utility vehicle was developed from the original Land Rover Series and was launched in 1948. The Defender has been evolving from past 65 years according to different geographies into a more enduring and capable car every time and that proves the refinement in this vehicle. It is a mid-sized SUV, which combines superb capability, ruggedness and dependability in one. The off roader is now discontinued from production, however it is available in Malaysia on special requests and official re-sellers.

Engine, Mileage and Variants

To meet the demands and enhance the practicality of the varied customers, Land Rover Defender is being offered in three trims namely Defender 90, Defender 110 and Defender 130. The off roader utility vehicle comes in a wide range of body styles as well, hard top, soft top, station wagon and pick up body to name a few. The SUV is powered to life by a 2.2-litre diesel power mill under the large hood that rumbles out to churn out a maximum power of 122 PS, at the same time the regular four wheel drive arrangement of the Defender is served with a peak torque of 360 Nm at 2000 rpm. This massive power is uniformly distributed over its four wheel by the 6-speed transmission. This advanced engine and efficient transmission allows the Defender rover to clock at 100 kmph in just 15.8 seconds and the propulsion continues to accentuate until it hits a top speed of 145 kmph. The Defender is designed for heavy duty and thus, the fuel economy is somewhat compromised, still it performs on a decent mileage of 10 kmpl.

Exteriors

The Land Rover Defender can be described as a walking black sabbath that has perfectly retained the iconic outline of its predecessors. The front fascia of the off roader is highlighted by a black matrix grille with chrome glossing that not only accentuates the looks but also allows the power-mill to gasp ample air. The Defender features iconic old-school full-round halogen lamps deeply engrossed in the front grille. The protruded wheel arches and the bulged hood screams a bold and masculine look. The rear of the car is no lesser than a truck featuring a tough and adaptable box-section ladder-frame chassis along with a full size spare wheel affixed to the tail gate. This together throws an off-road persona to the dynamic silhouette of the car. The bold Defender hold judicious body measurements for all terrains measuring out to be 3861-4785 mm X 1790 mm X 2000-2182 mm (L x W x H) with a wheelbase of 2360 mm. The off roading capabilities of the car are further enhanced with the deployment of 16 inch alloy wheels and tire size measuring 235/ 85 R16.

Interiors

Climbing up the Defender will make your soul euphoric of the ruggedness loaded inside. The dashboard is kept simple and scratchy made from hard black plastic to sustain any kept object from falling on rough terrains. Although, the driving position is a bit cramped but the seats are very well adjustable. Land Rover has offered a simple centre console that is clearly backlit for effective use in night. The seating arrangement is stadium style for better viewing angle with seats covered in part leather or full leather. Apart from all this, the Defender is also loaded with a very decent Audio System with Single Slot CD & Radio with MP3/AUX and Bluetooth takes care of the entertainment needs of the occupants. The loading area is quite generous measuring 1030 mm and the figure is further stretched to 1750 mm by 110 hardtop. With all seven seats in place, Defender offers a 280 litres of boot space while putting them down it leaps to 1510-litres ample enough to settle heavy baggage of luggage.

Safety, Braking and Miscellaneous

Land Rovers are widely appreciated across the globe for their advanced safety features. Talking about the Defender, it is a safe and secure bastion loaded with a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) and Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electric Traction Control (ETC) and Dynamic Stability Control. Besides that the Defender also features dual front air bag system, Alarm system with immobilizer, ISOFIX and speed limiter adding another layer to the safety of this vehicle. Defender can be brought to halt in any terrain at any angle owing to the drum and disc brakes along with a standard duty suspension system.

Verdict

The Land Rover Defender can be summed up as a 67-year old masterpiece that still holds the ruggedness and strength of its predecessors. It has the best in class off-road ability along with varied toughness, ruggedness, strength and most importantly of capability. Although the transmission is a bit noisy which is not good for the reputation in this Land Rover flagship.