Land Rover Defender (1984 – 2016) Review

February 2002

Black edition Defender launched

Comes either as a 90 station wagon or 110 double cab for £24,995 and includes leather trim, single slot CD, air con, alloy wheels, chequer plate trim on wingtops and body sides (like Lara Croft Landy), "chrome detailing on the instrument bezels and alloy knobs for the gear transfer boxes", ABS and four wheel electronic traction control.

July 2005

Defender Silver announced

In 90, 110 Station Wagon and 110 Double Cab with range of options including A-Frame protection bar, driving lamp kit, hinged lamp guards, sump guard, black chequer plate styling kit and wing top protectors, half leather seats, CD player and tow bar with electrics.

Same 122PS 2.5 litre, 5 cylinder TD with 5 speed manual gearbox, two speed transfer box and permanent four-wheel drive. Three hundred limited editions for the UK on sale from 1 September 2005, with prices starting from £24,595 for the 90 Station Wagon, £26,995 for the 110” Station Wagon and £24,795 for the 110 Double Cab.

May 2007

Enhanced Defender on sale

Has new 2.4-litre common rail diesel engine, six-speed gearbox with wide ratio spread, a fully integrated facia, new seating configuration and high output heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system. Prices started at £18,645 for the Defender 90 Pick Up and rose to £26,605 for the XS Double Cab Defender 110, with an average price increase of £400. The Defender 130 starts from £22,655.

April 2009

Defender 110 Station Wagons featuring the Utility Pack gained a classification change from M1 passenger carrying to N1 Light Commercial Vehicle. With a payload capability in excess of 1,000kg, the Defender 110 Utility Wagon also meets requirements to be classified as a light goods vehicle for VAT purposes should the usage be commercial.

The Utility Pack, which is a no cost option available on all three trim levels – base, County and XS – replaces the rear side windows of the standard station wagon with panelled sides, providing a secure load space area whilst still maintaining seating for five people.

VAT registered buyers purchasing a Defender 110 Utility Wagon for commercial requirements can benefit from VAT reclaim, Benefit in Kind tax is capped at £3000 for light commercial vehicles and an LCV rate of Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) – £185 from May 1, 2009. Prices for the Utility Wagon start from £23,970.00 OTR (£20,874.78 exc. 15% VAT but including VED and £55 registration fee).

January 2010

New 2011 Defender X-Tech Limited Edition launched

The Defender X-Tech offers raw and edgy style, with the class-leading all-terrain capability you would expect of this motoring icon. The exterior is available in Zermatt Silver, enhanced by a contrasting Santorini Black finish to the roof and wheel arches. And, for the first time, this Defender is fitted with unique gloss black 16 inch Saw Tooth alloy wheels, to create a sense of raw utilitarianism.

The interior is available in Ebony and the seats offer the addition of leather side bolsters, for a more refined finish. The Defender X-Tech is available in the 90 Hard Top Commercial derivative, with the full range of accessories also available to enhance capability and individuality. Powered by the 2.4 litre common-rail diesel engine, this Defender boasts fuel efficiency and performance with 360Nm torque for effortless towing and enhanced on-road performance. The Defender X-Tech Limited Edition will go on sale from March 2011 starting at £24,995.

August 2011

New 2.2-litre diesel introduced

A new EU5 2.2-litre chain cam diesel engine from the Ford Transit replaced the EU4 2.4-litre diesel for 2011, bringing greater levels of performance and refinement to the 2012 Defender. The smaller capacity engine delivers the same power, torque and economy as its outgoing unit but makes this the cleanest Land Rover Defender yet produced. In EU5 markets, the new engine comes with a diesel particulate filter (DPF) to ensure the lowest possible levels of regulated emissions.

Despite the smaller capacity and reduced emissions, the new engine produces the same 122PS with torque of 360Nm, as the outgoing 2.4-litre engine. Performance remains similar too, though the top speed has been raised to 90mph compared to 82mph for the previous version. CO2 emissions on the combined cycle are consistent at 266g/km for the 90 and 295g/km for the 110 and 130.

The GFT MT 82 six-speed gearbox has been retained for 2012 with its excellent ratio spread, high top gear for cruising and enhanced low-speed crawl capability. The lower first gear offers low crawl speed making towing on-road and off-road much easier. The low-down engine torque also helps in-gear acceleration and the tall sixth gear ensures excellent real-world cruising, refinement and fuel economy. Ground gears in both the gearbox and transfer box help contribute to the refinement of the transmission.

Two new option packs

• Comfort Pack - Air conditioning, CD Player with auxiliary input, electric windows and remote central locking. The Comfort Pack costs £1650.
• Off-Road Pack - ABS, heavy duty rim and MTR tyre, tow ball and under-ride protection bar. The Off-Road Pack costs £1500.

In response to customer feedback, a plain black Pick Up hood will now be available as an option whilst a plain beige hood will be introduced for the 110 Double Cab Pick Up. Both options are in addition to existing styles. A further enhancement for 2012 includes the addition of tinted glass on all models.

The Defender's facia is based on a single, large moulding supported on a robust steel rail to help eliminate squeaks and rattles. The instruments provide clear, concise information to the driver, and details like all-LED instrument illumination help ensure high standards of reliability. Versatile stowage shelves are conveniently located for both the driver and passenger and two console options are available: a practical open-tray design that keeps contents to hand and a large, lidded design that provides an impressive 14-litres of stowage.

A powerful heating and ventilation system is designed to cope with the most extreme climates and features aluminium plate and fin heat exchangers to deliver impressive performance.

Tall front seats are designed to improve maximum back support and head restraint ergonomics in the most demanding driving conditions and there are robust, supportive second row seats too. 110 Station Wagon and 130 Crew Cab models can comfortably accommodate three occupants on an asymmetrically-split second row seat. A spring-assisted fold mechanism helps when folding the seats for carrying large or awkward loads.

Defender 90 Station Wagon second row occupants benefit from a pair of individual, full-size, forward-facing rear seats. Providing excellent comfort levels, these seats are also available as a third row option on the 110 Station Wagon. Accessed either through the rear door or by folding the second row seats, they can be easily folded and stowed sideways in the loadspace.

Seat trims include durable all-vinyl and cloth specifications; a half-leather option is also included in the XS specification available on Station Wagon and 110 Double Cab Pick-Up derivatives to add a touch of luxury to the cabin. Three-point safety belts are specified for all seating positions.

Defender's unique vehicle architecture has been retained for 2012. The chassis frame is available in three different wheelbases. A total of 14 separate body styles – from pick-ups and soft-tops to crew cabs and station wagons – are produced on the mainstream production line.

The 2012 Defender is available from £20,995 on the road and will be on-sale in the UK from November 2011.

July 2012

Defender XTech special edition introduced

It comes in Orkney Grey or Nara Bronze, which is unique to this special edition, with contrast Santorini Black roof and wheel arches and black chequer plate along the bumper and sills.

A special ‘DEFENDER’ decal sits above the rear LED lights whilst the front lights are enhanced with Santorini Black headlamp surrounds in contrast to the body colour. This distinctive front end design is complemented with a body colour grille and gloss black Land Rover lettering on the bonnet. A rear step bumper assembly aids entry, exit and loading. Gloss Black Saw Tooth 16-inch alloy wheels and MTR off-road tyres complete the look giving the Defender XTech a powerfully strong and purposeful stance.

A pure Ebony part leather interior complements both the Orkney Grey and Nara Bronze with contrast Lunar stitching. The Land Rover logo is embossed on front headrests whilst carpet mats have the Defender logo woven in. To harmonise with the exterior of this special edition, the central switch panel matches the body colour of the vehicle with the same paint finish.

The XTech Special Edition comes with a high level of standard equipment, including Air Conditioning, Anti-Lock Brakes with Electronic Traction Control, central locking with remote control and heated seats and windscreen. With a choice of the 90 Hard Top and 110 Utility Wagon, a range of standard options and accessories are available to add even more capability and character to this iconic four-wheel drive vehicle. The Defender XTech Special Edition is priced from £27,995.

September 2012

New colours added

Customers can now further enhance their Defender’s looks, comfort and versatility with a choice of three more options as well as the choice of two new exterior body colours, Barolo Black and Havana.

Smart new, contrast roof colours can now be chosen against the majority of the Defender paint palette. In addition to the standard Fuji White, customers can now opt for Santorini Black, Indus Silver, Orkney Grey or Firenze Red. The Firenze Red for example, can be chosen with the Santorini Black roof and the Baltic Blue with Indus Silver or simply retain their body colour.

Premium part leather seats which contour your body are available to the driver and front seat passenger, sporting the Land Rover logo on the backrest. The style of the seat naturally enhances driving support and comfort over the toughest of terrain. An integrated, centre stitch line on the headrest is also visible and adopted to the current standard seat in the Defender.

February 2014

Black Pack and Silver Pack introduced

Black Pack has a Santorini black finish, which is applied to the roof, grille, grille surround, headlamp surrounds, wheel arches, Defender badge and interior facia. Privacy glass and an ebony Alston headliner lend the vehicle added visual drama. The black pack will be available with two wheel variations – a gloss black Sawtooth alloy wheel and a new gloss black heavy duty wheel.

Silver Pack gets a bright Indus silver finish to the contrast roof (either body colour or contrast), which is complemented with the same finish to the grille surround, headlamp surrounds and facia. The vehicle also features the Dual Finish alloy wheels as standard and a bright light pack incorporating white tail and indicator lights.

Defender derivatives are now available with the option of privacy glass. The option – standard as part of the black pack adds darkened glass to second and third row windows on the Station Wagon and to the alpine light and rear quarter light windows on Hard Top XS. Due to visibility regulations the rear door retains its standard glass.

The new ebony Alston headliner on XS derivatives has a dramatic effect on the interior of the Defender, and complements the feel and style of the black pack option perfectly. More traditionally seen on the Range Rover, this headliner brings an element of elegance to this off-road icon.

January 2018

Limited edition Defender launched

Just 150 of the V8-powered examples have been 're-engineered' to celebrate the Land Rover marque’s 70th anniversary in 2018.

The Defender Works V8 pays homage to the early high-powered engines in both the Series III Stage 1 V8 from 1979 and subsequent Defenders including the 50 th Anniversary Edition, which are highly sought after by enthusiasts and collectors today.

Defender Works V8 is the most powerful and fastest version that Land Rover has ever created. The 5.0-litre naturally-aspirated petrol V8 powertrain produces 405PS and 515 Nm of torque (the standard Defender delivered 122PS and 360 Nm). The Defender Works V8 will accelerate from 0-60mph in 5.6 seconds, while top speed is increased to 106mph.

The V8 powertrain will be fitted to 150 specially-selected and re-engineered Defenders for the 70 th Edition, complemented by an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission with sport mode, uprated brakes and handling kit (springs, dampers and anti-roll bars), plus exclusive 18-inch diamond-turned Sawtooth alloy wheels and 265/65 R18 all-terrain tyres.

Eight standard body colours include two satin finishes – contrasting with a Santorini Black roof, wheel arches and front grille – finished with machined aluminium door handles, fuel filler cap and Defender bonnet lettering. A comprehensive lighting upgrade includes bi-LED headlamps.

Full Windsor Leather interior trim covers the dashboard, door panels, headlining and Recaro sports seats. Land Rover Classic’s own Classic Infotainment System is also fitted.

Both 90 and 110 wheelbase Defender Works V8 derivatives will be available to purchase direct from Land Rover Classic, with prices starting from £150,000 for a 90 in the UK.