Born as a rigid, no-nonsense animal, the traditional four-wheel drive vehicle is becoming an endangered species. However, once brought to urban civilization, domesticated utility vehicles accept multi-zone air conditioning and rear-seat entertainment consoles over brute, off-road adventures. Land Rover, blazed into the luxury-oriented trails with the Range Rover in 1970, and continues to trek the 60-year-old utilitarian path with the vehicle known as the Land Rover Defender.
Hardly a rarity, with over 1.9 million vehicles sold globally, Land Rover Defender is a Renaissance on four wheels, serving amongst numerous vocations including agricultural and in commercial fleets. Under the service name Wolf, roughly 15,000 militarized Land Rover Defenders continue operations within the British Army in various support roles. Also an accomplished explorer, having traveled to many remote world locations, the Land Rover name is accepted as generic slang in much of Africa for a four-wheel drive vehicle. In an urban setting, however, the Defender stands tall as an SUV for those who like things a little more hardcore.
Compared against the 21st century offerings for luxurious utility vehicles, one would have to ask if the old-school Land Rover ingenuity measures up to recent models.
The luxury ride
First sold in 1948, known simply as the Land Rover, the Defender name was designated in 1990, following the company's decision to expand ITS model lineup. As the Land Rover name morphed into a luxury utility brand, recent years left the company's top guns questioning the Defender's place in the Australian and European vehicle lineup. For 4x4 purists, a 2007 remodeling of the Land Rover Defender served as a merciful reprieve. Thankfully, the "moving fortress" design survived largely unscathed from any overzealous new-age designer. Sculpted crudely, but ruggedly, with aluminum body panels, in the beginning the material allowed Land Rover to overcome a post World War II shortage of steel. And it's oddly prophetic that aluminum is only now being cultivated by many other luxury car makers as well.Sold in three wheelbase lengths, the Defender is widely customizable with a beefy, steel ladder-frame chassis underneath five body styles (ranging from the Defender 90 pickup to the Defender 110 station wagon, right through to the Defender 130 double cab). And three levels of trim are also available: Base, County and XS, each offering something to suit the owner's needs specifically.
With 51% of all European vehicles sold being diesels, it was a logical choice for the company to follow the fuel trend. An all-new, five-cylinder, 2.4-liter common-rail, turbo-diesel engine powers the Defender courtesy of Ford's European. Yielding greater acceleration and throttle response for those off-road excursions, the new engine's street habits have actually matured with an almost-30% noise reduction from its predecessor. Tuned to produce just 120 horsepower, the Defender's forced march comes with 90% of the available 265 lb-ft of torque, which comes between 2,200 and 4,350 rpm of the engine powerband. Balanced with a locking differential, a two-speed transfer case effectively doubles the six-speed transmission's power delivery smoothness.
Besides the improved engine added through 2007 upgrades, the greatest changes came within the Defender's interior. Irrefutably not a Range Rover (not even an LR3) based on interior presentation and material choices, the functionally minded dash redesign spotlights a pair of circular-shaped vents indicating an improved ventilation system, a long-awaited wish for previous Defender owners. For additional relief from chilly London mornings, the front seats available with the County-level trim are available with electronically controlled heat (and they're available standard on the XS model).
Though front-seat riders may find the Defender's comfort inviting, rear passenger positioning is awkward and high with two bucket-style seats, which are now forward-facing. Somewhat expected are the leather seats and air conditioning, which are only optional on lower-trim models. What is unexpected is that a basic stereo system with CD player is an extra cost featured on the base-level Defender. In order to lift the spirits of audiophiles, higher-end XS-trimmed models include standard MP3 and iPod-ready compatibility.
Forget the urban jungle, use the Land Rover Defender's minimum 10 inches of ground clearance for a full-time, 4WD ride through a real jungle. Riding on two live-axle, coil-spring suspension units the Defender feels more in tune scaling 45-degree inclines than providing comfort traveling through pothole-riddled streets or along high-speed stretches of highway. Every jarring bump will be a message for where the Defender wants to run.
The verdict
A Land Rover Defender in the city is as trapped as a tiger in a zoo. The aggressive 2007 modernization neglects taming those rough-and-tumble attributes that were first introduced to the public 60 years ago. Combined, they represent the fiercest four-wheeler available for hard work or hard play.Luxury score: 34/50
The practical ride
Coming from a simpler world, the Land Rover Defender was flexibly built as a necessity for working farmers' fields and other utility duties. With many Defender virtues established at the beginning, the new engine serves as one touch where modern know-how enhances original characteristics. Depending on which diesel powerplant you choose, even the most brutish model sparingly sips only 1 gallon of fuel every 25.5 miles. Perhaps unimpressive compared to a typical small sedan, this four-wheel-drive explorer demonstrates camel-like stamina following the performance of thirstier V8-powered Defenders, which last appeared on North American soil in the '90s.Depending on the configuration, Land Rover Defender's payload capacity varies between 1,454 and 3,364 pounds. While the Defender 110- and 130-designs proved accommodating for forward-facing rear seating, the same refuses to be evident for the three-door Defender 90 station wagon. With rear seat ingress available only through the Defender 90's rear cargo gate this design quirk needs to be accounted for before an major loading is done. For all model ranges larger items and equipment, up to 7,700 pounds worth, can be towed. All and all, the Defender leaves no excuses for forgetting your gear.
Joined by metal bolts on the the outer shell, the aluminum body panels offer greater corrosion resistance than steel counterparts. In the case repairs are made, these body panels are easily dismounted by unbolting their sections. Regrettably, this beloved characteristic is one of the main reasons why new Land Rover Defenders are no longer available in the North America marketplace. Backed up by the lack of airbags, any Defender model would be destined to fail newer federal crash-test standards. Also working against any North American hopes, the United Kingdom list prices start at £18,670 ($36,587.33 U.S.) for the Defender 90 pickup and reach £28,495 ($55,841.76 U.S.) for a generously loaded 110 XS station wagon. If there is any chance of bringing the Defender to American soil, pricey federal compliance modifications will only add air to the already-ballooning price.
The verdict
No frills, four-wheel-drive motoring isn't without its charm. With a few of your colleagues, including all weekend or work gear, the Land Rover Defender proves able to venture to more places than an individual may ever need to visit.Practical score: 38/50
and the total is...
The Land Rover Defender's six decades of action have seen this distinguished vehicle working in some of the world's most depended food belts, on expeditions through the harshest territories and as vanguards within armies defending freedom. This four-wheel-drive vehicle is an old professional with a fading skill of utilitarian focus, however, it still manages uncompromising luxury and comfort with a bit of streetwise performance to boot.While the Defender's sister model, Range Rover, serves nobly within the English monarchy as one of the Queen's vehicles, the Land Rover Defender befits a King and will satisfy intrepid souls searching for exotic off-road lands.
72/100
Resources:http://autos.aol.com/
http://www.landrover.com/
http://www.landrover.co.uk/
http://www.edmunds.com/
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