Land Rover Defender

Introduction:

The Land Rover Defender is an iconic offroader SUV which was developed from the original Land Rover Series launched in 1948, undoubtedly its the most recognizable four wheel drive vehicle and has a has a history of over 65 years. It was designed keeping agriculture in mind, in U.K its birthplace farmers drove it for decades and this clearly explains why utility is its main selling point and comfort on the bottom of the list. Its body hasn't changed much since 1983 and its popularity can be judged by the fact that recently its two millionth production unit recently was bought by someone in Qatar in a charity auction at £400,000(over half a million dollar). With that said, its production came to end in January 2016 but this iconic offroader SUV is still available for Sri Lankan buyers.

Engine, mileage and variants:

The mighty Defender is powered by 2198 cc 4 cylinder in-line diesel engine mated with 6 speed gearbox with power output of 121 hp and an impressive 320 Nm of torque. The 90 percent of peak power is constantly available from as low as 2,200rpm to over 4,350rpm. Top speed measured is 145 kmph which is decent for an off-roader. It also possesses manual transmission across a 4WD geometry and traction control system as well. Since its a SUV you don't expect it to give you a handsome mileage, still the Defender manages a mileage of 7.3 kmpl in city and 10.9 kmpl on highway which is acceptable within its segment. The level of customization on offer on the Defender speaks for itself with as much as 14 variants to choose from for SUV enthusiasts.

Exterior:

As already said its design hasn't changed much since 1983 ,it looks are simple and tough at the same time. It has a dimension of 4785mm x 1790mm x 2000mm (L X W X H) and a very good ground clearance of 323 mm. All the variants have same wheel size of 16 inch and tyre Size of 235/85 R16 which give them adequate grip be it on road or off road. Each variant is available in two Wheel Base 2360 mm & 2794 mm. Talking about its variants, the soft top is available with removable canvas, 110 wheelbase station wagon can be specified with 5 or seven seats and the utility wagon combines the benefit of a commercial with secure loading space and seating capacity of 5.

Interior:

The boxy shape defender is no nonsense when it comes to interiors. The dash is simple to use but that's because there's not much on it. Dash is all scratchy, hard black plastic. Land Rover gives most Defenders electric windows, a CD player and remote central locking. Alloy wheels, extra speakers and sat-nav are available as options, but if you came here for class and luxury, you're in the wrong place. You won't cry for space, its very spacious and seats are quite comfortable as well.

Safety, braking and miscellaneous:

On the safety front it is similar to its 60 year old Land-Rover with no airbags or stability control but ABS and traction control is available on higher spec models. The Defender's defense is its solid chassis construction, so it can take on anything on its way.

Verdict:

If you looking for a high end luxury SUV with lots of feature, specs and comfort than this isn't your baby, you can probably look at its sibling Range Rover or even Jeep Cherokee. But if you are a hard core off-roader and give preference to toughness over comfort , than the Defender fits your bill.