Land Rover Defender: First Drive

Date: 03 April 2007   |   Author: Tristan Young

Land Rover Defender

Category: 4x4 Prices: £18,600-£28,142 Key rival: Mitsubishi Shogun

Despite all the spin insisting the new Defender is virtually an all-new vehicle, it's not, if you judge it from its exterior. Which is fortunate, because it would have been a shame if Land Rover had messed around too much with it.

Externally the only body panel change has been to the bonnet, which now has a bulge to accommodate the new 2.4 Ford Transit diesel engine. The only other outside change has been to the badging.

The interior, however, has seen a huge change. For example, an all-new dash is now much simpler and better constructed. Likewise, the controls for the uprated ventilation - according to Land Rover the cabin warm-up time is down 40% and the airflow over the windscreen for de-misting is up 78% - are all in one place for the first time. The old under-screen vents have been removed too.

Impending safety regulations outlawing side-facing seats means the seating layout has changed. So in the short-wheelbase 90 version you can have either a two- or four-seat configuration, while in the 110 you can opt for two, five or seven seats. The longer 130 due later in the year will only be available with a two- or five-seat layout.

The rear two seats in the 90 and 110 fold very easily and securely to the sides, but that folding action results in less space in the back compared to the old side-facing seats. However, Land Rover claims a boxed dishwasher or fridge will still fit in. In the 110 the middle row of seats split 60:40, and fold and tumble forward to increase load-carrying capability. One thing that hasn't changed is the position of the front seats, which still don't have enough travel rearward for taller drivers and passengers.

The single biggest improvement is the new engine, and it makes a huge difference to the way the car drives on-road. Although far from silent, there is a substantial reduction in engine noise and vibration, and it can tackle motorways without deafening occupants. There's also an improvement in performance - the 0-60mph time drops from 15.7 to 14.8 seconds.

Gearing, too, has been overhauled with a lower first gear to help towing and off-road work, and a new, higher sixth gear for more relaxed on-road use.

Overall, the improvement to the Defender has been judged perfectly - the car will still handle anything thrown at it and easily retains its crown as off-road king.

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