Experience the power of Land Rover

Land Rover is a powerful and agile car that is ideal for rugged terrain. Photos by Alex Esagala

What you need to know:

  • Its bouncy outlook over rough tarmac makes it an uncountable ride but it is this that makes it an ideal in rough terrain.
  • Some Defenders are fitted with an all-weather air-conditioning system, a heated windscreen and electric windows.

Popularly known as the Defender, the Land Rover One Ten (110) is a British four-wheel drive off-roader that was first manufactured in 1983 as one of the Land Rover Series.
However, on January 29, 2016 the company announced the end of production of the Land Rover Defender but after a period of about one year, the company now known as Jaguar Land Rover returned with a special edition of the Defender, which it announced at the start of this year.

The Land Rover Defender is a workhorse in its own right and is popular for its versatility, off-road ability, and rugged appeal.
However, the Defender comes off as incredibly uncomfortable on tarmac and a bit noisy due to its off-road biased suspension.
The Defender runs on a 2.2 litre diesel engine that is built on the Ford Transit platform.

Performance
It is amazing off-road, but slow, bumpy and a handful on tarmac.
What the Land Rover Defender lacks in on-road enjoyment, it is found in off-road performance, where it hardly has any rival.
It has an incredibly solid chassis, high ground clearance, amazing axle articulation and four-wheel drive with low range gearing. This means it can cope with almost any terrain and weather.


However, it’s a totally different story on the road. The steering is heavy and is usually unresponsive, especially during manoeuvres.
Its bouncy outlook over rough tarmac makes it an uncountable ride but it is this that makes it an ideal in rough terrain.

Design and technology
Unlike many modern off-roaders, the Land Rover Defender has a rugged outlook with a box shape and wide panels.
The Defender has a cramped up driving area but is saved by adjustable seats that compliment an inferior interior compared to modern cars.
It has a simple to use dashboard but it quite scratchy and composed of hard plastic.
Most defenders are fitted with electric windows, a CD player and remote central locking. Alloy wheels, extra speakers and sat-nav are also available as options. Its outlook has no touch of luxury.

Reliability and safety
The Defender is not a hi-tech car. Many of its features are generally manual and it is therefore unlikely that anything can suddenly go wrong without prior warning.
The car doesn’t even feature airbags or stability control, but ABS and traction control are available on higher spec models.
It has a simple construction and easy-to-fix features that are ideal for off-road driving.

Important Land Rover features

Interior outlook
Some Defenders are fitted with an all-weather air-conditioning system, a heated windscreen and electric windows. While that might not sound like much when compared with other modern cars, it is positively luxurious for a Defender.It is interior is quite simple complimented by an almost less clattered dashboard.

Boot space and suspensions
Some Defender models come with a large boot space area, which makes it ideal for off-road activities such as camping.
It is fitted with powerful suspensions thus affording it an opportunity to manoeuvre through rugged terrain.