Back to the Future {Courtesy Rovers Magazine September 2012]
By Jeffrey Aronson
Land Rover currently exports to 169 nations worldwide, 168 of which can import their new Defender. Rumors fly throughout social media and the blogosphere as to how much longer we’ll see the Defender we’ve known and loved since it evolved from the Land Rover 90/110 in 1984. I’d resigned myself to waiting for another trip to the UK in order to drive a new Defender when good fortune smiled and plunked me into the driver’s seat of a 2012 Defender 110 for the day. After only a few minutes I started scheming how to bring this car home on the ferry.
The 2012 Defender manages to defy its age and present itself as a perfectly rational vehicle for this century – even though its design brief harkens back to the first Land Rover of 1948. Then the Land Rover needed to offer functionality, versatility, off road capability and on road handling, towing and carrying capacities, all within a wheelbase and width that could maneuver in tight circumstances. During its lifetime the “long wheelbase” model has crept up only three inches, from 107” to 110”; it hasn’t widened out much, either. It still meets its initial design demands.
On this spring day I stood in front of a Galway Green Defender 110 with a familiar white roof and one set of alpine windows over the middle row of seats. Bless the designers’ hearts the exterior still features visible rivets behind the rear doors and chunky, flat hinges securing the front of all the doors. You can see the outline of the scuttle vents where they once resided beneath the windshield – which still demands that you lean forward and peer up at traffic lights. While the door handles no longer sit recessed into the doors themselves, they rest flush with the door skin so as not to grab onto obstacles like trees or rocks. You can still see the front and rear ends of the car from the driver’s seat, something that generally requires a rear-view camera and a prayer on cars not designed by Land Rover. The rear door still carries the full sized spare tire at the right height so as not to interfere with the 49 degree approach angle but still suggests “lift with caution” if you have to remove it from the door.
This Rover had 5-spoke alloy wheels that managed to stay of the right side of the purposeful-bling line. Front and rear mudflaps reminded you that Land Rover expects its vehicles to go off road. Folding side steps front and rear helped with entry into the vehicle. Land Rover will provide you with a raised air intake “for dusty conditions” or to tackle the “wading depth” of a mere 20”. Since that takes you to just underneath the sills it’s apparent that Land Rover corporate does not wish to encourage water crossings.
Walk around the Defender and you realize that while it appears big at first glance, it’s actually remarkably compact – especially for something approved to tow a 7700 pound trailer. At 82” it appears tall and might not squeeze into some parking garages. With only a 70” body width wing-to-wing and narrow doors, you’ll find that it pays to be fit to fit into your Defender. I love the cocooned feeling of the car which cuddles me much the same as my Series II-A once I’ve shut the door. While the Defender door doesn’t shut with the bank vault whoosh of the Range Rover, it has a lithe solidity that perfectly matches the character of the car.
This captures one of the many distinctive hallmarks of the Defender. For a vehicle that looks as though it could blast away mountains, let alone charge up 45 degree gradients, it doesn’t feel sluggish, heavy or unwieldy at the controls. At a time when even economy crossovers like the Kia Sportage drive as though someone has attached a Denver boot to each front wheel, the Defender feels precise and lithe, nimble and quick. It stays that way until you need to turn it in a tight circle. That’s when you’re reminded of its heritage; the 2012 Defender still needs a whopping 47 feet. Mall parking lots might not be much fun in the Defender. Truthfully, though, for normal traffic or off road maneuvering the large turning radius does not present a problem.
From the front the Defender presents that same grille, green oval and hood line lettering that it has for decades. The only real changes came when EU regulations outlawed the bonnet-mounted spare and forced the fuel tank and filler to better protected spots in the rear of the car. In 2007 the Defender gained a “power bulge” on the bonnet to accommodate the then-new 2.4 liter diesel engine. Otherwise it closely resembles our beloved NAS Defenders.
If I had six other friends they could have joined me for the day. Given the narrow confines of the interior it would help if they could become close friends for the day. Goths might cherish the all-black seats but I’m not a fan of the rather dark interior. However, it did contrast nicely with the light headlining. While I recognize that black and grey interiors are all the rage a version of my Series II-A’s “elephant hide,” now called “Grey Stag Vinyl,” still appears in the official sales brochure. They would look great in the leather and cloth that graced this interior. You do sit comfortably in all the heated seats and don’t feel claustrophobic given the amount of window space and the signature alpine window.
The seats do everything Defender seats ever did and didn’t. They position you in a purposeful manner, in a posture that your mother might sanction, one intended to signal that you’re there to drive, not pose or cruise. Since you’re unlikely to corner wildly at speed you don’t get substantial side bolsters – but since you’re more likely to get in and out of this working vehicle often, you don’t want side bolsters. Underneath your thighs you’ll find just enough support on a long drive or for a long time on a trail. You’re held securely but comfortably in place by three-point shoulder belts. In the overall Land Rover spirit the Defender has limited front seat adjustment but I certainly had more choice than even an NAS Defender from the 1990’s. Somehow Land Rover managed to provide proper sized headrests without totally obscuring the rear view when reversing the car. The second and third row seats do fold up out of the way for more carrying capacity. The passenger up front has a substantial grab handle directly in front, perfectly located for that 35 degree descent angle.
Land Rover has marketed its “command position” driver view forever and it still works quite well; in the Defender the slogan really means something. Behind this steering wheel, sadly a rather unsightly blob of cushioning and wide rim, you can see the instruments quite clearly as well as enjoy a fine view out the windshield and over the hood bulge. A large circular tachometer flanks a combination fuel/temperature gauge; to the right sits the speedometer. Atop the dashboard are two pods for heating, ventilation and optional air conditioning, all of which I must say worked very effectively. Below them the central fascia has rows of warning lights and climate control switches. Unlike my Series II-A (which had no radio) and the NAS Defender 90’s Pep Boys-like sound systems this Defender had an integrated sound system that could play CD’s or your MP3 device. The whole thing sits encased in a plastic module that never buzzed or vibrated.
What spoke most powerfully to the purposefulness of the Defender was the 3-position headlight level switch in the lower center of the fascia. Land Rover knows you’ll likely fill your Defender to capacity, or tow a load that might tilt the vehicle towards the rear. So this clever feature alters the positioning of the headlights to compensate for the load. It reminds you that Land Rover recognizes its lineage of functionality that has been a hallmark of the brand for 64 years.
Near my right knee stands a robust wand that controls the 6-speed manual transmission and a shorter one for the transfer case. The transmission linkage felt smooth and precise; finding the correct slot for each gear took only a few moments of familiarization. Given the power curve of the engine you don’t need all six gears for general on road driving, but off road the selection and gear ratios would provide the perfect match for nearly any obstacle or ground situation. Sixth gear acts just like an overdrive on the open road. First gear, high or low range, provides a superb crawler gearing and you can lock the center differential for additional grabbing power. This transmission uses ground gears designed to reduce transmission/transfer case whine and noise; along with the general sound-deadening of the headliner and engine compartment, the end result felt eerily quiet for a Defender.
The previous 2.4 liter would not meet new EU emission standards for nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon, and particulates. The 2.2 liter turbodiesel comes the PUMA family of Ford UK truck engines. It matches the previous power plant for power, torque and fuel consumption. It’s also the first Land Rover engine to use a diesel particulate filter (DPF). With 120 hp the top speed has risen to 90 mph at 4,350 rpm. Most impressively the 265 ft. lb. torque rating peaks at only 2,200 rpm. The engine management system adjusts fuel flow when the engine operates at low speeds, around 1,000 rpm. Since the Defender winds up in so many different locales the same system can adapt to different fuel qualities, too.
Whether idling in village traffic or sailing along at 65 mph on two lane roads this Defender reminded me of just how much we miss because of our unique diesel emissions requirements. The fuel filler cap reminded me to use diesel fuel only but otherwise, I would have been hard pressed to identify this Defender as an oil burner. As a comparison, I serve with our EMS that has a 2011 Ford F-250 diesel ambulance; with its noise and vibration level there’s no question but that a diesel lies under the hood.
The on road ride feels firm but not jarring, no doubt due to the superb articulation and careful choice of the coil spring dimensions. Despite its heft in sharp emergency turns the Defender feels as though you’re in complete control. The all disk servo assisted braking system made short work in my unladen test vehicle and the car felt quite stable under hard braking. The Defender became available to me after its principal driver had made a 250 mile trip; since he appeared perky at 10 am I can only conclude the Defender did not exhaust him as badly as my II-A wears on me after a long trip.
A major part of the Defender’s success lies underneath the car, in its chassis and suspension. The familiar box section ladder frame makes for an immensely strong, rigid and long lasting undercarriage. The familiar coil springs, shocks and panhard rods provide the incredible articulation that makes the Land Rover so capable off road. This Defender had ABS and traction control which operating in unison would only enhance the car’s performance. Since I had been given use of the Defender with the fullest expectation that it would return in one piece, I engaged in only the mildest greenlaning.
Land Rover still builds frames of approximately 90, 110 and 130 inches. You can order any of them as a pickup, a hard top, a windowed station wagon, or as a double cab with a canvas covered pickup bed. Commercial or “professional” buyers can purchase chassis cabs in any length and outfit them with “an almost limitless number of bespoke variations.” You can even order one with a canvas top.
Our NAS Defenders of 1993- 1998 conquered overall US driving conditions through their coil spring suspension, the Rover V-8 and a 5-speed transmission or the Land Rover automatic. While the Defender 110 of 1993 came only as a station wagon, the first Defender 90’s came in as only soft tops. A fiberglass hard top became available, followed by the Defender 90 station wagon, replete with interior carpeting. I love driving a 90’s Defender but doubted I could afford its resultant gas mileage. Compared to my Series Land Rovers the NAS Defender felt like a Range Rover!
Land Rover has really impressed me with their ability to design and manufacture such an improved Defender without losing its soul. As a purist I might miss the relative simplicity of the NAS Defender’s interior I certainly applaud the layout, appearance and feel of the new interior. The 2.2 liter engine reminds us that Land Rover’s ubiquitous engine for decades filled only 2.25 or 2.5 liters – only this one can propel the new Defender to illegal speeds in the US and mileage [than can only be topped by the] equivalent to the new Evoque. In regular use this Defender has averaged 28.5 miles per gallon.
A classic Land Rover advertisement featured a distraught salesman tearfully saying good bye to a happy Series III purchaser, knowing the new owner would not need another car for 10 years. Everything inside, outside and underneath this Defender builds the confidence that you could run this car for decades – if you could buy one in the US. Look for these 2012 models 25 years from now when we can legally import them and put me down for a green 110 Station wagon now.
Copyright Jeffrey Aronson and Rovers North 2012
