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New diesel engine for Defender

Land Rover's oldest model gets cleaner 2.2-litre diesel engine for 2012

Land Rover Defender

By Jack Rix

15th August 2011

It might be old but the Land Rover has been brought right up to date with a faster and cleaner new diesel engine for 2012. Replacing the old 2.4-litre unit, the 2.2-litre oil burner is said to improve the refinement and efficiency of Land Rover's longest-serving model.

Although it produces the same 120bhp and 360Nm of torque as the outgoing engine, and has identical CO2 emission of 266g/km, it delivers lower levels of toxic gases such as NOx, CO and HC as well as raising the top speed from 82mph to 90mph. A full acoustic engine cover has also been added, in an attempt to boost the Defender's relative lack of refinement.

Two new option packs are also being offered. The Comfort Pack adds air-conditioning, CD player, Electric windows and remote central locking for £1,650, while the Off-Road Pack throws in ABS, off-road tyres, a tow bar and underbody protection for an extra £1,500.

On sale in November, prices start from £20,995 and have risen by around £800 across the range.

For an alternative review of the latest Land Rover Defender visit our sister site carbuyer.co.uk

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7 Comments

FARM TRUCK

Great for Farmers who have only a short distance to travel and AA membership.

By johnbmwx6 on 16 August, 2011, 9:17am

Farm Truck?

Yes definitely , with an army of loyal followers and an offroad rep that leads the world, a whole raft of awards, multiple applications, an Iconic vehicle that is British.............so why bash it johnbmwx6?...be proud of your country's acheivements ..Ah...you drive a beemer! there you have it :)

By wnutterlrover on 16 August, 2011, 12:28pm

Farm Truck? x 2

@johnbmwx6 - are you suggesting that the Defender is unreliable? Because if it were, I very much doubt it would be put to use in the army/navy/airforce or the police/fire/ambulance service. There is nothing on this car to go wrong! The same cannot be said for the BMW X6. And for the record, I am currently on my fourth BMW - so this is not LR fanboy worship!

By BARNEYM1979 on 16 August, 2011, 2:59pm

Engine

No mention of change to MPG in this report, this matters more to farmers than the top speed / noise / emissions. Also will it be more reliable, Landrovers never do well in surveys (Which etc). Airbags would be good if she tips.

By gaztt on 17 August, 2011, 12:39am

Great car attrocious build quality.

As a huge fan of the Defender I have to say the manner and quality of the product is appalling.

These vehicles arrive to the dealers with rust and then proceed to disintegrate almost before your eyes.

Why LR have not galvanised the chassis, upgraded the fittings and fixings so they can come apart after ten years - you need an angle grinder more than a box of spanners in my experience - I do not know.

It is an expensive car for what you get and the cost of making it durable I suspect would add less than £300.

My list:

Galv chassis.
Stainless fixings where appropriate.
Galv bulkhead.
Wheel arch liners at the rear.
Fully extruded alloy doors - the nasty current steel ones are wavy and flimsy.
Door seals that work.
Rooves that keep the rain out.

Essentially what the car industry has done to every other marque but LR has singularly avoided with its own iconic vehicle.

By The_Crowmann on 18 August, 2011, 8:01am

The Garbarge

What a load of junk agree with rusty comments and lack of refinement update needed to more than the engine.

By the2beard on 21 August, 2011, 1:54pm

Criticise all you like...

Fact is there are many many thousands of Defenders on UK roads that have been going for years, given the life they lead they fall victim to the scrapheap far far less than almost any other car. Look at www.howmanyleft.co.uk to check it for yourself. Their decline is one of the slowest of any car on the road. So for all you doubters who probably have never even sat in one, go troll somewhere else.

By JamesRiley on 10 November, 2011, 9:35pm

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Land Rover Defender
Land Rover Defender

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