Defender tough as ever

ANYONE taking a look at the latest Land Rover Defender XS station wagon could be forgiven for thinking the British company with a reputation for toughness had gone a bit soft. Not only does this Defender come with half leather upholstery but also there are even heated seats and electric windows in the front.

What hasn't been softened up, though, is the Defender's capacity for taking rough conditions in its stride. There is nowhere a sane person might want to drive that this vehicle won't take you.

Land Rover has come to realise the style appeal of the Defender these days and you can get a range of chunky alloy wheels, extra brightwork for the front, and aluminium chequer plate panels for the body to add sparkle. They also have a sensible use - when fitted to the front wing tops they allow you to stand on the body to reach a roof rack or to use it as a grandstand.

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These days, Defender station wagons come with a maximum seven seats although it was possible to have them with as many as 12 seats in the past, when they avoided VAT in the standard price, useful for VAT registered businesses.

They are far more comfortable as nine seaters - getting three people across the front as you need to in a 12-seater means everyone is really squashed and the driver has a job to carry out the task easily. There wasn't much of a view out - as indeed there isn't if you occupy the forward facing centre row of three, either. The latest station wagons have side hinged forward facing seats if you want them but many now appear to be sold as five seaters, when you can opt to have metal side panels for the body aft of the rear side doors.

Short wheelbase models, known as the 90 rather than the 110 of longer Land Rovers, came with six or seven seats and, since 2002, the bulkhead behind the rear Replica Gucci Handbags seats was deleted on some models, giving much better front seat adjustment. Go for one of these if you can. The 90 is really quite cramped for space but its one big advantage is that its shorter wheelbase and lesser rear overhang make it the ultimate off-roader, especially on over-size wheels.

lighters

With their 2.5-litre, Td5 engines, five-speed manual gearboxes, low range transfer box, and ability to pull 3.5 tonnes, there's hardly a better tow vehicle than the Defender.

Current models only come with a 2.4-litre, Ford-derived diesel but before BMW's Td5 the 2.5 Tdi 200 and 300 engines were fitted and they were much better. The 200 Tdi is the best of all but getting rarer these days. There have also been petrol models.

Service intervals on the Td5 are 12,000 miles but if your off- road usage is heavy then you must consider more frequent attention. Insurance is best shopped around for - rather than relying on groups go to the 4x4 specialists.

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