Off Road Driving, Training and Reviews

Mmmmmmm, new landy……..(drools!)

This really does look like a nice beast - the guys have decided not to muck about with the legendary capabilities of the Defender, so the Ladder chassis and classic styling stays. Under the bonnet however is a new 2.4l common rail diesel, (the same one that is in the current Ford Transit - a proven workhorse, though how it will react to dubious fuel in the less civilised areas of the world is not yet known) this replaces the TD5.

With 20% more torque, and power across a wider rev range, this looks like a great improvement over the old one, and with 6 gears (lower 1st for slower decents and more power walking uphill, as well as a good starting gear when towing heavy loads, and a cruising 6th for more comfort on road) it looks like the Defender is set to stay at the top of it’s field.

The dashboard (which previously looked like it was nicked out of a late 80’s metro) has been updated, with a new airflow system to hopefully sort those foggy window days. All seats will now be forward facing (definitely safer, and hopefully conforming to Borda and Lantra regs), with the facility to fold them away.

The basics are all there, and once the electrical problems are ironed out this should be an excellent vehicle. The anti-stall and gear ratios in the new beast will just make working with it simpler and easier, reducing stress on the drive-train and driver!