Land Rover Defender L316

Land Rover Defender L316

The Defender began life as the Land Rover One Ten (110) in 1983 and swiftly evolved into the Land Rover Ninety (90) a year later in 1984. These replaced the earlier Land Rover Series I, II and III vehicles, and were the only other Land Rover models in production at the time, alongside the Range Rover.

Land Rover 110 & Land Rover 90

The Land Rover 110 started production in 1983. Its name, which was also referred to as the Land Rover One Ten in advertising and handbooks, reflected the 110” wheelbase it was composed of. Only a year after the 110 started production, the Land Rover 90 also entered production. This featured a 93” wheelbase, from which it took its name.

These vehicles were like the Series III Land Rover they replaced; however, they did feature a few key differences. These included a full-length bonnet, newly designed grill, and wheel arch extensions.

Both the engine and several body panels were carried over from the Series III, however both the 90 and 110 were treated to several mechanical modernisations. These included the addition of coil springs, a permanent four-wheel drive system with two-speed transfer gearbox, a modernised interior, and a one-piece windscreen. One of the Land Rover 110 models was initially built with a part-time 4WD system. However, this was dropped the following year due to low sales.

The Land Rover 90, launched in 1984, featured even more modernisations and upgrades. From the permanent addition of wind up windows (a departure from the sliding panels previously) to the introduction of a 2.5 L diesel engine with a modern fuel-injection system and four-speed transmission. These models also made the switch from leaf spring to coil spring suspension, which improved off-road driving and ride comfort.

Land Rover 127 & 130

Following the Land Rover 90, the 127 was introduced to the utility line-up. Featuring a 127” wheelbase, this iteration in the series was specifically designed for use by utility companies and the military. A four-door vehicle with six-seats, it was designed to carry larger, heavier loads (up to 1.4 tonnes payload). As such, in its standard form, it was an amalgamation of the front half of a 110 and the rear of a 110 high capacity pick up.

While the 90 and the 110 both had their own dedicated badging, the 127 featured the same metal grille badge as was used on the Series III 109 V8 models. These just read “Land-Rover”.

The 127 became a common base for conversions and was used to create mobile workshops, ambulances, and fire engines.

By 1990, the 127 was available with a choice of two engines: a 3.5 L V8 petrol engine or 3.5L turbo diesel.

Becoming The Defender

Following the introduction of the Discovery model in 1989, the 90 and 110 models underwent a name-change to become the Land Rover Defender.

The change saw the Defender receive a new 200Tdi engine, which allowed the vehicle to cruise more comfortably at high speeds and tow heavy loads on hills while remaining economical.

The 127 also changed name, becoming the Land Rover Defender 130. While the 127” wheelbase remained the same, the composition of the vehicle changed and instead was made from scratch. In this respect the Defender 130 was terribly similar in basic structure to both the 90 and 110 apart from its longer wheelbase.

In 1994 a new engine was introduced, the 300Tdi, which was fitted in both Defender and Discovery vehicles. In South Africa, a unique Defender was available between 1997 and 2001 with a BMW M52 engine as well as the normal Tdi engine.

Evolution of The Land Rover Defender

As with any other vehicle, the Defender evolved over time. In 1998, a new 2.5 L turbodiesel engine was introduced called the Td5. The driving force behind this was the upcoming changes to the Euro III emissions regulations. Further refinements were made to this engine in the 2002 model year for the same reasons, as emission regulations were set to become even tighter.

Several trim levels were also introduced throughout the years. In 2002 the XS 4×4 made its debut. Marketed as a luxury vehicle, features included a heated windscreen, heated seats, air conditioning, ABS and part-leather seats. Some tweaks were also made to the dash centre console, and front electric windows were made available for the first time in the Defender series.

2007 Year Model Updates

Further changes were made to the Defender in the 2007-year model. The Td5 engine was replaced with a 2.4 L Fort Duratorq engine mated with a six-speed gearbox.

Other changes were also made to the interior. The old dashboard layout was stripped out and replaced with a full-width fascia. New instruments were also introduced from the Discovery 3 and a new heater and ventilation system were also installed.

In response to a change in EU legislation, the four inward-facing seats of the Defender were stripped out and replaced with 2 forward-facing seats. This reduced the Defender 90 to a four-seater vehicle and the Defender 100 4×4 to a seven-seater.

Some minor changes were also made to the exterior. The bonnet was reshaped to allow for the new engine. Air vent flaps that previously featured on the windscreen were also removed and the passenger and rear loading doors were also re-engineered.

2012 Year Model Updates

Upcoming changes to safety regulations meant a wholesale redesign of the Defender was soon to be on the horizon. For 2012 models, this meant a new 2.2 L ZSD-422 engine with the same six-speed gearbox. This engine also featured a diesel particulate filter.

The only other change to this year model was the reintroduction of the soft top body style, which was bought back to the general market following customer feedback.

Limited & Special Edition Vehicles

Throughout its production, the Defender has enjoyed a number of limited and special edition runs. These include:

• Land Rover 90SV (1992)
• Limited Edition (LE) (1997)
• Defender 50th (1998)
• Heritage (1998)
• X-Tech (1999)
• Tomb Raider (2000)
• G4 Edition (2003)
• Defender Black (2002)
• Defender Silver (2002)
• Defender SVX (2008)
• Bespoke Paul Smith Defender (2018)
• Defender Works V8 70th Anniversary Edition (2018)

Several special edition Defenders have also been released overseas for specific markets. These include:

• Sahara
• 55th Anniversary Defender 90
• Braemar

Military Defenders

Land Rover Defender vehicles have been used by military forces the world over. Land Rovers have been utilised by the British Army since the 1950s, along with a slew of other Commonwealth Nations.

Defenders In The British Army

Before the production of the 110, the British Army was using a fleet of Series III vehicles. After 1985 these were replaced with 110s and in 1986 a fleet of 90s.

The Defender XD was created by Land Rover in 1994. The XD stood for ‘extra duty’ and was available in both Defender 90 and 110 forms. In the British Army it is referred to as the Land Rover Wolf. This vehicle featured a 300Tdi engine (different from the more powerful Td5 engine of the civilian Defender), strengthened chassis and increased load capacity.

It was initially thought that the Td5 engine used in the civilian Defender was too complicated to fix should it breakdown in battlefield conditions. However, following trials by the Australian Defence force, the British MOD did purchase a fleet of Td5 Land Rover Defender 110s between 2000 and 2002, many of which were deployed in the Falklands for use by the Royal Marines and UK Special Forces.

The Royal Navy also received several TD5 Defender 110s, which were painted navy blue and deployed to the Falklands. The troop carriers used by the British Army were composed of 8 passenger seats in the rear and two rear side windows and were painted IRR green.

When the production of the 300Tdi engines ceased in 2006, a military version of the Ford Duratorq engine was produced as its replacement.

Defenders in the Australian Army

For the Australian Defence Force, a Land Rover 110 was made in 1988. This became known as the Land Rover Perentie. The Perenties were produced in 4×4 and 6×6 variants. They were powered by either an Isuzu 3.9 L diesel engine or 4BD1-T turbo.

Defenders in the Police Force

Land Rover Defenders have been used in the British police force for a number of years. They have also been used by the Police Service of Northern Ireland for over 40 years in armoured and hardened guises.

For armoured Defenders. The 110 chassis is stripped of the original body and fitted with new suspension, brakes, and drive train. The bonnet, wings and roof are made from armoured composite materials and the body of armoured steel, which is known at the Pangolin.

For a brief period in 2004, the German government used a fleet of long wheelbase 110 Td5 Defenders in metallic grey.