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The Land Rover Defender 110 D250 Review

The Land Rover Defender has definitely stirred up some mild controversy since its launch in 2019. We review Defender County and note how it has truly grown into our current future.

The Land Rover Defender 110 was first introduced in 1983, which doesn’t seem like a lifetime ago but it also seems weird reviewing a car that is technically older than me as we from the same generation. The Defender’s heritage stems from it being an off-road of choice for British explorers wishing to have a rugged and versatile SUV that would easily tackle off-road elements with ease. Over the years, there has been updates to which the Defender was brought into the new age – and those were significant changes.

The adoption of coil springs that offer a more compliant and improved axle
articulation, for example, was replaced with air suspension as a standard that leads to a more comfortable ride whether you’re taking on the urban jungle or exploring
the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. Now it brings us onto the Land Rover Defender
County Edition.

The Land Rover County was first introduced in 1985 as a multi-purpose 4×4
featuring improved interior trim and more comfortable seats. The current
edition of the County seemingly sees more exterior changes to emphasis on the
ruggedness of the Defender and takes much of the worry out of making the
vehicle ready to tackle all the off-road challenges thrown at it – citing the
criticism that has equally been thrown at it since its reveal.

The County also sees itself as being an extension of Land Rover’s commercial
side – I mean, who would’ve thought that a Defender would make a perfect
machine for site visits but other markets are adopting it as such. Think medic
vehicles that are required to access remote areas. In hindsight, the Defender
has seen a growth in popularity since its unveil in 2019 and the County would
fit right in with individuals who don’t fear scuffing their wheels or throwing
their vehicles into the deep end when required to – think the farm guys in
Bloemfontein herding their flock with class.

The Defender 110 is the perfect off-road adventure vessel
for any family looking to break from city living at a moment’s notice. The 3.0
turbo diesel engine in the D250 proved to be a power house on the open road and
also felt planted when one veered off the beaten track.

Land Rover claims 8.3L/100km on the tank, though I sat on a
9.4L/100KM when behaving and 9.8L/100KM otherwise, which is still not too bad.
The real pinch, however, was felt when filling up – the 89L tank is not kind to
one when they are not used to it, though I doubt any one who spends a little
over R1 500 000.00 on the car would even flinch at the idea.

The six-cylinder 220kW engine offers plenty of grunt on the road, though the diesel edition might stretch the pockets a bit. We loved how much of a city slicker the Defender has turned out to be as it did not feel “big” when manoeuvring through the urban jungle. The technology in the car extends to features that can electronically adjust the air-suspension and have a live 3D surround-view camera that displays details around ones driving conditions; it gets handy when taking the car off-road. These are some of the features, not to mention keyless-entry, lane-keep assist, parking aids and a banging Meridian sound system.

Overall I do feel like the Defender is best suited for the people
who aren’t scared of driving through uncharted terrain when needed, or suited
for a Gala dinner at a moments notice. The looks have definitely grown into the
21st Century and it’s great to see that Land Rover is embracing the modern
age, from looks to the technology backed in the car.

Look out for Part – 2 of the review where we take the Defender through some tough challenges

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