The old Defender that emerged from the Series III Land Rover received a final update in 2012 before being withdrawn from the market four years later, in 2016.
Born out of necessity in the late '40s, the Land Rover was a utility/family transportation vehicle that was constantly updated in the years to come several times. After it was named Series I, II, and III, the vehicle sported the name 90/110, according to the version's wheelbase. In 1990 the car got a new name: Defender. That version was constantly upgraded. But the upgrades couldn't overcome the foundation of the vehicle, which was a rugged chassis. Moreover, apart from the emission levels, the car couldn't meet the safety standards required for a Euro6 vehicle.
For the 2012 model year, the Defender got a slightly restyled front fascia with black trims around the headlights. The slatted grille was the same and still made from plastic. The bumper, though, was still from solid metal. But the door mirrors were still black and only manually adjustable by rocking them from the outside. The long wheelbase version, known as the Defender 110, sported a four-door bodywork and a fifth door, side-hinged, in the back.
Inside, the 2012 Defender couldn't be too much upgraded. As an option, it featured sort of an infotainment system, with a screen bolted atop the center stack. An AC unit blew cold air only through the mid-vents. In the instrument cluster, the old dials sported silver surroundings and green illumination. Like its predecessors, the 110 was available with either a five-seat or a seven-seat interior.
The most important upgrade was under the hood, where the Defender 110 got a 2.2-liter, Ford-sourced turbodiesel. It was an evolution of the powerplant installed in the Ford Transit utility vehicle, upgraded to Euro 5 emission standards. The only transmission available was a six-speed manual and a two-speed transfer case that sent the power in all corners.
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