Land Rover’s Defender 110

WHILE the Japanese might have the double cab pickup truck market well and truly sewn up for comfort and convenience, Land Rover’s Defender 110 trumps the lot in terms of towing capacity and off-road capability.

But this model loses out somewhat in terms of load space. As a working truck the double cab pick-up offers a miniscule load bed, at just 1,020mm long and with just 800mm of width between the wheel arches.

And with the spare wheel mounted in there too – as found on our test vehicle – you’ll be lucky to get a decent tool box in the back let alone a bunch of spares for the combine. It’s a tricky space to access with the optional hard top in place too, though it can be locked.

Getting behind the steering wheel continues to be something of a shock for those who have never experienced a Defender. Its seating position puts the driver right up against the door. The best way to take control is to lower the window – it gives useful elbow room for steering as that chunky padded wheel measures 42cm in diameter and leaves just 9cm of clearance between edge of steering wheel and driver’s window. You’ll soon learn to appreciate driving with the window open.

With its 110-inch wheelbase, the Defender takes some manoevering. Planning is essential if space is tight, and only the spatially gifted will haul the Defender round with a three-point turn.

It’s also pretty cramped if you have long legs, though you do get used to it fairly quickly. And that’s not because there’s more room in the back either, as those sitting in the back have even less comfort. The seat back is bolted into position and is non-adjustable – so if you’re the first onto the back seats, sit in the middle.

Okay, so it comes with air conditioning, a heated front windscreen, electric front windows and a stereo that can be heard above the engine.

Under that bulging bonnet is a heavily modified Ford four-cylinder turbo diesel. It puts out a reasonable 122hp with a healthy 360Nm of torque delivered at 2,000rpm and its enough to haul the Defender 110 up to its maximum cruising speed without searching for more horses.

This drives through a six-speed manual gearbox that offers a wide spread of ratios and a long-throw gear lever. It’s not a box that can be rushed – if you do, there’ll be thumps and clunks reverberating back from the propshafts of this full-time 4x4 transmission.

Go easy on the Defender and it’ll reward the patient driver with smooth progress.

Put a trailer behind and it’ll flex its muscles hauling a 3.5 tonne payload to make sure your spare parts will get to that tractor or machine wherever it may be. But move that short, second gear lever sideways and forward to let the Defender 110 reveal its true colours. Here, it engages a central diff lock and low range, to ensure that all four wheels keep pulling when handling tough off-road terrain, or when one wheel leaves the ground.

Just make sure the toolbox is strapped down in the back and the rear seat occupants are holding on tightly.

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