Channel your Inner Camel Man - in a Land Rover Defender 110 TD Station Wagon Heritage Edition

The last Land Rover Defender  has just completed its swan song, rolling off the Solihull production line after a highly successful 67 years. To celebrate, some very special Defender models have made their way across the world and into SA. We tested the Land Rover Defender 110 Heritage Edition, and got more than we bargained for.

A Proud Heritage

When I was to collect the Land Rover Defender 110 Heritage Edition from Cape Town International Airport, I had just come back from the Mini Cooper Convertible and Clubman launch. I had also been driving quite a few other small, nippy cars the weeks before and I was used to the low stance and peppy engines as well as precise handling characteristics. The Defender would be an altogether different kettle of fish.

The Defender 110 Station Wagon Heritage Edition I would be driving today, is one of a limited number of Celebration Edition models, which are sure to become collector’s items. Land Rover have created 3 Defender Celebration Edition models, namely the Heritage Edition, Adventure Edition, and Autobiography (of which the latter is not available in SA). But why is such an icon being discontinued? Well, just like the smoking, unshaven Camel man from the adverts in the 80’s, the Landy just isn’t civilized enough for 2016 and beyond, having to adhere to all kinds of stringent emissions and safety regulations these days. It may have the off-road ability of a tank, but there isn’t an airbag in sight.


A valiant knight

Silently waiting  between a Porsche Macan and a Renault Megane at Automotion Valet Parking, the pale green Defender looked nothing short of majestic. It’s as if it has been waiting in a time capsule, since 1948. Based on the Land Rover Series I, affectionately known as ‘Huey’, this is exactly the feeling of nostalgia that Land Rover’s designers were trying to convey. To achieve an even more authentic look, the Grasmere Green paint was inspired by the original post-WWII RAF-surplus paint, which contrasts nicely with the Alaska White roof.


Defender of honour

I unlocked the Defender (via central locking nogal) and pulled myself up to the driver’s seat. I looked for the ignition, and found it hiding to the left of the steering wheel instead of the right. (You also have to turn the key upwards to start it.) The 2.2 litre diesel engine sprang to life, and I grabbed hold of the enormous, leather covered steering wheel. Now where’s that handbrake? After all these years it’s still on the floor, next to your left leg and you physically have to bend over to release it.

If you know anything at all about the Defender, you’d know that it’s not bought for its convenience features, but rather for its rugged constitution. Hence, I was quite thankful for ‘luxuries’ such as air-con, central locking and front electrical windows. The interior is utilitarian, agricultural almost, as if anything that’s not an absolute necessity may break on some pan-African expedition. In my humble opinion, this all adds to its classical Landy charm. And now, in the year 2016, I am trying to leave the confines of the airport valet parking area in this great, green, slightly modernized Dinosaur. Admittedly, I was having just a little trouble after driving a MINI Cooper S Convertible all afternoon - It felt like the Defender’s life-sized steel wheels would only react to my steering input a second later. The ultra-vague steering and springy suspension are sure signs of superb off-road ability, so once you’re in the sticks, you won’t have reason to complain.


High and mighty

The N2 was already congested by the time I left the airport, and in traffic, the Defender is no Land Rover Discovery Sport (Click here for our review). My left quadricep was getting quite a workout keeping the clutch depressed, and shifting of the large old-school six-speed gearbox requires a firm hand. However, there is an upside to being in a high and robust-looking 4x4: visibility couldn’t be better. It’s so good, in fact, that you’re looking down on the roofs of Ford Rangers and Toyota Prados. People see the Defender’s great green grill in their rear-view mirror and just get the heck out of the way. The same goes for pedestrians. Getting hit by a Defender at speed is likely to be fatal, so nobody even attempted to jaywalk when they saw me coming. This is another reason the Defender is bidding us adieu - its total disregard of pedestrian safety doesn’t sit well with the people who regulate these things. The Defender is as no-nonsense as they come, and I very much enjoyed not hearing the seat belt reminder pinging in my ears, because there isn’t one.


The rebirth of cool

The N2’s traffic was clearing up nicely and soon I was approaching my hometown of Hermanus. Pulling into the school parking lot, the Dads could be seen admiring my wheels. As my 6-year-old son spotted Mom’s new wheels for the week, he screamed from the top of his lungs in elation, while my 8-year-old daughter jumped for joy. Not even the Jaguar F-Type R AWD evoked this much reaction from them.

That same afternoon I was stopped by a complete stranger who was keen on a chat about the history of the Defender, and the next morning a gentleman kindly asked me if I’d allow him to have a peek inside.”This is the most beautiful thing I’ve seen all month!”, he exclaimed, grinning.


A Defender likes it rough

The weekend rolled on and we headed to Klipbokkop 4x4 Academy near Worcester to put the Defender in a more natural habitat. My two kids were thrilled to ride in the third row, which has a seat for each with space in-between. All of the seats are covered in beige/khaki ‘Almond Cloth’, which would need additional seat covers if you plan on having those sandwiches and frikkadels en route to your destination. As for sound, the Defender’s optional (bluetooth-enabled) Alpine system is good, if you’re not going too fast. Even without the radio off, hearing what the rearmost passengers are saying is a challenge. The Defender is poorly insulated from road and wind noise, and with the gruff diesel humming its tune, one has to scream at one’s fellow road-trippers in order to be heard. Rocks that bang against the Defender’s underside sound like boulders. But the Defender could not be stopped. It begs for far-off places, challenging terrain and general camping and outdoor-related abuse.


Preventing a Defender-bender

The 90 kW Defender (with 360 Nm of torque) is not the car for you if you’re a rat race competitor - it’s simply too large and heavy for hurrying about. And you better not take those corners like you would in a Ford Focus ST:  the standard traction control (suited for off-roading) won’t save you from going over the side of Sir Lowry’s Pass. Yes, its safety kit is limited but at least you get anti-lock brakes, and there’s also a deafening alarm as well as anti-roll bars. Did you know that the Defender is still registered as a truck? That’s why it has been able to sidestep EuroNCAP crash testing. The Landy’s huge off-road tyres don’t particularly favour a smooth surface either, but put the Defender where it belongs and there’s no end to what it can do.


ls the Land Rover Defender just for macho men and diesel dolls?

The Defender has a huge fan base all across the world, and the reason for its popularity is partly owed to its classlessness. Even the very well-heeled Land Rover aficionados who can afford status symbols such as the Range Rover Sport (well over a million Rand), still prefer Defenders. It’s also not half as cumbersome to drive in town as I initially thought, if you stay out of Cape Town’s CBD. Regardless of its mammoth turning circle, it’s actually quite easy to operate. Being so high, it almost gives you a bird’s eye view of surrounding traffic situations. There’s limited space for your right arm though, that’s why so many Defender drivers use the open window as an armrest.


Should you try and get your hands on a new Defender, before they’re all gone?

If you have R 714 000 to spend on this very special Defender 110 Station Wagon Heritage Edition, by all means. You’ll be the envy of every man, woman and child, and when the kids come of age, they’ll probably fight over who gets to borrow it. It’s the car Austin Powers would drive when he’s not catching villains. Also, the “Shaguar” can’t drive up mountains and through rivers.

It took me a day to get used to all its little idiosyncrasies, but I’ve become such a fan that I’m looking for a good second-hand Defender right here on AutoTrader, for when I have no press cars in my driveway. I’d have some custom parking sensors fitted though, as I probably wouldn’t notice if I reversed over a scooter.

Facts & Figures

Model name	: Land Rover Defender 110 TD Station Wagon Heritage
Price	: R714 600
Power	: 90 kW
Torque	: 360 Nm
0 - 100	: 15.8 seconds
Top Speed	: 145 km/h
Fuel tank	: 75 litres
Fuel consumption	: 12-14 litres (diesel) per 100 km
Ground clearance	: 250 mm
Towing capacity	: 3.5 tonnes

Interested in more of the Land Rover Defender‘s history? Who better to explain it than the Brits: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-35285258