Land Rover’s smallest Defender, the short-wheelbase 90, will return early next year.

Land Rover’s nuggety ‘‘90’’, the short-wheelbase version of the rugged Defender off-roader, will go back on sale in Australia early next year.

The Defender 90 fell out of showrooms in mid-2006 after sales slipped into a steady decline. When an updated version of the iconic off-roader was released in 2007, only the long-wheelbase 110 station wagon, crew cab and ute, and 130 crew cab and ute (the numbers refer to the length of the wheelbase in inches) were available.

LIKE the proverbial good wine the Land Rover Freelander seems to get better with age. Of course, much of that is down to the constant developments that have taken place as the model evolves.

One of the recent developments is the addition of ’stop-start technology’ which basically means that the diesel engine cuts when it’s not needed, ie when you are waiting for traffic lights to change or stuck in a jam. Fuel is conserved and the moment you put your foot back on the clutch the motor springs back to life.

Back in 1989, with the Range Rover growing in popularity, Land Rover felt the opportunity was right to introduce a junior version in the mid-priced off-roader field. Dubbed the Land Rover Discovery, it helped define a vehicle segment that has arguably become the hottest of them all, the mid-priced family SUV. In North America, the Discovery (renamed LR3 for 2005), continues to stand apart from an ever growing number of soft-road pretenders, by virtue of it’s all-around capability and numerous patented and award winning features.

FAST FACTS

1. With such a long list of improvements made to the LR3 for 2010, Land Rover decided to rebadge it as the all-new LR4.

Tata Motors owned Land Rover launched a new model christened as “Range Rover Model Year 2010”. “Land Rover’s flagship model has been comprehensively updated to deliver more refined and efficient performance, along with the ultimate in interior comfort and craftsmanship,” Tata Motors said in a press release. “A powerful new engine, revolutionary interior technologies and enhanced driving dynamics reinforce the position of the 2010 Range Rover as Land Rover’s most complete luxury 4×4,” it said.

The SUV will be offered with a diesel as well as gasoline engine option. The new Range Rover is available in two engine options - the brand new 510 Ps Supercharged LR-V8 Petrol Engine and the 271 Ps LR-TDV8 diesel. Range Rover is priced at Rs. 98.5 lakh