IT’S not a label I use lightly but, like the Mini and Beetle, the Defender is an icon.
The current model is one of the most recognised vehicles on the planet and still bears a resemblance to the 1948 original.

The Defender has passed the test of time and remains relevant today, in its own way.

I drove one for two weeks after Christmas when snow brought large parts of the country to a standstill but being in the Defender was like being part of International Rescue as I towed cars to safety and ferried stranded families to the local supermarket.

A replacement for the Land Rover Defender, an SUV for which the word “venerable” could have been invented, has been given the greenest of green lights by parent company Tata. The now 62-year-old go-anywhere-and-then-some truck is expected in 2014, and is being worked on now under the codename Project Icon.

It looks like nothing has yet been decided about Project Icon other than its codename and its status in the line-up, which is at the very top. Coming up with a new retail name for the Defender line and finding a way to differentiate it from the previous model will be part of the work to be done, as well as coming up with a platform and powertrain. The current platform could be too heavy to serve for much longer in the face of stringent new European efficiency regulations.

Recognisably derived from a vehicle first launched more than 60 years ago, the Defender either transcends fashion or is a white elephant.

For the 20th century amateur sleuth, the Land Rover’s distinctive full-width dashboard was something of a gift.

Want to know the owner’s occupation? A cornucopia of clues were laid out in perfect view. Defra leaflets? Farmer. Tide tables? Fisherman/lifeboatman. Trade plates? Breakdown man.

In this new millennium, the legendary dashboard shelf (as well as its much-missed fresh-air vents) have gone, but not much else has changed.

Special editions for 2010
On sale from January
Prices from £19,495

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Land Rover’s Freelander 2 is now available for less than £20,000, with the launch of its ‘White & Black’ special editions.

On sale in January 2010, and priced from £19,945, the entry-level models might be cheaper, but they don’t scrimp on equipment. A keyless starter button, 17-inch alloy wheels, privacy glass and a load space cover all come as standard.

BOSSES at Land Rover are hoping some of the showroom success of the Range Rover Sport will rub off on the next version of the Freelander.

Set for launch in the next few weeks, the Freelander 2 Sport will stand on 19-inch diamond turned alloy wheels, have a rear spoiler and come with a unique dual-tone interior trim finish and colour-keyed exterior trim.

An ebony-coloured centre console and lower fascia are complemented with two-tone door casings as standard.

In addition, the more upmarket version of the soft-roader model will be offered with a sports styling pack that includes full leather upholstery.

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.

I don’t understand the Land Rover Discovery. It’s like torque and electricity and Peter Mandelson. We know it exists and we know what it does. But we can’t explain it very easily. In the olden days, it made sense. There was a big hole between the utilitarian, bring-your-own-earplugs Defender and the Range Rover, which had gone all Surrey, with fancy carpets and seats smothered in cow peelings. In other words, there was no car in the Land Rover line-up for the true countryman, who wanted one car to take his cows to market and his family to the pub. The Discovery filled that hole nicely and, as a result, became very popular with murderers.

If there was a prize for “most improved truck following a refresh,” the 2010 Land Rover LR4—the vehicle formerly known as the LR3—would take the prize. The outgoing vehicle was great off road and had one of the best third-row packages on the market, but it was woefully under-powered for its 5700-pound heft.

Aligning Power with Weight

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.