Land Rover Defender
What do the Queen, Lara Croft and James Bond have in common? They’ve all been spotted in a Land Rover Defender. Due to drastic EU fuel emissions laws, Jaguar Land Rover announced last month that no more will be produced beyond 2015, after 67 years and 2 million sales. Royalty and action heroes aside, there are going to be lot of disappointed farmers.
Modelled on a World War 2 Jeep, the engine has nevertheless received constant improvements from the Jaguar Land Rover team. They’ve even developed a ‘unique engine tune’ to cope with dodgy fuel in less developed countries. The Cairo to Cape Town drive has been on my bucket list for a while; if I ever tick it off, it’ll be in a Land Rover Defender.
Its 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine has a torque of 360Nm and lets you tow a trailer of up to 3.6 tonnes. The Defender belongs to drivers who want to get through tricky terrain, not look tough in the city. Chelsea tractor it ain’t.
Toyota Land Cruiser
Hot on the Defender’s heels is the Toyota Land Cruiser. There’s a new range for 2014 with a revamped interior, including a neat touchscreen control system. The exterior has a more aggressive look, with a bigger grille and deeper bumper, all for maximum off-road protection.
It’s got a lower torque than the Defender at 309 lb/ft, and still only a four-cylinder engine compared to most off-roaders’ heftier six-cylinders. But the Land Cruiser is a beast; with the new model even longer still, it packs a punch and is going to get you anywhere the Defender can.
Next year’s model should make for a smoother ride, with new adaptive variable suspension – but the Land Cruiser is already a trustworthy, powerful 4×4 with a heritage almost as solid as the Defender.
Jeep Wrangler
Basic but tough is Clarkson’s verdict on the Wrangler. Your ride through the Kalahari might not be smooth, but you’ll get where you’re going – which is more than might be said for some of the so-called ‘off-roaders’ around, which don’t actually hold up so well off the road. The Wrangler’s a descendant of the World War 2 Jeep, and it’s definitely a warrior – not the best pick-up vehicle for a date, unless she’s into fold-flat windshields and removable doors (pretty sexy, we think).
Keep a comb in your Wrangler too, as this Jeep puts you right in the open air. Its soft top has various removal and re-cover combinations, all speedily executed in case you need quick shelter from a downpour. It drives perfectly with all doors removed. You can jazz up the interior if you wish, with heated seats and leather trim, but we don’t see the point. This is off-road travel at its most concentrated – adventure is the Wrangler’s focus, not looking smooth doing it.
As for engine matters, its 2.8-litre is as powerful as the Defender’s, with an impressive 339 lb/ft torque, but it beats both the Defender and Land Cruiser on agility. Bring on the open road, literally.
By Charlotte Beale
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