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THE LAND Rover Defender 90 is the only V8 powered, open-top sport-utility vehicie on the market. Designed for serious off-road performance, the Defender 93 offers Land Rover's famous long-travel suspension and torquey 182 horsepower 3.9-litre engine.

wer in a no-nonsense 4X4 offers drivers

TEST DRIVE

THOUGH THE Defender 90 is Land Rover's newest offer- ing in Canada, it is actually a 10-year-old design made more palatable by the addi- tion of the indefatigable 182 horsepower, 3.9-litre V8 engine, the same engine used in the Range Rover County. By modern standards, however. the Land Rover Defender 90 is still

rather dated, ~ It's noisy. uncomfortable and

old-fashioned. with an awkward, unattractive interior and an optional convertible top that leaks wind and water.

Its strong point is off-road per- formance.

With high ground-clearance. short wheelbase, full-time four- wheel-drive with a locking centre differential, a torquey 3.9-litre V8 engine, and knobby BF Goodrich Mud Terrain radials, the Defender 90 tackles obstacles only mountain goats would consider climbing.

The tremendous low-speed torque of the V8, combined with some very low gear ratios, enables the Defender to creep slowly but tenaciously across adverse terrain.

The Defender’s climbing abili-

ties acrue from a short wheelbase of

2.360 mm (92.9 in.) a ground clearance of 23 cm (9 in.) and very short front and rear overhangs.

Should vou toppte over, there is a full roll-cage. as well as (optional) front and rear brush guards to pro- tect the lights and radiator,

The Defender’s body panels ure made of rust-proof aluminum bolt- ed toa wemendously strong [4- gauge boxed-steel ladder fraune.

Land Rover's proven off-road stispension — itive axde with long- travelling coil springs and anti- sway bars front and tear — pro- vides the durability and agility for serious off-road excursions.

Four-wheel disc brakes are stan- dard but an anti-lock braking sys tem is not available.

L had an opportunity to drive the Defender on an off-road test track that included a slippery mud bog that was at feast 15 em (6 in.) deep.

The Defender was the only 4X4. out af an assortment of new 4X45 and pickups. to make it through the bog.

That powerful V8 engine is 4 great stump-puller, but it dogs con- sume a Jot of gasoline. Even at the best of times, the Defender’s high- way fuel consumption is no better than 13.3 litres per 100 kilometres (21 mpg).

The Defender’s interior is the weak link in its armor.

1 looks old-fashioned and many controls tre poarly located and dif- ficult to use. The dashboard tises a cheap-looking plastic. and while the round gauges are complete, the tachometer is no bigger than a sil- ver dollar.

The front-side windows are the sliding-glass type. while the rear and rear-side windows are the large, clear piastic type.

Outward visibility is good: how- ever, the bigh-mounted rear brake- light on top of the rear tire-carrier impedes vision through the rear- view mirror,

The interior is designed to be water-resistant (keep in mind that

the top is optional), There are vinyl floor mats, “weather-resistint” upholstery. a rubber mat in the cargo area. and even “weather- resistant” speakers for the standard AM/PM stereo cussetic player.

The Defender is one of the few 4X45 bE know of that can be hosed out,

The stereo, by the way, is locat- ed inside the centre storage bin, which is tockable. Is hard to reach, but at least icant be stolen easily.

A two-person rear seat is avail- able as an option, complete with three-point safety belts.

However, getting into the rear seat is an adventure.

The front passenger seat doesn’ slide forwards easily, and rear pas- sengers must squeeze in between the seat and the bodywork.

tn addition. the rear. side-hinged tailgate won't open without unclip- ping the rear fap first.

Options on the Defender 90 include: convertible tops, rear seat, it 3.600 kg. (8.900 [bo wineh. root rack, brush guards, carpeting. air- conditioning, side runners, five- spoke alloy wheels. and auxiliary lighting.

For the true off-road enthusiast, the Defender 90 is a practical, enjoyable vehicle. but | couldn recommend it for the occasional off-roader.

Base price $35,000

Type two-door, four-passen- ger sport utility

Layout longitudinal front engine/full-lime 4WD

Engine 3.9-litre OHV V8, twa valves per cylinder, electronic multi-point fuel injection Horsepower 182 @ 4,750 rpm

Torque 232 ft. Ibs. @ 3.250 rpm Transmission manual Transfer case two-speed with mtnual locking. centre differ- ential

Tires 265/75 R16) BF Goodrich Mud Terrain T/A Curb weight LOIS kg (3.650 Ibs.)

Wheelbase 2.360 mm (92.9 in.)

Length 4.072 min (160.5 in) Width 1.790 mm (70.5 in.) Height 2.037 mm (80.2 ind Fuel consumption City 17.8 ViOO km 16 mpgs Hwy 13.3 YWlOOKM (21 mpg) |, Warranty Basic three year/70,000 kin + roadside issistance

five-speed