Land Rover announces special Defenders for final year of production

When the first Land Rover Defender was launched back in 1948, it has gone to a lot of modification and changes along the years but the basic shape of the vehicle remains pretty much the same. And after countless years in service in both civilian and military sectors alike, the production of the iconic Defender will finally come to an end in 2015.

Being phased out due to safety and emission regulations, a successor is expected to fill the gap left by this iconic vehicle. But before the successor actually makes an appearance somewhere in 2016, Land Rover is releasing three limited-edition versions of the Defender to bid goodbye to this mighty workhorse.

According to Land Rover, the models will be called the Autobiography Edition, Heritage Edition and Adventure Edition. Each of them will be powered by a 2.2-liter diesel, but with different output between the models.

The Adventure Edition, like the name suggests is aimed to those seeking a thrill going outdoors. It comes with additional underbody protection and is fitted with Goodyear MT/R offroad tires. The Autobiography offers a touch of luxury to the occupants with full Windsor leather upholstery. It also gets a slight power upgrade from 121bhp to 148bhp.

The last of the trio is called the Heritage Edition and it takes its styling cues from the early Land Rover models. Instantly identified from its Grasmere Green paintjob and a contrasting white roof, it also gets heritage grille and HUE 166 graphics, recalling the registration plate on the first Land Rover in pre-production stage nicknamed ‘Huey’.

“We wanted to mark the end of Defender production at Solihull with a special edition but coming up with a single identity was impossible, so we developed three very different interpretations of the Defender to reflect its strength and breadth of character,” said Land Rover vehicle line director Nick Rogers.

 

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