In production from 1983 through to 2016, this iconic model saw eight very different diesel engines under the bonnet. But which one is best?
Dave Phillips helps you decide
HERE IN the UK, the vast majority of Defenders have a diesel engine under the bonnet. And with Defenders in production for so long — from 1983 to 2016 — that means there is a bewildering number of diesel options to choose from.
This special feature is designed to help you select the right diesel for your specific needs. I’ll make that easier by comparing them and awarding points for Performance, Reliability, Availability, Value and Iconic Status. But before you make your choice, you need to know a little bit about their history …
History
Although the diesel engine was invented in the 1890s, development of this super-efficient source of power was slow. Thus when the first Land Rover was introduced in 1948, a diesel variant wasn’t even an option. Diesel engines were seen as big, heavy, noisy beasts suitable only for heavy commercial vehicles.
But attitudes changed in the 1950s. Farmers were still Land Rover’s biggest customers, and by now diesel had become the primary source of fuel for most farm machinery. It was cheaper than petrol, taxed less heavily, and most farmers had their own bulk storage tanks.
Plus, thirsty petrol-powered Land Rovers were expensive to run. Diesel engines achieved more miles per gallon. This is because diesel is 20 per cent heavier, and therefore every gallon stores 20 per cent more energy. Also, the thermal efficiency of a diesel engine is greater. In other words, more of the heat from combustion is converted into power to the crankshaft, rather than escaping through the exhaust.
In 1953 the Turner Manufacturing Company of Wolverhampton answered the demand for a diesel-engined Land Rover by introducing two small diesel engines suitable for conversions — most notably the L60, a somewhat crude 2-litre two-cylinder engine giving 40 bhp and 75 lb-ft of torque. A larger L40 3-litre version was also produced, but sales were disappointing.
Development of Land Rover’s diesel engine was slow. In 1962, with the introduction of the Series IIA, the diesel engine was enlarged to 2.25-litres, which gave it a bit of a power boost — 62 bhp / 103 lb-ft.
Land Rover addressed the Land Rover’s lack of power in 1979 by introducing the Stage One V8, with a 3.5-litre petrol engine borrowed from the Range Rover. But it did nothing about the lacklustre diesel, which, apart from increasing the number of main bearings from three to five in 1981, had remained unchanged since 1962.
Even when the One Ten was launched in 1983, the first models got the old 10J 2.25 diesel engine. It wasn’t replaced until 1984, when the Ninety was added to the line-up and both models were fitted with the 2.5-litre 12J engine — and even that was basically the same engine with a longer stroke to boost cubic capacity. It resulted in 67 bhp / 114 lb-ft.
Tony Gilroy joined Land Rover as managing director in January 1983, arriving just in time to see the prototype One Ten, prior to its launch later that year. He was particularly unimpressed by the desperately underpowered diesel engine, and his reaction was said to have been unprintable.
Things could have been very different if Project Iceberg — an ambitious plan to create a diesel version of the legendary Rover V8 petrol engine — had come to fruition. Launched in 1981 as a joint venture with Peterborough-based diesel engine giant Perkins, the aim was to produce a naturally-aspirated 3.5 V8 delivering 100 bhp, as well as a turbo version capable of 125 bhp. But the project was thwarted by Land Rover’s insistence on retaining too many of the features of the existing petrol engine and Perkins’ inability to keep costs down.
With Project Iceberg’s meltdown, Land Rover went back to the drawing board. In 1986, it introduced the 19J Diesel Turbo, which was essentially the naturally aspirated 2.5 engine with a turbocharger bolted on. It produced 85 bhp / 150 lb-ft. But it was only a temporary measure.
By June 1987, with its dire diesels now an automotive laughing stock compared to what the company’s Japanese 4×4 rivals could offer, Land Rover launched Project Gemini. The original plan had been to create a new generation of diesel and petrol engines, but it was soon decided to concentrate on the diesel. Just over two years later, in August 1989, 200Tdi engines were being assembled.
The original Discovery was launched late in 1989, and the Defender in 1990. Both had the new 200Tdi engine under the bonnet. With 111 bhp / 195 lb-ft, it was a revelation. So was the refined 300Tdi that followed in 1994, retaining the same performance figures but delivering slightly quieter operation.
Although often thought of as a BMW product, the Td5 engine, which appeared in both Defender and Discovery 2 in 1998, was solely a Solihull creation, given the codename Project Jay. Like Project Iceberg before it, it was supposed to spawn a whole new family of engines. Instead, there was just one — the five-cylinder 2.5 turbodiesel that would eventually enjoy the longest stint below the bonnet of a Defender (nine years). Some 310,000 were built before it went out of production.
It was followed in 2007 by the TDCi engine, a 2.4 turbodiesel from Ford’s own range of Puma engines that fitted under the Defender’s bonnet once the latter had been redesigned to accommodate the taller lump. It enjoyed 122 bhp / 265 lb-ft. It was followed by the 2.2 TDCi in 2012, a smaller engine that met ever more stringent EU emissions regulations, yet boasted identical performance figures.
From 1957 to 1986, when the 19J turbocharged 2.5 engine appeared, Land Rover’s diesels hadn’t progressed very far in three decades. But in the 30 years since, they have come on in leaps and bounds. Every time the EU raised the bar on emissions levels, a new generation of Defender diesel technology rose to the challenge, until the original Defender ended production in January 2016.
The pre-1987 naturally-aspirated diesels are sluggish by modern standards. But they have character and will pull non-stop all day long. For everyday motoring, though, it makes sense to choose a turbo. The 19J Diesel Turbo has a reputation for being unreliable, but from 1990 and the introduction of the 200Tdi, there have been a succession of powerful and incredibly reliable diesel engines under each new generation of Defender.
It is a fact that Land Rover diesel engines usually outlast the vehicle they were supplied with. That is why there are so many good Tdi and Td5 engines on the market — nearly always from badly-rusted Discoverys that have been scrapped. Look after your diesel engine (and that means religiously adhering to service intervals and using top-quality lubricants and filters) and it will most probably outlast you, too.
Now read on as we look at each engine in more detail — and choose the winners.
Ninety / One Ten: 10J 2.25 Naturally Aspirated (1983)
This sluggish lump of cast iron was hopelessly outdated at the time of the One Ten’s launch. It was slow, noisy and thirsty compared to modern diesels. That’s fine if you don’t mind touring the countryside at 45 mph, but this isn’t the sort of car for motorway touring. Hang a laden trailer or caravan on the back and you’ll be overtaken by cyclists on uphill climbs.
Because of all this, very early One Tens with their original engines are very rare – and therefore of historic value. So if you do find one, for authenticity’s sake you really should keep it.
Tech spec: 62 bhp / 103 lb-ft.
Top tip: A great option for the collector, if not for everyday motoring.
PERFORMANCE: 0/2
RELIABILITY: 2/2
AVAILABILITY: 0/2
VALUE: 1/2
ICON STATUS: 2/2
TOTAL: 5/10
Ninety / One Ten: 12J 2.5 Naturally Aspirated (1984-86)
In 1984, the 2.5-litre version of the diesel engine, displacing 2495 cc and producing 68 bhp, was introduced in both the One Ten and the newly-arrived Ninety. This was actually a long-stroke version of the venerable 2.25-litre unit, fitted with updated fuel injection equipment and a revised cylinder head for quieter, smoother and more efficient running. A timing belt also replaced its predecessor’s timing chain.
In production for two years, a lot of these engines were sold and, due to their longevity, many are still around. They do indeed seem to plod on forever, but they are very slow for modern traffic conditions, though, and some tend to overheat during driving at top speed (60mph!) under load with, say, a caravan or trailer.
Tech Spec: 68 bhp / 113 lb-ft.
Top tip: Great fun for pottering along country lanes, but not motorways.
PERFORMANCE: 1/2
RELIABILITY: 2/2
AVAILABILITY: 1/2
VALUE: 1/2
ICON STATUS: 2/2
TOTAL: 6/10
Ninety / One Ten: 19J Diesel Turbo (1986-1990)
The Diesel Turbo engine was introduced in the autumn of 1986. It was a turbo-charged version of the existing 12J naturally-aspirated 2.5-litre diesel, with some modifications to cope with the extra power. These included a heavy-duty crankshaft, Teflon-coated pistons and toughened steel exhaust valves to cope with the higher running temperatures. It also got an oil cooler and a more efficient belt-driven fan, with eight blades.
But it certainly wasn’t a new engine. It shared the same block casting and several other components with the 2.5 naturally-aspirated as well as the 2.5 petrol. In fact, all three were built on the same production line at the Solihull factory.
The Diesel Turbo produced 85 bhp — a 13% increase over 12J – and a 31.5% increase in torque to 150 lb-ft. Externally, turbo-diesel vehicles differed from other models only by having an air intake grille in the left-hand wing to supply cool air to the turbo.
The Turbo Diesel was the standard diesel engine for the UK and European markets, although the naturally-aspirated remained in production for export to the Third World as well as the military.
Unfortunately, the Diesel Turbo gained a reputation for poor reliability, with major failures to the bottom end and cracked pistons. It was improved in 1988 and 1989 but was replaced by the 200Tdi just a year later.
Performance: 85 bhp / 150 lb-ft.
Top tip: Later models (1988 and onwards) are generally the most reliable.
PERFORMANCE: 1/2
RELIABILITY: 1/2
AVAILABILITY: 0/2
VALUE: 1/2
ICON STATUS: 2/2
TOTAL: 5/10
Defender 200Tdi (1990-94)
3rd PLACE
It solved the 19J’s tendency to breathe its own sump oil, by fitting an oil separator filter. But of course, its biggest strength versus the outgoing engine was the massive power increase, up nearly 25 per cent, but with excellent fuel economy of just under 30 mpg. Suddenly, the Defender was able to keep up with modern traffic, whether cruising at high speed on the motorway or towing heavy loads.
This engine will provide reliable motoring for 200,000 miles if properly serviced. Until recently, a ready supply of used engines was available from scrapped early Discoverys, but these are now getting scarce.
Tech spec: 111 bhp / 195 lb-ft
Top tip: Getting rare because there are fewer early Discos around
PERFORMANCE: 1/2
RELIABILITY: 2/2
AVAILABILITY: 1/2
VALUE: 2/2
ICON STATUS: 2/2
TOTAL: 8/10
300Tdi (1994-98)
RUNNER-UP
The year 1994 saw another development of the Tdi engine, the 300Tdi. While the 200Tdi had been based on the old 19J Diesel Turbo, nearly every part of the 300Tdi was new. It shared the same capacity and identical performance figures to its predecessor, but it was quieter and more refined.
The 300Tdi wasn’t without its problems, though. In the early models, a slight cambelt pulley misalignment caused some belts to fray and fail, causing expensive engine failure. These were all quickly rectified, though, and the 300Tdi is just as unburstable as the 200Tdi.
Just as secondhand 200Tdti engines became available thanks to the demise (through rust) of early Discovery 1s, the same now applies to the later Disco 1s and good units can be picked up relatively cheaply.
Many enthusiasts see the 200/300Tdi era as the golden age of Defender ownership. You can see why.
Tech spec: 111 bhp / 195 lb-ft
Top tip: Ex-Disco engines are readily available secondhand
PERFORMANCE: 1/2
RELIABILITY: 2/2
AVAILABILITY: 2/2
VALUE: 2/2
ICON STATUS: 2/2
TOTAL: 9/10
Td5 (1998-2007)
WINNER!
The Tdi era was a tough one to follow, but the Td5 engine did just that when it was introduced in 1998. This was the last diesel engine ever produced by Solihull and it was some finale. This engine combined typical Land Rover toughness and durability with cutting-edge common rail injection technology. Electronic injectors fed diesel at extremely high pressure (22,000 psi) to the five combustion chambers and delivered a dramatic increase power. It was quieter, more refined and met the tough new Euro III emissions laws.
This engine had its critics, but they were all traditionalists who didn’t like the new engine’s reliance on electronics. They predicted it would soon break down and wouldn’t be able to handle the extreme off-road conditions under which the Tdis thrived. It didn’t. In fact it turned out to be every bit as reliable as the Tdi engines, but with a welcome boost in performance that gave it a squirt of extra power and torque.
Today’s traditionalists see the Td5 as the pinnacle of Solihull’s diesel development — and you can see why.
When it comes to the availability of secondhand engines, it’s a case of history repeating itself. Just as 200Tdi and 300Tdi engines became available when Discovery 1s rusted away, the same is now happening with Discovery 2s, which are being scrapped due to catastrophic chassis corrosion, and which usually have good Td5 engines under the bonnet.
Tech spec: 122 bhp / 221 lb-ft
Top tip: Looked after will go on forever
PERFORMANCE: 2/2
RELIABILITY: 2/2
AVAILABILITY: 2/2
VALUE: 2/2
ICON STATUS: 2/2
TOTAL: 10/10
2.4 TDCi (2007-12)
Throughout its long life, Defender sales had remained pretty consistent, with around 25,000 sold every year. That sounds a lot, but it was not nearly enough to justify the cost of creating an all-new engine to replace the veteran Td5, which in 2007 was about to fall foul of the latest EU emissions rules. Land Rover’s owners at that time were Ford, who did the pragmatic thing and replaced the Td5 with one of its own family of DuraTorq engines.
The 2.4-litre Puma diesel, which had already proven itself under the bonnet of the Ford Transit van, was chosen. It was badged TDCi for the Defender. The engine was too tall to be fit under the bonnet – a minor problem that Land Rover solved by redesigning the bonnet with a ‘power bulge’ to accommodate it.
The 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine was the equal of the outgoing Td5, with an identical 122bhp and 221 lb-ft. Land Rover’s engineers also reworked the TDCi to ensure it was capable of operating under extreme off-road conditions.
Tech spec: 122 bhp / 221 lb-ft
Top tip: Hard to find secondhand engines at sensible prices
PERFORMANCE: 2/2
RELIABILITY: 2/2
AVAILABILITY: 2/2
VALUE: 1/2
ICON STATUS: 0/2
TOTAL: 7/10
2.2 TDCi (2012-16)
Diesel engine developers were really kept on their toes from the 1990s onwards. The lifespan of the original 2.4 TDCi was just five years. By 2012 it had to be either modified or replaced in order to jump through the latest Euro emissions hoop. Owners Ford chose the latter option, as the latest addition to the DuraTorque family, the 2.2-litre ZSD-422, was capable of meeting Euro V standards.
By this time, it was common knowledge that the end of production of the Defender as we knew it was in sight, so this was very much a stopgap measure. However, the 2.2-litre engine, although smaller than the existing unit, had the same level of power and slightly increased torque. It also had a diesel particulate filter – the first appearance of one on a Defender.
The last Defender, a soft top 90 fitted with a TDCi engine, rolled off the Solihull production line on Friday January 29, 2016.
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