Defender gets X-Type engine

Land Rover’s tough Defender 4x4 will gain the 128bhp 2.0-litre diesel engine from the Jaguar X-Type by the end of next year.

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Land Rover’s Defender will gain the 2.0-litre 128bhp diesel engine from the Jaguar X-Type by the end of next year.

Emissions regulations mean that the current Td5 turbodiesel engine will no longer be allowed after 2005.

It is hoped that the new turbodiesel unit will boost the performance and refinement of the ageing Defender. The Jaguar engine develops 8bhp more than the current Td5 unit and 258lb ft of pull compared to the old engine’s 221lb ft, giving it plenty of off-roading muscle.

Land Rover had considered using its new 2.7-litre V6 Tdi, as used in the Discovery, but the cost of re-engineering the car to cope with the power led them to abandon the idea.