2016 Land Rover Defender 90 Adventure Edition

Highlights

• Guide Price: £45,000 to £55,000
• Desirable ‘Adventure’ model, loaded with options
• Two owners from new and comprehensive service record
• Stunning Phoenix Orange / Santorini Black two-tone
• Just 36k miles, verified by MOT and service records

Overview

Famously, the first car that many people in the world ever see is a Land Rover. There’s good reason for that, as they’ve long been the choice of adventurers, explorers and mud-plugging enthusiasts everywhere. Hugely capable, mechanically simple and rugged in operation, they’re ideally suited for the sort of person who sees a near-vertical hill on the other side of dense jungle and thinks “I’m going to drive up that”.

To celebrate the quite remarkable feat of staying in production for 67 years, Land Rover decided to mark the end of the Defender in its original form with the release of this ‘Adventure’ Special Edition. Based on the standard ‘90’ platform, they basically threw the entire options list and parts catalogue at it and offered a limited production run of 600 models. Needless to say, not only is it immensely capable in pretty much any terrain you care to mention, but it’s now a deeply desirable and much sought-after vehicle. Oh, and it’s more than a tad luxurious too, with lashings of peeled cow and all manner of modern tech that would have your average farmer raising an eyebrow or two. If you want the ultimate factory iteration of the traditional format Defender, then this delightfully orange machine is definitely what you want.

Ah yes. The orange. It is very orange isn’t it? We’re big fans of this boldness. No chance of losing it in a car park, or halfway up Ben Nevis, for that matter. This example is beautifully presented too. It clearly has been well cared for and not abused at all. We can’t see any evidence of any significant off-roading at all. Looking at it, we’d be surprised if it’s tackled anything more onerous than the local Waitrose car park. So you’re getting a delightfully muscular, go-anywhere car, in the best possible trim, and in excellent condition. What more could you want?

History and documentation

• First registered on 12 May 2016
• One former owner, current owner since 20 July 2020
• HPI clear (checked July 2024)
• Complete with two keys and the complete book pack
• 36,329 miles on the clock, verified by the service and MOT record; note that this may increase slightly prior to auction completion as the vehicle is in occasional use
• Current MOT expires 3 January 2025
• V5 present and in the vendor’s name
• Service history as follows: PDI (3/2016); 7,079 miles (9/2017); 10,627 miles (7/2020); 18,662 miles (8/2021); 27,092 miles (12/2022); 33,823 miles (12/2023)
• Specified from the factory with the black pack, cold climate pack, convenience pack, Santorini Black contrast exterior pack and the premium leather seat pack

Interior

• Handsome ‘Contrast Premium’ leather seat pack, offering a pair of sculpted front seats and two fold-up seats in the rear cabin
• The black leather looks to be in great condition and also adorns the steering wheel, door cards and dashboard
• We only noted some minor creasing to the seats and a little light wear to the outer bolster on the driver’s seat but otherwise all the upholstery shows very well indeed
• Factory fitted satellite navigation system
• DAB radio system, MP3 playback, Aux port and Bluetooth connectivity
• Heating front windscreen
• Air conditioning
• Electric front windows
• Twin cupholders in the centre console (In a Defender! Pure hedonism)
• Ebony Alcantara headlining, which looks to be in fine fettle, with no staining, sagging or damage we could see
• Black carpets run throughout the cabin and are complemented with matched floor mats and a large rubber cargo liner for the rear cabin
• Vinyl hi-line cubby box and rear door stowage net mean you’ll never struggle for somewhere to stash your map, torch or Kendal mint cake
• There is some light wear to the switchgear and controls, as should be expected, but overall the cabin of this Defender is presented in fantastic condition, with no damage we could discern
• The vendor assures us that everything works just as it should, with no issues or problems, reported

Exterior

• Phoenix Orange Metallic paintwork with contrast Santorini Black roof, bonnet, rear door, arches and front panel
• The paintwork shows very well indeed, with no notable marks, scuffs or damage on display
• All of the bodywork looks to be in lovely condition, with no dents, corrosion or other damage apparent; panel gaps and alignment are just as you’d expect them to be
• Tinted glass
• Brunel front grille and headlamp surround
• Expedition roof rack and rear ladders, offering lots of storage space for large or wet items, extra Jerry cans, wheels, tents, supplies or anything else you might need for traversing the Atacama – or Milton Keynes
• Folding rear step, rear tow ball with single point electrics
• Underside protection includes a front bash guard and side runners
• Full set of Land Rover mud flaps
• Snorkel fitted, perfect for dusty environments, or wading through flood water
• Unique ‘90’ decals to the sides – the passenger side decal is beginning to peel a little
• LED headlights and clear light lenses all round
• Aluminium heritage badging to the front and rear
• Lovely diamond-cut two-tone 16-inch alloy wheels, unique to the ‘Adventure’ models; all are in good order, with no signs kerb damage
• The wheels are shod in chunky Goodyear Wrangler MT/R tyres, included a full-size rear-door mounted spare
• Looking underneath, the car presents in exceptionally nice condition, with no evidence we could see of the usual Defender corrosion issues
• Everything underneath looks to be straight and free from damage, with no evidence that the car has ever seen anything but relatively light use

Mechanical

• 2,198cc four-cylinder TDCi engine, providing plenty of power and torque, ideal for cross-country work or towing
• Permanent 4x4 system, with low-range box
• Six-speed manual transmission
• Power assisted steering, ABS, traction control and dynamic stability control
• The engine bay is clean and tidy, with no signs of leaks or other issues
• We’re assured by the vendor that the car runs perfectly, starting, driving and stopping just as it should, with no faults or issues to declare
• With a great service history and relatively low mileage, this robust and reliable powertrain should be good for many years of adventures yet

Summary

Iconic. Legendary. World-leading. Pick an adjective, they all fit when it comes to the Defender. While we’re sad that the original format is no longer in production, the advantage of the loss is that it gave us this wonderful ‘Adventure’ run-out special edition.

For anyone who wants the ultimate expression of this venerable machine, then this extremely well-kept, low mileage example is ideal. The specification is superb, the condition is excellent and, of course, it’s very, very orange. Which we like.

Whether you want something striking to take on adventures, a desirable rarity for your collection, or simply a great example of one of the finest machines ever built by man, then this has to be considered.

The best 4x4xFar? Quite possibly…

To arrange a viewing, please request this in the Q&A section. You can click through to the seller's profile and use the 'Email Me' function to arrange a viewing privately. This seller is located in Hassocks, West Sussex.