Thread: 2.4 L Ford motor for defender.?

There is a full report in the Oct Just 4x4 which I got a week or so ago.
It looks good on paper

It's true - we do seem to expect a huge power hike each time a vehicle is upgraded. I just hope that with power basically the same the new engine is substantially better than the TD5 in EVERY other respect - cleaner, quieter, smoother, more reliable, cheaper to service and run on so on. If it is not MOST of these things then I guess Ford will feel it in sales - that's assuming they care.

Who can say what Ford's long term hopes for the Defender are - maybe they are looking for an excuse to kill it off in the long term. Re-tooling was obviously not an issue, and it can't have cost them that much to bang out the new plastic dashboard given that most of the actual switches stay the same and dials etc. are borrowed from the Disco and RR sport. I hope we are not seeing the first stages of a controlled program of neglect aimed at winding up the Defender as a model.

From the manufacturer's point of view I presume they would be happy with a comparable engine in EVERY respect, only CHEAPER to manufacture and install. This doesn't give us consumers a great deal to hope for then... To be optimistic, though, I hope Ford think their TD4 engine is THAT good that we will all see it as a welcome upgrade to the Defender once we experience it in action. I know I'll be booking a test drive the moment they hit town.

Just wondering if the proposed 6 speed box is the same unit that is in the current manuel Disco? If it is then the TDV6 would bolt on, which would mean that they could slip it in at any time they want but i'm proberly just dreaming.

I know I'll be booking a test drive the moment they hit town.

same here mate

i cant wait to see them in real life

how much more power do you want....?
its meant to be an off road vehicle.....if you have too much power in low range.....
things will break by themselves.....if you slip off the clutch over a rockstep for example.....

the only time you need more power in a defender is on the black stuff.....
to push the wind out of you way fast enough to keep up with the rest of your convoy....
who dont always obey the speed limits.......

basically.....its not a race car.....of course it would be more fun with more power.....
even if its only to blow the toymotas off the lights.......
about 98% of us are a bit of a leadfoot.....i know i am.....

the defender is purpose built for off roading......i think it excels at that.....
and its not too bad on road.....(once you get it moving...)

all thats really needed in a car designed to go to hell and back is reliability.....
90kw of power will get you there and back easily enough........










more will get you there faster though......
but the more load you put on different components the faster they wear out.....

My main issue with the small motor is the effect on sales. Yeah I know most buyers are diehards but I wish they would try to claw some of the market back for the Defender.

What's your average Joe going to think comparing the Defender to the new 5 door Troopie?

Mmmmm, 2.4L 4 cyl, or TDV8?

Regardless of practicality issues, I know which one sounds more attractive.

I've never found the Defenders to be low on power but I haven't driven them fully loaded and/or towing a camper trailer.

I think Frenchie may be right - although there will be some out there who will take the smaller donk for fuel economy reasons.

Ron

THe way fuel prices are going, I think many would choose a smaller more economical engine in the fender over a TDV8 in a troopie because of the economy.

look back 20 years ago, or even 30 at what was considered more than enough power for anything compared to today.

I'm pretty sure that there is no debate that the transit engine will be the engine for the defender, but let's hope that having multiple engine options like the rest of the land rover range is carried over to the defender and we get a bigger engine option

Interesting comment about the 6 speed manual discovery though, you could have something there!!!