The Puma engined Defender was released in 2007 and will be the last engine fitted to production line Defenders (albeit the 2.2 variant). It's been over a year since we purchased our own 2.4 TDCi Duratorq 110 Defender and so far it's caused very few problems, the only jobs we've done are:

• Replaced the clutch (upgraded to the latest part number, see the video)
• Fitted a dog guard
• Fitted a rad muff
• Installed an Alpine radio
• Carried out a Land Rover gear change technical bulletin
• Serviced the vehicle

And that's it. Quite a straightforward year, for a Land Rover. We've travelled to France (twice), Germany, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Scottish highlands, racking up a fair number of miles. We've also taken it on some greenlanes, so what's the TDCI like?

Engine

Let's start with the engine. It's ok. It's not our favourite Land Rover (Or Ford) engine ever (that would be the TD5 and something from Cosworth respectively). It's a pretty tight 4 cylinder engine, that has sufficient power. The specs are similar to the TD5 but it somehow doesn't feel quite as powerful or quite as torquey. It tows ok, but you'll never feel like you have surplus power under foot or be blown away by it's performance. Maybe that's because we had a good example of a TD5 previously, or because the TD5 makes a lot more noise - so it feels more spritely (more on that later), but generally, the engine is ok. A lot of Puma drivers agree that you need to really rev the engine to make good progress.

Fuel economy is as expected, returning a solid 25-30MPG around town typically and 30 upwards on longer journeys. Again, not really an improvement on the TD5.

Then there's the sound. Somehow, the 200 / 300 TDI and the TD5 sound right in a Land Rover. You can hear a Land Rover coming without even needing to look. The TDCI is a different ball game. With a straight through exhaust and the CAT removed, they sound awesome. But in standard guise, we're forever spinning round to look at a Defender only to see a scrap-metal 'recycling' Transit van...

Off-road, this engine works really well though, it never struggles - just like a Defender engine should be.

Overall, this was a safe engine choice for the Defender, it would have been nice to have one of the Discovery / RR Diesel V8 engines or even the 3.2 Puma, but it's ok. Worthy of sitting on the engine rubbers of the last Defender iteration.

Sound proofing

There's more soundproofing on the TDCI. There are panels on the underside of the front cab and some sound proofing on the wheel arches too. It's not a lot, but it does make a difference. The engine tone in the cab is much lower and Ben says he can now hear the rumble of the Cooper STT tyres on the road, something he'd never noticed in the TD5. You can also have a chat with a passenger sat in the back, even at motorway speeds, due to the TDCi engine, the new 6 speed box and a little extra sound proofing combined.

Interior & Dash

The interior on the Puma actually resembles a proper car! It's a bit of a Marmite situation, some drivers hate that it takes an inch or 2 of valuable leg room. We don't mind it. Then again, Ben's only 6 foot and Heather (our camera operator) is about 5"10. The drivers seat on this 110 has MUD UK seat rails fitted by the last owner, these make a big difference. For owners of vehicles with bulkheads or truck cabs though, space is more limited. Land Rover dipped into a few parts bins here, the instrument cluster for example is from the Discovery 3.

2 dedicated heating vents point permanently into the rear cab. Passengers in the back have (for the first time ever) complained of being too warm! There's also 2 movable dash vents for those travelling in front. The best thing about this dash has to be side window demisters. How Land Rover made the Defender so long without them is beyond me.

On the side panel of the dash sits a small 1inch square vent that blows air directly on the windows, right in the area that you look to see the wing mirrors, and it proves very effective. You can clear heavy condensation in minutes and it won't return for the rest of the journey!

The heater seems to have had an upgrade too, it's the hottest heater I've ever come across in a car. Air output is powerful and the air is certifiably hot! Which is good, as there are still drafts of cool air around the door seals!

Gear Box

The Gearbox is a mixed bag. Having 6 gears on the motorway in particular is brilliant. The Puma is limited to 86mph and it can actually reach that speed! We tested that on the autobahn. However, the 1st gear is very low, ok for towing but you find that, like most Land Rovers, setting off in 2nd is quite normal. The only problem is that the MT82's 2nd gear is quite high and the car in standard form feels as though it struggles when attempting this. Gear changes are clunky, there's even a technical bulletin (LTB00585, issued 22 AUG 2013) issued by Land Rover to address this problem.

This adjustment adds 2 small (and cheap - around £1 for both spacers) bushings that help remove a bit of play from the gear selector. We also made sure to dismantle all the gear linkages and properly grease them at the same time. Finally, changing the oil in the gearbox and transmission box helped to further improve the gear changes.

Our Puma has had a new clutch, it's a fairly common problem as earlier models had 2 different clutches fitted that were simply not up to spec. The 2.2 Puma received a revised clutch that is much stronger and this can be retrofitted to the older 2.4. After replacing the clutch, gear changes feel much better.

Tax

Tax on the TDCI in the UK varies. Most utility models benefit from the lower, commercial tax. However, the 2008 Utility Land Rovers slipped through a bizarre loophole, that means they are classed as a private vehicle and charged at a much higher rate. Expect diesel tax to increase over the coming years as governments crack down on city and town air pollution.

Radio & Sound system

The radio in the standard spec 2.4 and 2.2's seems to be the same radio / CD player that came with the TD5. The speakers too are not hugely improved, the extra sound proofing perhaps helping the audio slightly but any changes are barely perceptible. The XS models come with an Alpine headunit that features bluetooth audio streaming and we've dropped one of these in as they can be picked up on eBay quite reasonably. Having more multimedia options on long journeys helps the time pass.

Common Faults

The Puma still suffers with general Land Rover Defender centric problems.

• Leaking body panels result in wet carpets
• Steel and aluminium meet, causing accelerated corrosion
• The chassis seems to be quicker to rust than previous models due to what some report as "less corrosion protection" from new
• Many owners complain of excessive backlash in the drive train
• There have been problems with early model clutches
• Ensure you service your puma frequently and keep up to maintenance (as with any vehicle, especially Defenders that are used hard).

Have a look on Land Rover enthusiast forums, such as Defender2.net for more information

Overall

Would we recommend a Puma? Yes. Are there problems with the engine and box? Occasionally, as with any car, you can get a good or a bad one. The improvements made to the vehicle make a huge difference to the overall driving experience. You don't feel like you're wrestling a 5 tonne rhino any longer just driving to the shops. Overall, it's a worthy addition to the Defender line.

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