2016 Land Rover DEFENDER XS90 TD - Less than 100 miles from new!!

This is an SX90 TD, which means it has the short-wheelbase (90cm) Station Wagon body and of course the most advanced Euro V-compliant 2.2 diesel engine that was added to the Defender package in 2011 in one last bid to get the old beast through increasingly tough emissions regs.

The six-speed manual gearbox may alarm old-school Landie fans as its mechanism is a long way from the ‘knitting needle in porridge’ school of thought that typified earlier vehicles. You’d never call it slick, but there’s a pleasing solidity to the action. With 360Nm of torque at just 2000rpm you can bowl one of these modern Landies along in a very much more relaxed manner than used to be the case. Although you wouldn't necessarily hurl it down a twisty country lane with gay abandon, you can certainly cruise along the motorway at an entirely respectable speed.

There’s a lot more fancy stuff in the 2016 SX than the old grizzlies would be used to. The spec list included such shameful luxuries as lockable 16-inch alloys, tinted windows, aircon, airbags, central locking and an alarm/immobiliser with them-there newfangled ABS, traction control and power steering systems joining the more traditional dual-range transmission with locking centre differential.

This particular example has the added benefit of black and red leather seating (heated at the front) with matching cubbyhole cover, all told an £1800 extra. The car is fully carpeted and has a full set of factory rubber overmats plus four mudflaps, along with checkerplate side steps, electric windows, heated front and rear screen, rear wash-wipe, black Alcantara headlining and a premium Alpine CD/MP3 sound system with aux-in socket and Bluetooth. Naturally there is also a towbar with full electrics, perfect for towing or for rescuing city slickers from muddy fields.

The car has been kept under cloth covers with the battery on trickle charge and has been started at least once a month while in Anthony’s care.

There shouldn't be much to say about a car that is to all intents and purposes new – and there isn’t. Having said that, the rudimentary protection that is somehow part of the Defender’s mystique means that, even at three years old, not every Defender will have escaped the scourge of corrosion. So it’s worth saying that this vehicle is, as far as we (and hopefully you) can see, totally rust-free.

The black paint is really black, deep and gleaming with a very light silver flake, the deep-block treads on the 62-mile-old Continental Cross Contact tyres still bear their coloured markings, and the alloys are flawless. There’s a spare alloy mounted on the rear door.

This Defender nicely combines the luxury of leather upholstery with the everyday practicality of rubber mats. We can for once genuinely say that everything is showroom fresh without incurring the wrath of our legal eagles.

Land Rovers have always been known for their quirky seating arrangements. Many earlier Defender and ‘Series’ cars required rear-seat passengers to travel sideways, but the two back seats in our car are much more futuristic in that they allow normal forwards travel. The quirkiness is provided by the fact that you can fold both back seats up against the sides of the vehicle to create a very acceptable and usefully-shaped cargo space.

At some point in its life someone will drive this Land Rover off road, but for now it’s as pristine as any Defender will ever be. Take a look at the photographs in the gallery to see what we're talking about.

Anthony tells us he still has the complimentary "Land Rover Off-Road Day" voucher he received when he took delivery of his Defender - apparently you don't even have to get your own car dirty - a definite relief for the new owner of this example!!

For once in The Market’s experience, a completely empty service book is a pleasing sight. The 12 miles this Defender had covered since it came off the line tells you how far it is from the supplying dealer to Anthony’s house, because that’s the only trip it has made. 

Obviously the car has had its pre-delivery inspection, but other than that you’re looking at what is to all intents and purposes a ‘new old stock’ Landie. Find another one of these at sensible money if you can.

There’s a new, quite different and much more modern Defender set to be launched soon at prices that even JLR is admitting will be ‘up to £70,000’. Once you’ve added the now-normal £20-£30k’s worth of extras you could easily be looking at a £100,000 car. That will be followed in 2020 or 2021 by INEOS’s pretender-Defender, Projekt Grenadier, at as yet unrevealed prices.

Against that background it’s hard to see values of the last ‘real’ Defender going any other way but up. Check out the prices being asked by dealers for Landies with rather more miles on the clock and we think you’ll agree that the estimate of £39,500 to £45,000 for a 62-miler could make this one quite an opportunity if the bidding goes your way. For reference, the XS was £29,500 when it was launched back in late 2011.

We always encourage viewings. This wonderful Land Rover is located at the vendor’s property in Yorkshire. Just click the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing to arrange an appointment. Ahead of that, or at any time during the process, you’re more than welcome to ask any questions or jot down observations in the comments section below. You won’t be shocked to hear that our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ section will answer general questions that are frequently asked about how The Market works.

Also please note that we have a network of trusted suppliers with whom we work regularly and successfully: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.