2012 Land Rover Defender 110 XS TD D/C

‘LG62 ZWH’ is a 2012 Land Rover Defender 110 XS that’s finished in a subtle shade of silver with a half-leather interior. As an XS is stuffed to the gunnels with toys too, and it’s also shod with a set of rather nice Continental Cross Contact A/T tyres. 

With just two former keepers and still showing under 64,000 miles on the odometer, the Defender has been in the seller’s hands since February 2023, since when it’s been used as a second car. 

He was attracted not only by its condition, which is very good, but also by its service history, which is not only unusually complete but also shows that six out of the last seven services were completed by James French, the well-regarded independent Land Rover specialist.

Still pretty much in the same specification as it left the factory, the Defender presents a very clean, almost minimalist appearance, which will come as a relief to those of you who’ve struggled to find one that isn’t fitted with a snorkel, additional lighting, a massive bull bar, and the like.

It’s been well screwed together too, with excellent panel gaps and door shuts. Nor are there any dents, dinks, or scrapes either; this is a Defender that almost certainly hasn’t had to work hard for a living.

The paintwork is excellent too, with a good shine and no peeling lacquer or dulling to the main coachwork. Yes, the paint on the windscreen brackets is flaking off and there is the odd bubble around the windscreen frame, but it is otherwise free of the usual Defender maladies. 

The lamp lenses are all free of chips and cracks too, the badges are still bright and intact, and the window rubbers all look soft and pliable. 

The chunky 16-inch alloy wheels are free of scuffs and dinks too, but then you’d have to be working pretty hard to kerb any wheels that’s fitted with 235/85R16 M&S-rated, all-terrain tyres. There are a few areas where brake dust has been left to accumulate and has left stains as a result though.

The tyres aren’t overly aggressive, which is something you’ll appreciate if most of your miles will be on tarmac. The seller suggests it’s never been used off-road, a claim the tyres would be consistent with.

However, if taking the path less trodden is your thing then the Continental Cross Contact’s tread pattern is chunky enough to cope with wet fields, rough tracks, and even snow but they won’t hum and sing like a more dedicated off-road tyre would. 

Plus, we will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. 

Utility fixtures include four hefty mudflaps, a tow bar and single electrics, and sidesteps that look solid enough to double as rocksliders. 

If you can ignore the slight rust bleeding from the door hinges, which is almost certainly only cosmetic, apart from the windscreen there are no other problems for you to sort other than perhaps, the rust that’s beginning to break out of the offside side step. 

Being an ‘XS’ model the interior is a bit more upmarket than you’d find on a more work-oriented model. Not that you’ll find lashing of walnut veneer and chrome, of course, but you of get half-leather seats with contrast stitching – and there are a lot of ‘em. 

Two in the front, plus three in the middle and another two in the rear. That’s seven seats in total, all facing forward and all with seatbelts, which should be enough to accommodate even the largest family.

Or you could fold the rear seats away and make use of the cavernous loadspace to haul dogs, firewood, or holiday luggage. 

The XS-spec also brings a leather-rimmed steering wheel, a cubbybox-cum-armrest in the front that’ll securely hold your morning Starbucks, carpets in the passenger compartment, electric windows and heated seats in the front, and even air-conditioning and a heated windscreen. 

As for its condition, the door cards are free of major scratches or damage, the headlining is clean and taut, and even the front seats show only minor creasing. Thick rubber mats protect the carpet in the front footwells too; this is a well-cared for example. 

Things you might like to take a look at include damage to the nearside front seatbelt where it’s been caught in the door, slight surface rust on some of the brackets that fasten the seats to the floor, and a few white marks on the nearside of the dashboard. 

Some of the hard plastics are lightly scratched too, but this is inevitable and would be disproportionately costly to repair. 

The stamped service history booklet records the following work:

• 06.08.2013 and 9,805 miles – service by Marshalls of Bedford
• 29.08.2014 and 13,560 miles – service by Marshalls of Bedford
• 04.12.2015 and 19,792 miles – service by James French
• 13.02.2017 and 28,684 miles – service by James French
• 31.01.2018 and 35,464 miles – service by James French
• 23.01.2019 and 38,809 miles – service by James French
• 22.01.2020 and 47,615 miles – service by James French
• 31.08.2021 and 51,286 miles – service by North Oxford Garage including differential oil
• 17.01.2023 and 63,638 miles – service by James French

Didcot Auto Centre also replaced the EGR valve in September 2024.

As you can see, the 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine fires up cleanly, idles well, revs nicely, and does it all without illuminating any warning lights on the dashboard. There are no odd noises either, nor any excessive smoke from the exhaust. 

The engine bay is very clean with only the odd rusty hose clip and fastener spoiling its finish. We don’t imagine many folk will be bothered by this but if you are, remedying it would be a cheap, quick, and satisfying job.

The rear crossmember, which is open to show, is nicely painted and seemingly free of rust too. 

However, the underside and chassis show a fair amount of surface rust and given how good the rest of the Defender is, it would be well worth paying a professional to get rid of the corrosion before rustproofing it. 

That’s the bad news. 

The good news is that no MoT tester has ever questioned the Defender’s structural integrity, the factory stickers are still in situ on the chassis, and the fact it’s been presented so honestly means there are no problems lurking behind a thick goo of freshly applied underseal. 

The Defender’s MoT certificate is valid until January 2026, and the only advisory it received was for a wiper blade. The previous three passes were clear.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and the Defender comes with the Land Rover wallet and book pack, the invoice for the EGR valve, and a couple of expired MoT certificates. 

When times get tough, we revert to what we trust: gold, for example and well-maintained Defenders. With a pocketful of the former and the keys to the latter you’re halfway towards surviving the next apocalypse – and few vehicles are better suited for a visit to your local agricultural merchant to buy seeds, either…

This one’s still pretty much standard too, which is another big tick in the box, especially if you’ve got half an eye on future vales.

And it’s not as if buying it is going to bankrupt you because our estimate is that it will sell for somewhere between £24,000 and £28,000.

Form an orderly queue, eh?

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.