LRO ICON Feature

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icons in the making

No.2 iCON Ute icon Ute, £35,994 as tested

Year: 2010 Model: XS 110 Utility Colour: two- tone Fuji White and Satin Black TriM: ex-factory engine: TDCi 2.4-litre Wheels: 18-inch stealth colour-coded alloy wheels TYres: 18-inch Cooper LTZ KeY highlighTs: Hannibal roof rack, iExtreme front protection bar, panoramic rear window glass

Satin Black bonnet and top half of body looks suitably cool. But, like all iCONs, the colour choice is almost infinite Instead of glamorous LED lights, the iExtreme front protection bar has practical jacking points

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esigned to appeal to the business user who can reclaim the VAT, the iCON Ute is based on a standard 110 Utility but with whatever upgrades the customer wants. This one has a two-colour paint job – Fuji White and Satin Black – with colourcoded Hannibal roof rack and panoramic back windows. Like everything in the iCON range, it’s entirely down to you. The iCON Ute has a purposeful stance and rides on standard suspension, but

Panoramic rear window glass blends in with colour scheme Smaller Momo steering wheel allows a touch more elbow room, but there's much more potential in this interior

there are 18-inch alloy wheels and taller Cooper LTZ rubber. The interior has been left standard, with the exception of a Momo steering wheel. Unsurprisingly, with standard suspension and brakes, the iCON Ute feels and drives very similarly to a standard 110 Defender Utility, although

Dash centre panel picked out in white

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the iSPORT engine tune provides a welcome boost to performance; not as much as the iSport Wagon, though. If the quickly disappearing back door of this stunning Ute doesn’t attract your attention, the eye-popping paint job definitely will. The smaller-than-standard Momo steering wheel does allow more elbow room in the cab and the white-painted dash centre panel makes the interior feel a little bit special. ‘This iCON Ute is a work in progress,’ explains Andrew Harrison-Smith. A smart leather cabin and engine remap – à la Sport Wagon – would instantly transform it into the star its glamorous paint job suggests it already is. Oh, and if you thought a Ute meant something with an open cargo bay, such as a pick-up or modified coupé, you're not alone – so did I.


No.3 iCON Heritage Le

icon heritage Le, £31,194 as tested

Year: 2011 Model: XS 110 Utility (now a station wagon) Colour: Keswick Green/Alpine White TriM: standard engine: TDCi 2.4-litre Wheels: Land Rover Freestyle alloys TYres: 16-inch Continental Cross Contact KeY highlighTs: Heritage colour detailing (hinges, bumpers, grille), colour-coded alloy wheel centres/tubular side step bars

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n homage to Land Rover’s own 1998 Heritage edition, which was released to coincide with the company’s 50th anniversary, the iCON Heritage LE in Keswick Green has a similar style to it. Picking out the mesh grille, door hinges, standard bumpers and tubular side runners in a contrasting off-white, just like the original Heritage models, is a style cue that will resonate with many Land Rover aficionados. And it seems to be hitting the mark. Nene has sold five Heritage LEs already, two based on new vehicles and three on used ones. All five are 90s, while this one is the first 110 iCON Heritage LE to be created. Potential buyers should be aware that the styling of the grille hasn’t been finalised yet, but what you see here is pretty close to how the finished article will be.

Hinges, grille and screen brackets are picked out in contrasting colour but LE is no blinged-out urban warrior Freestyle alloy wheels are painted in matching Keswick Green which adds to that 'shires' feel

Would-be Heritage buyers are less likely to be interested in big alloys, lowered suspension or engine upgrades. The image is more traditional and shire counties than roadburning, modern street warrior. Certainly, there are plenty of people who want nothing more than a standard Defender with perhaps just

a few discreet changes to make it stand out from the crowd. If it were my cheque book being brandished, I’d have the roof panel painted in the same colour as the other highlighted details. This iCON Heritage LE drives like a standard ex-factory, low-mileage 110 TDCi should – suitably restrained and composed. The interior of this example is standard, although dark green leather is one of many options and would certainly add to the ‘country pile’ feel.

Swingaway spare wheel carrier and NAS (North American-spec) rear lights While the driving experience is not as intoxicating as in the Sport Wagon it is still nevertheless a nice place to be

Green leather seats – one of many interior options

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icons in the making

No.4 iCON FaLCON SOFt BaCk

icon FaLcon soFt Back, £26,994 as tested Year: 2005 Model: 90 pick-up Colour: Discovery 4 Nara Bronze Metallic TriM: canvas engine: Td5 Wheels: iSPORT five-spoke alloys TYres: 285/65x18 BF Goodrich all-terrains KeY highlighTs: tuned Td5 engine, canvas interior trim and exhaust resonator centre pipe, give a very Californian beach scene feel and sound to this open-air fun machine

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he Falcon combines pale-sandcoloured canvas with Nara Bronze paintwork; a greatlooking combination. Nene does a lot of soft-top conversions and the hood on our test vehicle is an Exmoor Trim Deluxe. However, Nene has its own trim shop if customers want to specify something bespoke. The hood sides and back zip into place or can be rolled up – perfect for typically changeable British spring or summer days. However, the thing that really impresses me is that Nene Overland commissioned Exmoor Trim to make canvas-covered versions of its high-back front seats and lock-and-fold forward-facing rear seats to match the hood. The cubby box will follow soon. Of all the iCONs present today, this one has undergone the biggest transformation. Starting life as a

Interior combines UK leather, re-padded Recaro racing seats, Momo steering wheel and colourcoded dash panel

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Quickly rolled-up sides and rear flaps provide open-air feel without having to take the whole hood off Wire-mesh grille and remodelled surround help enhance the Falcon’s ripped, bronzed, beach athlete looks

humble, low-mileage, 2005 white pickup, it now gleams like a ripped, bronzed beach athlete. Chunky BF Goodrich allterrains wrapped around five-spoke 18in iSPORT alloys give it a ready-for-fun look that’s hard to resist. Get behind the wheel and unleash the tuned Td5 engine, and you’ll discover

that it’s actually more lively than the breathed-on iCON Sport Wagon. The exhaust resonator pipe makes it sound nearly as fruity as the TDCi. This particular Falcon Sport has standard suspension and brakes, both of which can be upgraded if a buyer really wants to take full advantage of all that lusty performance. I like this car a great deal, but there’s one more iCON to check out, and I’m looking forward to this one…

Colour-coded iExtreme bumper complements the LRX headlight and grille surrounds Tuned Td5 engine makes for terrific fun behind the wheel – and it has a soundtrack to match


No.5 iCON retrO CLaSSiC icon retro cLassic, £35,994 as tested

Year: 2010 Model: 110 XS Defender station wagon Colour: Tamar Blue TriM: Retro Series 70 blue leather engine: 2.4-litre TDCi Wheels: 18-inch iSPORT alloys TYres: 18-inch Cooper Zeon LTZ KeY highlighTs: Retro Series 70 white Hannibal roof rack, Retro Series 70 silver bumper and mirrors, Retro blue leather seating with logo

Series III-style light surround and plain steel bumper are both stylish and functional. Other options available Colour-coded roof, rack and ladder add to the nostalgic feel, yet there's far more to the Classic than looking back

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ot to be confused with the iCON Heritage LE, the Retro Classic can be based on any of the more traditional 1970s Series III colours or one of the flat colours (non-metallic) of more recent years. With the white roof and dark blue body, it reminds me of the fleet of Defenders used by the Italian police (Carabinieri) in the mid-1990s. The interior, though, is totally different to anything they would have had; it’s blue

Tamar Blue with white roof, rack, ladder and side steps add to the retro look The striking blue leather interior takes some getting used to, but it's superbly executed

leather throughout. In this case it means all seven forward-facing seats and the dash are covered in neatly stitched hide. The parts that aren’t covered in leather are painted to match and, as with the Heritage, the interior details are picked out in a contrasting colour. It certainly has the wow factor.

Blue is the colour, Retro is the name

On the exterior, some subtle work has been carried out to look like a Series III. Combined with an iCON mesh grille panel that hints at Series III Stage 1 V8 and a silver-painted steel bumper, the overall look is effective. The only change I might make would be to fit Series III doors with separate door tops and paint the top half of the vehicle in Limestone. For MY MoneY… If ever you doubted just how versatile the Defender can be, surely this disparate collection has convinced you. But, which one would I buy if it were my money? I’d go for the iCON Falcon Soft Back fitted with the full iSPORT suspension upgrade. I’d stick with the tuned Td5 but would add an automatic gearbox. I’d also retain the sand canvas hood and seats but I’d have retro paint.

WanT To KnoW More? Nene Overland, Manor Farm, Ailsworth, Cambridgeshire PE5 7AF; neneoverland. co.uk; 01733 380687

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