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52 LRO February 2012
icons in the making
No.2 iCON Uteicon Ute, £35,994 as testedYear: 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
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
Dash centre panel picked out in white
D 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 colour-
coded 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
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.
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
Instead of glamorous LED lights, the iExtreme front protection bar has practical jacking points
Satin Black bonnet and top half of body looks suitably cool. But, like all iCONs, the colour choice is almost infinite
February 2012 LRO 53
No.3 iCON Heritage Le
In 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.
icon heritage Le, £31,194 as testedYear: 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
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.
Green leather seats – one of many interior options
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
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
54 LRO February 2012
icons in the making
No.4
The Falcon combines pale-sand-
coloured canvas with Nara
Bronze paintwork; a great-
looking 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
icon FaLcon soFt Back, £26,994 as testedYear: 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
humble, low-mileage, 2005 white pick-
up, it now gleams like a ripped, bronzed
beach athlete. Chunky BF Goodrich all-
terrains 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…
Interior combines UK leather, re-padded Recaro racing seats, Momo steering wheel and colour-coded dash panel
Wire-mesh grille and remodelled surround help enhance the Falcon’s ripped, bronzed, beach athlete looks
Quickly rolled-up sides and rear flaps provide open-air feel without having to take the whole hood off
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
iCON FaLCON SOFt BaCk
February 2012 LRO 55
icon retro cLassic, £35,994 as testedYear: 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
No.5
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
Blue is the colour, Retro is the name
N 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
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.
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.
Series III-style light surround and plain steel bumper are both stylish and functional. Other options available
WanT To
KnoW More?
Nene Overland, Manor Farm, Ailsworth,
Cambridgeshire PE5 7AF; neneoverland.
co.uk; 01733 380687
Colour-coded roof, rack and ladder add to the nostalgic feel, yet there's far more to the Classic than looking back
iCON retrO CLaSSiC