Defender “Puma" (also called Defender TDCi or Td4/Tdci in various markets) is the late-production phase of the classic Land Rover Defender fitted with Ford-derived common-rail turbo-diesel engines and a Getrag MT82 6-speed manual gearbox. It debuted for the 2007 model year and ran until the end of classic Defender production (widely reported as ending in 2016).
What changed in the Puma update
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2007MY: Introduction of the 2.4-litre TDCi diesel and the MT82 6-speed gearbox (often written “GFT MT82” in period write-ups), replacing the older 5-speed era.
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2012MY (announced Aug 2011): The EU5 2.2-litre diesel replaced the EU4 2.4 in EU5 markets, typically adding a DPF to meet emissions rules; Land Rover noted power/torque/economy broadly matched the outgoing engine.
MT82 gearbox (Defender spec)
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Type: 6-speed manual transmission used longitudinally in the Defender.
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Torque rating (commonly cited in service literature): 360 Nm maximum torque capacity.
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Why it mattered: Wider ratio spread—lower 1st for crawl/towing and a taller 6th for cruising refinement (as described in 2007MY coverage).
Drivetrain layout
These Defenders retained the classic Defender layout: engine + MT82 gearbox + LT230 transfer case driving solid axles (the LT230 coupling/output area is where one well-known wear issue shows up).
Common MT82-era issue
A frequent real-world problem is premature wear at the gearbox output / splined coupling to the LT230 transfer case. Specialist transmission suppliers describe this as a common failure point and sell upgrade kits/shafts to address it.
