2002 SANTANA PS 10 Plus 2.8 TD

Vehicle Overview

Santana introduced a last upgrade for the PS10 lineup in 2002, before ending the production when Iveco took over the Spanish carmaker.

The PS10 was the backbone for many farmers, companies, and local forces for many years. Its simple, rugged construction allowed it to easily cope with difficult areas in the mountains. But as time went by, there were fewer and fewer requests for such hard-working vehicles.

The PS10 was a well-built Land Rover Series III, with newer features and more powerful engines. Its exterior look resembled the old British vehicle, but with a straight front fascia. Its straight lines, body panels, and doors were similar to the Land Rover Series III. Still, it featured dual round headlights instead of single ones and vertical taillights instead of small, round ones found on the Defender or Series III. The Plus version offered a long wheelbase and five doors. Despite the vehicle’s size, the carmaker decided to keep the spare wheel on the rear door.

Inside, the PS10 Plus featured five seats as standard plus two additional side-mounted benches in the trunk for a total of nine occupants. The PS10 Plus carried over all the Series III driving position problems at the front, but its dashboard looked better. Its instrument cluster sported a big dial for the speedometer flanked on the sides, in individual clusters, by the tachometer on the left and a pair of gauges on a common dial on the right. Between the front seats, the carmaker offered an armrest as an option.

Unlike the Defender, which was already an all-wheel-drive vehicle, the Santana remained a 4×4 vehicle with low range gear and leaf springs. That made it less comfortable but a very tough, rugged vehicle.