New Land Rover Defender 130 makes the large SUV even bigger, with seating for eight but the same stylish looks...
On sale Late 2022 | Price from £73,895
Think of the new Land Rover Defender 130 as the Grand Big Mac of the Defender line-up, in that it takes the already large Defender 110 and simply offers more of it. How much more, you ask? Well, thanks to a 340mm extension at the rear, the Defender 130 can be had as an eight-seater, promising comfort for a carful of adults, or as a five-seater with a vast boot.
Other visual changes from the regular Defender include a standard-fit panoramic sunroof – which has a separate section above the third row of seats – and black roof rails. Several exterior options are exclusive to the 130, including Sedona Red paint and the Extended Bright Pack, which adds a satin silver finish to the body cladding and chrome to the front and rear skid plates.
Inside, all Defender 130s receive several upgrades, including the 11.4in touchscreen infotainment system that was introduced in the Defender 90 and 110 V8. This system features the What3words navigation app, which splits the entire Earth into uniquely named three-by-three metre squares so you can pinpoint your exact location.
The eight-seat Defender 130 is also divided into sections, with room for two passengers up front, plus three in the middle and a further three in the rearmost row. The second and third rows sit slightly higher than the front pair to give those sitting behind a better view, and the Defender’s high roofline means this isn’t likely to leave head room in short supply unless you’re especially tall.
The boot is slightly bigger than rivals’ when the rearmost seats are in use; you get 389 litres, compared with the Land Rover Discovery’s 172 litres. The Defender 130’s space expands to 1232 litres with the third row down, and 2291 litres with both three-seat rows stowed away.
The five-seat version of the 130 mirrors the Defender 110’s seating layout, but with a huge 1329-litre luggage capacity – dwarfing the outgoing Range Rover Sport’s 647-litre space. Fold the rear seats down and you get a van-like 2516 litres – 116 litres more than in the Mercedes GLS.
Regardless of which Defender 130 you choose, the second row splits in a 40/20/40 arrangement, as does the third row in the eight-seat version. This means you have plenty of options for storing oddly shaped cargo.
It should also be a capable workhorse, thanks to a maximum carry weight of 750kg in eight-seat form or 800kg in five-seat form, plus a maximum towing capacity of 3000kg. That’s on a par with small vans such as the Citroën Berlingo and Ford Transit Connect.
As for performance, the Defender 130 will be available with three engines. The 296bhp 3.0-litre P300 petrol is the entry point to the range and can accelerate from 0-60mph in 7.5sec. The D300 3.0-litre diesel has the same power output, but completes the 0-60mph sprint in 7.1sec. If you’d like more punch, you can opt for the 395bhp P400 petrol, which can dispatch 60mph in 6.3sec. Land Rover is yet to confirm whether the P400e plug-in hybrid (PHEV) or the P525 5.0-litre V8 will eventually be available in the Defender 130.
Land Rover also promises that the Defender 130 will largely retain the off-road talents of the Defender 90 and 110. However, the 130’s maximum departure angle – the angle at which it can climb uphill before its rear bumper strikes the ground – is only 28.5deg. That’s much lower than the smaller cars’ 40deg capabilities.
Prices for the Defender 130 start at £73,895, which nets you the P300 engine and entry-level X-Dynamic SE trim. This price pushes the Defender into the territory of luxury SUVs such as the Audi Q7 (£59,820), BMW X5 (£64,040) and BMW X7 (£79,345).
A range-topping Defender 130 P400 X costs £100,645 – more than an entry-level version of the upcoming new Range Rover.
A special First Edition trim level based on mid-rung HSE specification will also be available for a limited time, starting from £82,610.
Keyword: 2022 Land Rover Defender 130 large SUV revealed: price, specs and release date