The three-row Defender still Land Rovers just fine, but regular third-row users might be better off looking elsewhere.
When the all-new Land Rover Defender finally arrived in 2020 after years of anticipation in 2020, it broke with tradition in all sorts of ways. The original Defender used a body-on-frame chassis; the new one used a unibody. The old ones rode on coil springs and solid front and rear axles; the new one uses air springs and independent suspension. The old Defender looked like the box it came in; the new version, from some angles, almost seemed like a character from Thomas the Tank Engine.
One thing Land Rover didn’t ditch, though: offering the Defender in different sizes. Like the original one, the new version offers what amounts to tall, grande and venti options, in three different lengths and two different door counts. While I’ve had a chance to sample the first two sizes in the past, Land Rover has just rolled out the extended-length Defender 130 model for the 2023 model year — so I jumped at the chance to take it for a spin.
The Land Rover Defender 130 is the biggest Defender yet
Defender nomenclature is fairly simple: there’s a Defender 90, a Defender 110, and a Defender 130; the bigger the number, the bigger the car. (Those numbers used to signify the wheelbase lengths of each model back during the first-gen Defender days, but now, they’re just throwbacks.)
Unlike previous models, the current L663-generation Defender 110 and 130 share the same wheelbase of 119 inches; the extra 14 inches all comes between the rear axle and the rear hatch. In person, this gives the 130 a more exaggerated, cab-backwards look than its stubbier siblings; there’s almost something of a locomotive look to it.
As a result of its identical wheelbase, it’s no surprise that the Defender 130 drives just like the 110. The increase in length and mass isn’t great enough to change the performance of the 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six that comes standard in all but the base model, and is capable of slinging it from 0-60 mph in 6.3 seconds — it’s more than brisk enough for the real world. Its suspension is still soft and pliant, designed more for soaking up bumps than tracking crisply through turns; this is an SUV where you’re not likely to wind up exceeding the speed limit much on winding two-lane roads.
Even so, the Defender 130 isn’t quite as usable as many other three-row SUVs
Clamber inside, and everything in the front is the same as other new Defenders, from the flashy Pivi Pro infotainment screen that remains a big improvement over past Jaguar Land Rover systems to the exposed crossbeam dash that frees up a tremendous amount of storage space for small items to the bevy of other hidey-holes to the function-first design, complete with exposed metal and rugged, rubberized trim. It’s a comfortable, pleasant place to log hundreds of miles
Pivot your attention to the rear, and you’ll find space isn’t quite as generous as that extended body might make it seem. The second row is tighter than you might expect, as in the 90 and 110; my admittedly-tall form had to wedge my feet into the footwell. The seats also don’t pack the same sort of comfort as you’ll find in the front, or in the second row of many modern vehicles.
The third row feels like a compromised proposition compared to what you find in many three-row sport-utes. Climbing back there requires awkward contortions; the second-row seat doesn’t move forward far enough to create an opening large enough for easy access. Once you’re back there, things are, well, tight. Land Rover claims that third row can seat three across, but the narrow confines and lack of legroom make that seem like a scenario you’d aim to avoid most of the time. (You do, however, get your very own skylight, which makes it feel less constrained back there)
The cargo capacity situation also feels compromised. With the third row up, there’s barely enough room behind them for a trio of large backpacks. Fold the seats down — a manual process, in spite of the luxury-car pricetag — and you’re left with a substantial amount of space, but no flat load floor. The backs of the seats sit a couple inches higher than the far stern section of the cargo bay.
If you have your heart set on a Land Rover and just want to maximize your interior volume, the Defender 130 is the obvious choice. If you genuinely plan on using more than four of its seats on a regular basis, though, you’d be better served with a more traditional full-size SUV. For the price of a six-cylinder Defender 130, you could snag a Chevy Tahoe Z71, Ford Expedition Timberline or even a GMC Yukon Denali — all of which offer more space and better seating arrangements in their second and third rows.
As an aside: Remember, any off-roader is only as good as its tires
As part of the first drive event for the Defender 130, Land Rover invited us to Destination Defender, a weekend celebration of all things Defender in New York’s scenic Hudson Valley complete with an off-road experience, camping and glamping and activities and activations, all wrapped up with a ceremony to announce the five non-profit organizations that would be winning a $25,000 grant and a new Defender 130 as part of the 2022 Defender Service Awards. I didn’t think anything of driving to the event, which was held at an equestrian event center out past the pavement. Having taken Defenders off-road on multiple occasions, I can testify to the rock-crawling, water-fording, terrain-conquering capabilities of this machine — unibody construction and all those other so-called “weaknesses” many off-road nerds decry be damned.
So it was something of a shock when I tried to leave…and found the Defender 130 unable to scramble out of the parking lot.
The night before, the heavens had opened up due to the remnants of what was once Hurricane Nicole and drowned the meadow where we then parked, super-saturating the ground and turning it to thick, gooey mud beneath the grass. Mud and Ruts mode in the Terrain Response system proved fruitless. Low range was useless. Locking the center differential did nothing. It didn’t make sense — until I glanced at the tires. The Defender was outfitted in Pirelli Scorpion Zero performance all-seasons, which, even the brand admits, do all sorts of things well…except go off-road. Shod those in road-biased Pirellis, the mighty Defender was as feckless in the mud as any soft-roader.
Ultimately, it took the help of a group of Land Rover enthusiasts and employees (including the head of their off-road driving program taking over behind the wheel) and a set of Maxx Trax to free the 130 from its muddy prison. It was a lesson in humility, to be sure, but also one in proper tire choice. If you’re planning on taking any truck or SUV off-road, slap some true all-terrain tires on it.
2023 Land Rover Defender 130
Base Price: $69,475
Powertrain: 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four / 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six; eight-speed automatic; four-wheel-drive
Horsepower: 296 / 395
Torque: 295 lb-ft / 406 lb-ft
EPA Fuel Economy: 17 mpg city, 21 mpg highway
Seats: Eight, if they’re not very big and pack light
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Keyword: 2023 Land Rover Defender 130 Review: More Space, But a Tight Squeeze