Stretched Defender 110 five-door measures a long 5.4 metres overall
The 2022 Land Rover Defender 130 has been revealed in all its glory, combining the formidable Defender off-road recipe with room for up to eight people in a new longer and more versatile 2+3+3 seating arrangement.
Unlike other seven- and eight-seat SUVs that typically offer up a more compact third row, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is adamant the stretched Defender has room for “up to eight adults” across its three rows of “full-size seating” and retains almost all of the 90 and 110’s off-road capability.
There’s also stadium-style seating, with slightly higher second and third rows to aid outward vision, plus a sliding second row and an air suspension lowering function to help loading and ingress/egress.
Crucially, however, the Defender 130 will also be offered in some markets as a five-seater, offering up an expansive 1329 litres of boot space, compared to the eight-seater’s 1232L when third row is stowed.
Erect that third row and cargo space predictably drops to 389L – around the same as mainstream hatch.
Conversely, up to 2516L of space is on offer inside the five-seater when the second row is folded flat; 219L more than the three-row version (2291L).
Overall, the flagship Defender measures a huge 5358mm from nose to tail and rides on a 3022mm wheelbase (119 inches – less than the old Defender 130’s 130-inch wheelbase), which is the same length as the Defender 110’s wheelbase and means all of its extra 340mm of body length resides behind the rear wheels.
While obviously longer, there’s very little to distinguish the Defender 130 from its shorter stablemates in terms of styling, but the eagle-eyed will likely spot the unique rear bumper design’s “subtle boat tail-style uplift” – to help counter the longer rear overhang – and tweaked tail-lights that went under the knife to ensure they continue matching the vehicle’s character lines.
For the hard-core off-roaders, the Defender 130’s ground clearance remains a generous 290mm and its approach, breakover and departure angles are 37.5, 27.8 and 28.5 degrees respectively – the latter being well down on the Defender 110’s more generous 40-degree departure angle.
Other exclusive touches include black roof rails, a third-row sunroof and a bespoke colour palette headlined by the new Sedona Red.
There have been subtle changes on the inside too, with a heap more storage being added to the equation along with carpeted floors and a bigger 11.4-inch Pivi Pro infotainment touch-screen pinched from the Defender V8.
The enlarged body rides on adaptive and height-adjustable air suspension across all five Defender 130 model grades – SE, HSE, X-Dynamic, X and First Edition – which can be lowered from the tailgate to help load items into the rear.
Under the bonnet we find the familiar array of turbocharged Ingenium six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, all of which are hooked up to an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission sending drive to all four wheels all of the time.
Specifically, the powertrain line-up comprises 3.0-litre P300 and P400 petrol engines developing 221kW/470Nm and 294kW/550Nm respectively, while the 3.0-litre D250 and D300 diesels churn out 184kW/600Nm and 221kW/650Nm in that order.
Off-road capability continues to be one of the signature hallmarks of the Land Rover Defender, which is why all versions of the 130 feature a low-range transfer case, the aforementioned adaptive air suspension and the latest iteration of JLR’s Terrain Response system.
The height adjustable suspension means there’s up to 430mm of wheel articulation on offer in each corner, while the wading depth is a LandCruiser-busting 900mm, although the fabled Toyota claws some ground back in terms of its braked towing capacity: 3500kg versus the Defender 130’s 3000kg.
According to Land Rover Vehicle Programmes executive director Nick Collins, the Defender 130 “brings a new dimension of capability” to the brand’s “most durable and rugged family of vehicles”.
“Its spacious interior welcomes and transports up to eight people in supreme comfort, enabling unparalleled sophisticated adventuring opportunities for families, with unique design signatures to create a distinct ‘New Defender’ experience,” he said.
UK pricing for the new eight-seater starts from £73,895 ($A129,784) before on-road costs. Australian pricing and spec details will be announced late tonight – our local coverage will go live at 1:00am AEST tomorrow (June 1).
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Keyword: New Land Rover Defender 130 eight-seater debuts