Those who know their 4x4s will surely know how much of an important and landmark model the original Land Rover Defender was. While there are still people who own these old birds, they’re not at all compatible with the modern world as it is now. This is where the latest generation of the iconic SUV really comes to the forefront. Staying true to its heritage, the new model of the Defender has been available in short wheelbase (SWB) 90 and long wheelbase (LWB) 110 variants. However, now the British marque has introduced the all-new Defender 130, which gets three rows of seats. This means that the largest member of the Defender family can now take all your family members in one go – as long as the count is eight.
This is what Nick Collins, Executive Director of Vehicle Programmes at Land Roverhad to say, “New Defender 130 brings a new dimension of capability to our 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.”
What’s new on the outside of the Defender 130?
The first thing that you’ll notice about the new Defender 130 is its size – namely, its immense length! This is because the 130 comes in at an impressive 5,358mm, which means that it’s 340mm longer than the Defender 110 that it’s based on. Proof of this lengthening exercise is clearly visible when you take a look at this SUV from the side – but honestly, the extended rear-end simply makes it look ungainly. When it comes to its other numbers, the Defender 130 also shares its wheelbase with the 110, so there’s been no changes made on that front. As for the width and height, the Defender 130 measures 2,008mm and 1,970mm, respectively.
While the overall design hasn’t seen much of a change, the Defender 130 does get an all-new exterior color – Sedona Red. To keep things interesting, Land Rover offers the new Defender 130 with its Extended Bright Pack (optional). The pack comes with exterior lower body panels that are finished in a custom Ceres Silver Satin paint – it stands out even more on units that are painted in colors like Hakuba Silver, Fuji White, or Yulong White. However, while the satin touches are primarily on the lower portions of the Defender 130, the exception include louvres on the hood and the fenders.
Adorning the exterior of the new Defender 130 is a set of stylish 20-inch Luna alloy wheels that can be optioned in a fancy Bright Silver paint. Moreover, the Extended Bright Pack add-on also provides for bumpers and fender flares that are painted in Gloss Black and front & rear skid plates that are finished in Noble Chrome. While the Defender 130 is available in Explorer, Adventure, Country and Urban packs, all trim levels come with roof rails finished in Narvik Black as standard. Land Rover has also tweaked the design of the LED taillights so as to better conform with the rear-end styling of the Defender 130.
What’s on the inside is what makes the Defender 130 so important
Unlike the Defender 90 and Defender 110, the all-new Defender 130 has been designed to accommodate a third row right at the back. That is, this Land Rover is capable of carrying 8 people – making it an ideal choice for families. Land Rover engineers have achieved this by elongating the portion behind the C-pillar without changing the actual wheelbase. On a side note, the Defender 130 is also available in a 5-seater version, plus the 40:20:40 split design of the seats (in the 8-seater) means that you can have several configurations to suit your needs. For instance, with all three rows in place, the 8-seater Defender 130’s boot capacity sits at just 389 liters, which then expands to 1,232 liters with the third row folded.
If you need even more room, you can use the second row as well, which will give you a cavernous 2,291 liters of storage space. As for the 5-seater Defender 130, it gets 2,516 liters of space with the second row folded and 1,329 liters of space behind the second row. For those who want more cargo space than passenger-carrying capacity, the 5-seater version of the Defender 130 fits the bill – vice-versa for those that prefer having more people than just luggage. Just like on the outside, the interior of the new Defender 130 has been given the Nobel Chrome treatment for the electric seat switches and on the controls for the air vents.
Furthermore, complementing the interior (design-wise) are unique touches such as the armrest hinges that are finished in Atlas and speakers that are finished in Ceres Silver. These design features do their bit to highlight certain aspects of this interior. Then there’s the engineered wood veneer that’s made to look like Natural Light Oak, whilst the seat upholstery is made of Light Oyster Perforated Windsor leather. Depending on the options selected, the cabin can be had with either dual-tone Robustec fabric or Vintage Tan Perforated Windsor leather. As with the other new Defender models, the interior of this one also looks like an amalgamation of luxury and ruggedness – both landmarks of new-age Land Rovers.
What kind of toys can you expect with the Defender 130?
Obviously, the all-new Land Rover Defender 130 will be anything but a cheap purchase. This does mean that buyers will demand some modern and state-of-the-art features to justify the inevitably-high price tag. Depending on how well you equip it, the Defender 130 will feature toys such as electronic air suspension, Matrix LED headlamps, four-zone automatic climate control with Cabin Air Purification Plus, a panoramic sunroof with another sunroof for the third-row passengers, a Meridian surround-sound system, USB-C charging ports all around, heated third-row seats, a curved 11.4-inch Pivi Pro touchscreen infotainment system that’s capable of OTA software updates & adaptive in nature, plus supports Smart Voice Guidance along with Connected Car App, and Android Auto & Apple CarPlay.
What’s under the hood?
In the UAE, the all-new Land Rover Defender 130 is likely to be available with P300 and P400 mild-hybrid Ingenium six-cylinder petrol engines. The mild-hybrid system here uses a 48-volt Belt-integrated Starter Generator (BiSG) that not only employs a stop-start system but is also advanced enough to recoup energy from braking. The P300 version of the Defender 130 is fitted with a 3.0-liter engine (with its mild-hybrid system) that makes 296hp and 470Nm of torque. Meanwhile, the P400 version gets the same powertrain, but now it makes 394hp and 550Nm of torque. While the former hits 100 km/h in 8 seconds, the latter only takes 6.6 seconds.
Making best use of all this power is Land Rover’s Intelligent All-Wheel Drive (iAWD) system and an 8-speed ZF automatic gearbox. Given LR’s brilliant and adaptive Terrain Response system and adaptive suspension, the Defender 130 hasn’t lost out on its off-roading capability as such. With its articulated air-suspension travel, front & rear-lifting suspension height, plus 900mm of water-wading capability, the all-new Defender 130 is still a capable 4x4, despite its massive rear overhang. Meanwhile, the Defender 130’s approach angle is 37.5 degrees, breakover angle of 27.8 degrees, and a departure angle of 28.5 degrees.
In conclusion
The all-new Land Rover Defender 130 was envisioned to be a more practical yet capable all-rounder of a luxurious SUV that can tackle the urban and off-road map sans any glitch. Of course, if I’m honest, the Defender 90 (and even the Defender 110) will be far more capable off-road than this stretched variant. Then again, this stretch is what allows the Defender 130 to be a better family-oriented 4x4 from the world of Land Rover.
