DEFENDER 130 UNVEILED
LAND ROVER HAS GIVEN THE DEFENDER MORE PASENGER AND CARGO SPACE WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE BIG-ARSE 130 MODEL
THE extended 2023 Land Rover Defender 130 has debuted with room for eight passengers. Local order books open on August 1, with pricing starting from $124,150 before on-road costs. Unlike the previous Defender 130, which featured a 130-inch (3302-millimetre) wheelbase, the modern version rides on the same 3022mm wheelbase as the regular Defender 110 – but with added length behind the rear axle. As such, it is 340mm longer at 5358mm in overall length, with identical width and height to the Defender 110.
The additional sheet metal in the rear overhang has allowed Land Rover to cater seating for up to eight passengers, with a third row that is more comfortable for three adults – up from the two seats best suited for children in the Defender 110’s third row. Passengers seated at the very back are treated to a second sunroof, air vents with four-zone climate control, padded outboard armrests, USB-C charging ports and optional heated seats. The brand has also introduced raised stadium-like seating in the second and third rows for greater visibility. Isofix child-seat anchor points are available on the outer seats in the second and third row, and the front passenger seat.
There is 389 litres of boot space with all three rows in position – up 100 litres over the 110. This can expand to 1232 litres with the third row folded, which can be completed electronically, or 2291 litres with both rows down. A five-seater version of the Defender 130 will offer additional luggage space, with room for 1329 litres behind the second row, or 2516 litres with it folded down.
Unique finishes include a new Sedona Red exterior paint colour, an Extended Bright Pack exterior trim package, and a natural light oak wood veneer inside.
Locally, the Defender 130 will be available with 48-volt mild-hybrid petrol and diesel in-line-six powertrains. These include a 3.0-litre petrol engine available in 294kw-550nm P400 guises, or a 3.0-litre turbo diesel of 221kw-650nm in D300 form. There is also a 221kw-470nm petrol P300 and 184kw-600nm diesel D250 tunes available overseas. As with the Defender 90 and Defender 110, the engines are matched with an eight-speed Zf-sourced automatic transmission sending power to all four wheels.
Its 0-100km/h times are 6.6 seconds for the P400 and 7.5 seconds for the D300. The 386kw-625nm 5.0-litre supercharged V8, available on the Defender 90 and 110, will not be offered in Defender 130 guise – at least initially.
All variants of the Land Rover Defender, excluding the 110 Hard Top, are covered by a five-star ANCAP safety rating, based on testing conducted in 2020. However, ANCAP is yet to confirm if this rating will extend to the Defender 130. Six airbags (dual frontal, side chest, side head) feature across the range.
Standard off-road features include adaptive air suspension with up to 71.5mm of additional lift at the front and 73.5mm at the rear, a low-range transfer case, and Land Rover’s Terrain Response system. The additional rear overhang affected the departure angle of the Defender 130, with Land Rover including a ‘subtle boattail-style uplift’ in to the back end, for a 28.5-degree departure angle – compared with 40 degrees in a Defender 110 with air suspension. A water wading depth of 900mm is quoted, while the approach and rampover angles remain identical to the Defender 110 at 37.5 degrees and 27.8 degrees, respectively. Braked towing capacity is rated to 3000 kilograms.
The 2023 Land Rover Defender 130 will be available in the coming months, with Australian launch timing to be confirmed.