Land Rover Defender 130 8-Seat Revealed
Land Rover has unveiled the Defender 130, the SUV’s third body style with seating for up to eight people. The new Defender 130 will be positioned above the Defender 110 and Defender 90 in the worldwide market, with the latter two already on the market in India.
The Land Rover Defender is now available in three body styles, with the larger, eight-seat 130 models crowning the 4×4’s lineup.
Despite its openly premium orientation compared to the utilitarian original, Land Rover executives vowed from the start that the second-generation Defender would have the same flexibility of purpose, thanks to the same three-pronged model line-up: 90, 110, and 130.
Unlike its predecessor, the Land Rover Defender 130 adds 340mm of a length behind the back axle rather than between the wheels. As a result, it shares the same C-pillar as the mid-sized 110. It is somewhat longer than the BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz G-Class, with a total length of 5,358mm. It is designed to compete with the largest luxury SUVs on the market.
With the two rows of back seats folded, the increased length creates a massive 2,516-litre load area. In the same setup, that’s 953 litres more than the 110. But, more importantly, it offers a novel two-three-three seating layout as an option, making Defender Europe’s only major SUV capable of seating more than seven people.
To improve forward sight, the eight-seat car’s three rows are organised in a’stadium’ style, with the middle and rearmost rows slightly elevated. With “extensive headroom,” heated seats, padded armrests, storage cubbies, and USB-C ports, Land Rover claims entry to the back seats is “effortless.” Three adults can travel in luxury in the back with “generous headroom,” heated seats, padded armrests, storage cubbies, and USB-C connections. A second panoramic sunroof is also available in the back of the car, making the cabin “light and airy for everyone.” Four-zone air conditioning is also available as an option.
The Land Rover Defender 130, like the top-of-the-line V8 versions of the 90 and 110, comes standard with Land Rover’s largest, 11.4-inch curved touchscreen, which runs the newest version of the company’s Pivi Pro software. A variety of new interior trim options are available for the 130, including chrome air vents and seat switches, walnut veneer, and tan leather seats.
From the start, it comes in five trim levels: SE, HSE, X-Dynamic, X, and the limited-run First Edition, which comes in three “carefully curated” unique color combinations and has the majority of the option boxes checked.
Adaptive air suspension is standard on all models, with up to 430mm of articulation and a wading depth of 900mm in its highest setting. The Land Rover Defender 130 has a departure angle of 28.5 degrees, which is lower than the 110’s 40 degrees but still competitive against its luxury off-roading rivals, thanks to a “subtle boat-tail lifting” of the lower body behind the rear wheels to make place for the extra space.
Three mild-hybrid powertrains, familiar from the shorter Defender versions, are available, each mated with an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission. The P300 petrol straight-six has 300hp and 470Nm, while the P400 adds 100hp and 80Nm, as well as cutting the 0-100kph sprint time from 8.0sec to 6.6sec. The D300 straight-six, with 300hp and 650Nm of torque, covers the 0-100kph sprint in 7.5 seconds. Additional powertrain derivatives have yet to be announced, however, the 90 and 110 are both available with plug-in hybrid and performance-oriented V8 options.
While there is no official confirmation, we expect the new Defender 130 to arrive in India in the near future, based on Land Rover’s practice of introducing practically every model in India. The all-new Range Rover and Range Rover Sport have already been priced for our market, and deliveries are slated to begin later this year.
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