Land Rover Defender 130 Patent Design Unveiled
The new Land Rover Defender 130 is being prepared for a spring release, and its final design has been revealed in a series of patents filed in the United States.
The stretched SUV was previously photographed in Germany in black and white camouflage, with black wheels and tinted rear windows – but these new sketches provide strong hints at its final design ahead of its unveiling.
The extended wheelbase 130 variant will be the third body style in the reborn Land Rover Defender lineup, positioned as a luxury-oriented flagship to compete with the Audi Q7 and BMW X7 globally, as well as the Cadillac Escalade and Jeep Grand Wagoneer in the United States.
Previously, the model was photographed near Land Rover’s headquarters in Warwickshire, UK. The two sightings provide a close look at the longer car’s final styling as well as an indication of its production readiness.
The exact launch date for the top-of-the-line Defender has yet to be confirmed, but a leaked internal presentation revealed it will arrive in 2022 with eight seats – one more than the current five-door model – prior to the 2019 unveiling of the Defender 90 and Defender 110.
The Land Rover Defender 130 will be positioned as the Defender’s premium explorer, while the entry-level 90 will be the halo, image icon, and the 110 will be the definitive Defender. As a result, it’s likely to command a significant price premium over other Defender models and will only be available in top-tier trim levels.
While the original Land Rover Defender 130 had a longer wheelbase than the 110, the new car’s longer footprint is due to a visibly increased rear overhang, which brings its total length to 5.1m – 342mm longer than the 110 and 227mm longer than the rival Mercedes-Benz G-Class.
The previously seen prototype was outfitted with Land Rover’s new mild-hybridized 3.0-liter straight-six petrol engine, which produces 360hp and has a 0-100kph time of 6.5sec in the Discovery. The Defender 130 will also be available with the full range of diesel and petrol powertrains, including the P300e plug-in hybrid and the 550hp supercharged petrol V8.
An open-backed pickup truck variant to compete with the Ford Ranger and Mitsubishi L200 in international markets is also expected.
Vehicle programs executive director Nick Collins told that a Defender pick-up would have “no structural limitations” and hinted at the possibility of such a model by recalling Land Rover’s previous intentions to market the Defender as a complete “family” of models.
The British SUV manufacturer recently unveiled the all-new fifth-generation Range Rover here for Rs 2.31 crore (ex-showroom, India). Bookings for the luxury SUV have begun, and it will be available with three engine options, three seating configurations, and two wheelbase options.
