Land Rover has just revealed its latest addition to the Defender line-up with the extended body Defender 130.
Alongside the Defender 90 and 110, the new 130 adds a new dimension to the range. What is now the longest Defender model, it lives up to its original 130 namesake by allowing the transport of up to eight occupants.
To fit those extra passengers, the Defender has been extended by 340mm at the rear to increase interior space for a third row of seating and the luggage area. Speaking of which, the 130 allows for up to 389 cubic litres of cargo volume with the third row still in place – perfect for a family expedition (or a long day’s shopping). That takes the overall length to nearly 5.4m.
However, that cargo volume can increase to 2,291 litres with rows two and three folded down and 1,232 litres with just the third row folded. If you opt for the five seater 130, cargo volume gets another bump to 2,516 litres with rows two and three folded down.
With larger rear windows and a panoramic glass sunroof as standard, plenty of light is available to highlight the new interior options including chrome switchgear detailing, natural light oak wood veneer, and the larger 11.4-inch Pivi Pro touchscreen (which comes standard) previously found on the Defender 90 and 110 V8.
The infotainment system has also received an “extension” with the integration of the ‘what3words’ global location platform that uses three keywords uniquely tethered to 57 trillion 3m x 3m squares across the globe. This can all be done without the need for a phone signal.
We wonder where ‘land-rover-defender’ will take you?
A striking new exterior option dubbed ‘Extended Bright Pack’ gives the Defender a unique character with a silver satin finish to lower body cladding around the vehicle.
In terms of powertrains, the 130 comes equipped with mild-hybrid engines with the option of Land Rover’s petrol and diesel Ingenium six-cylinders providing the new 130 with plenty of power to adventure.
The petrol 3.0 P400 Ingenium six-cylinder and mild-hybrid combination offers 294kW of power and 550Nm of torque while the diesel 3.0 D300 equivalent offers 221kW and 650Nm. These figures are sent through Land Rover’s Intelligent All-Wheel Drive (iAWD) system and eight-speed ZF automatic transmission as standard.
With electronic air suspension and various off road modes, the 130 makes off-road obstacles look easy with 71.5mm of additional lift at the front and 73.5mm at the rear. This makes wading a breeze with the 130 being capable of 900mm wading depth.
Pricing for the new model has yet to be determined for New Zealand.