The Land Rover Defender 130 is longer and has extra seats than another new Defender. This, in fact, means it will possibly haul round extra folks and kit in your off-road adventures.
We’re on the Land Rover Expertise Middle in Asheville, North Carolina, to seek out out at what expense to functionality that further capability comes with. And, to see simply how far you possibly can take a contemporary Defender with seating for eight on board.
Defender’s numbers used to imply one thing. The traditional Defender 90 had a wheelbase of 93 inches (shut sufficient), the 110 was 110, and the Defender 130 was 127. OK, perhaps they weren’t actual, however they had been a minimum of within the ballpark.
With the brand new era Defender, the numbers imply little to nothing in regards to the wheelbase. The Defender 90 now has a 101.9-inch wheelbase, the 110 is 119 inches between the axles, and the Defender 130 can be 119 inches.
The D130 is 13.3 inches longer than the D110, and all of that further is behind the rear axle.
In brief: The biggest Land Rover Defender, the D130, provides an entire bunch extra inside area whereas solely sacrificing minimal functionality on the excessive finish of the off-road spectrum. We simply want the additional cargo room was flat just like the cargo area within the Defender 110 as an alternative of uneven and a bit harder to make use of to its full potential.
-
Engine
3.0L I6 w/ 48V Delicate Hybrid -
HP/Torque
395/406 -
MPG
17/21/19 metropolis/freeway/mixed -
Cargo
13.7 cu. ft. (43.5 w/ seats folded) -
Towing
8,200 lbs.
-
Three rows for adults -
Easy, plentiful energy -
Plenty of cargo area -
Wonderful trip on- and off-road -
Spectacular 4×4 system
-
Center row doesn’t fold flat -
Lumpy cargo flooring -
No USB ports for rear passengers -
Stiff driver’s seat -
Poor departure angle -
No V8 or PHEV choices, but
Defender 130 Will get Useable Third Row
The lengthy rear overhang provides a load of room for rear-seat passengers — 11.2 inches extra knee room for the third row of seats, to be exact.
Defender 110’s elective third row is a penalty field for teenagers you don’t like. With the 130, it’s reworked into one thing far more usable. I’m uncomfortable within the second row of loads of SUVs, and at 6’3″, I match within the third row simply fantastic. The center row slides fore and aft, making much more foot room obtainable for these in the way in which again.
It’s not all enjoyable and third-row video games, although. The entryway to the again is sort of slender. I discovered it simpler to fold the second row (nearly) flat after which slide in and over it as an alternative of taking the supposed path.
On the one hand, that’s a contact annoying. On the opposite, going off-road inside your Land Rover appears fairly on model.
Extra Cargo Area, Much less Practicality?
Behind that third row, Defender 130 provides 13.7 cubic toes of cargo area. That’s heaps greater than the 8.2 supplied within the 110. Fold the third row of seats, and you’ve got 43.5 cubic toes versus the 32.3 of the three-row Defender 110.
With 81.5 inches of size from the again of the entrance seats, till you hit the side-opening tailgate, you would possibly assume the Land Rover Defender 130 could be an excellent rig if you happen to had been planning to sleep inside. You’d be flawed — except you’re planning to rig up some severe mattress modifications.
The ground is much from flat, even dropping down considerably behind the rearmost seats. The second and third rows don’t fold utterly flat, and there are massive gaps between the rows.
The Defender 110’s seats do fold utterly flat within the two-row mannequin, and within the three-row, the ground is flat from the tailgate to the again of the center row.
In case you’re planning on automobile tenting, you would possibly need to add on a roof tent and use the elective accent deployable (331-pound capability) roof ladder to climb up and down. The static load ranking of the roof is 661 kilos (together with the load of the Expedition Roof Rack), so it ought to be fairly accommodating.
Solely Slight Off-Street Compromises
There’s one different massive facet impact from the additional rear overhang: The departure angle shrinks.
A Defender 90’s departure angle is nearly as good as 40 levels, with the air suspension totally lifting the automobile and the identical on the 110 mannequin. On the Defender 130, it drops to simply 28.5 levels, although the strategy and breakover angles are the identical because the shorter variations.
Additionally, the muffler hangs method out on the again, which might pose some points. It’s the primary place that may hit, even when geared up with a trailer hitch.
The Defender 130’s mufflers stayed clear on the intensive off-road driving programs we used. There have been steep ascents, descents, and tall mounds to climb, however nothing appeared to the touch the bottom.
Whereas there have been some indicators of rear-end dragging within the type of contemporary marks on the North Carolina clay, none of them appeared to be from us.
However, this was Land Rover’s personal course, designed particularly to point out off its autos. It is sensible we wouldn’t scrape. Underneath the muffler is a troublesome place to place a skid plate with out making the difficulty worse, so if you happen to’re a hard-core off-roader, it’s one thing to bear in mind.
Land Rover Defender 130 Will get Normal Air Suspension
Whereas an possibility on all Defenders, solely the D130 comes commonplace with air suspension. The air system can drop by two inches to make it simpler to get out and in, and it will possibly additionally climb as much as 5.8 inches to present you most floor clearance.
Land Rover says that the air suspension permits for as much as 16.9 inches of articulation. I solely know that determine as a result of I regarded it up after the drive. Why did I look it up? Not simply within the curiosity of thoroughness however as a result of I had observed barely any wheel journey on the D130s on path, even over essentially the most extreme obstacles.
You possibly can watch an icon exhibiting the suspension shifting up and down as a part of the off-road data show, and it’s fairly cool. However why was I seeing data that conflicted with my eyes?
Land Rover Defender No-Street Consolation
Seems it’s due to simply how good the trick air suspension and digital shocks are. I used to be solely watching the wheels transfer when the automobile was shifting with some velocity. Once you’re pounding down the path, the air does the work. The impacts are all soaked up, however the wheels and tires barely transfer up and down.
In slow-speed maneuvers, the suspension will droop and compress much more, serving to maintain the rubber on the bottom as a lot as potential.
The additional weight of the Defender 130 helps out on trails as properly. To steal a observe from my co-driver, it helps decelerate how shortly the again tires go away the bottom over obstacles. A extra light pivot.
The 130 is round 400 kilos heavier than a 110, with all of that weight method on the again. In fact, if you happen to bury it in mud or snow, you’ll shortly remorse the load. However, you could possibly have three further passengers to assist push.
Legendary Land Rover Extremely-Easy Traction
All Defender 130 fashions get Land Rover’s intelligent AWD system and a low-range switch case. The AWD system with an digital heart differential works exceptionally properly with the traction management system to maximise grip. Even with out the obtainable limited-slip rear.
What made the system stand out was simply how clear it was. No screaming solenoids from beneath, no jerky including and dumping of energy from the engine. The Defender simply did its factor and stored you going even with street-oriented tires on 20- and 22-inch wheels (relying on trim degree). It made superb use of the obtainable grip.
On the drive, I principally used the Mud and Ruts mode setting, however with the elective Superior Off-Street Functionality Pack, the system is very configurable. You can also make throttle response extraordinarily sluggish for higher pedal management, loosen or tighten the heavy steering, and make extra tweaks than I knew what to do with.
Identical to on the path, the on-pavement trip of the Defender 130 is nearly the identical because the 110. The air suspension handles the additional weight simply fantastic. The one distinction I observed was a tiny bit of additional sway within the wind attributable to the additional facet sheet steel. However, it was further windy, and I might be splitting hairs.
Six-Cylinder Just for Defender 130
The Defender 130 is simply supplied with Land Rover’s 3.0L inline six-cylinder engine. S-trim fashions get a 296 horsepower P300 mannequin distinctive to the 130 with 347 pound-feet of torque — the shorter Defender P300s have a 2.0L four-cylinder that makes the identical energy however simply 295 pound-feet.
All different D130 trims are the P400-badged model with 395 horsepower. The P400 is a mild-hybrid system with a 48-volt starter-generator system that helps enhance the start-stop system’s efficiency.
Land Rover doesn’t provide the 5.0L supercharged V8 from the Defender 90 and 110 with its 518 horsepower on the 130. This makes us a bit bit unhappy as a result of that engine is foolish enjoyable. We had been informed, although, that it was coming.
The six sounds burly sufficient, although, and the P400 fashions on the drive had loads of energy. They sucked down loads of gasoline, too. Omit the off-road bits, and I noticed an indicated 19.3 miles per gallon on a route that was largely rural highways.
Further Sunroof, Not Sufficient Plugs
Apart from the additional size, the most important distinction within the cabin is above you. Whereas Defender 110 fashions can get cool retro-inspired roof edge home windows, 130 fashions get one thing higher — a large fixed-panel sunroof with shade. The glass lets a lot of gentle in and helps make the final row really feel extra spacious.
Annoyingly, regardless of all of the seats, there aren’t many USB energy ports within the Defender 130. There was one USB-A and USB-C within the entrance console, and top-spec fashions had one on the sprint for the entrance passenger. That’s not a lot energy for eight occupants, one thing to bear in mind.
There are many seize handles inside, in all three rows. The entrance heart console handles are sturdy and really feel like they’ll really be used to assist get out and in. That’s a pleasant shock in a area the place most seize handles really feel like they’re connected to the automobile with hopes and prayers relatively than precise fasteners.
Land Rover’s 11.3-inch display screen is obvious, crisp, and (importantly) responsive. The multi-function dials for the temperature management that additionally deal with terrain settings, seat warming, and the fan velocity relying on what button you push, are a lot much less intuitive, although you’ll most likely get used to it fairly shortly.
A Defender 130 S, the bottom trim, begins from $68,000. That’s a little bit of a hike over the $53,500 beginning worth of the 110, but it surely does include so much further. Begin optioning the 2 extra carefully, together with the additional seats and air suspension, and the costs near inside a number of thousand. Not unhealthy for the additional area and that six-cylinder engine.
Land Rover Defender 130 Overview: Conclusion
With the Defender 130, Land Rover has made the retro model and off-road functionality of the Defender accessible to households who want extra seats and/or more room. It may well do almost every little thing the D110 can, however with further cargo area and actual third-row room.
Regardless of that rear overhang, we even just like the seems to be of this one. It will be so much higher, although, if Land Rover might flatten out the cargo flooring. That would flip this into one thing particular in your subsequent journey.