The Newer, Bigger Land Rover Defender 130 Adds a Third Row of Seats
Land Rover’s Defender lineup just got bigger—in more ways than one.
The British 4×4 specialists unveiled the 2023 Defender 130 on Tuesday. Joining the Defenders 90 and 110—which both debuted in late 2019—the latest addition to the family is easily the biggest yet and even has room for a third row of seats.
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As its numbering suggests, the Defender 130 is a giant. Spanning 211 inches (or roughly 17 and a half feet) bumper to bumper, it’s a 30.6 inches longer than the two-door Defender 90 and 13.4 inches bigger than the four-door Defender 110. It’s not just bigger than its siblings, either. It’s also 15.9 inches longer than Land Rover’s only other three-row SUV, the Discovery. Interestingly, the Defender 130 has the same 119-inch wheelbase as the Defender 110, which means the two SUV’s look almost identical until you get to the rear wheels. From there, the largest Defender has a significantly larger rear end than the medium-sized model. While you won’t be able to tell the difference unless you’re viewing the sporty off-roader from the side, the change brings a boxier silhouette.
Inside, the Defender 130’s added length is impossible to miss. The longer chassis has given Land Rover enough room to fit in an extra row of seats. These aren’t pop up seats in the rear cargo area. Instead, the rear-most bench has more than enough room for three full-sized adults and increases the total seating capacity to eight (in a 2+3+3 configuration), which is actually one more than the three-row Discovery.
The automaker says that, with the third row up, you’ll have a respectable 13.7 cubic feet of cargo room. That expands to 43.5 cubic feet and to 88.9 cubic feet if you fold down the second row, too. So, whether you’re moving people or things, space likely won’t be an issue with the 130.
Land Rover
Added size isn’t the only thing that sets the Defender 130 apart from the rest of the line, though. The four-cylinder and V-8 that have been options for past Defenders are gone (at least at launch), but you will have two new mild-hybrid-assisted, turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder Ingenium engines from which to choose.
The first of those powertrains, the P300, will produce 296 hp and 347 ft lbs of torque, while the second, the P400, delivers 395 hp and 406 ft lbs of torque. Land Rover hasn’t said how fast the SUV will be, but the P300 will be able to sprint from zero to 60 mph in 7.5 seconds, while the P400 can accomplish the same feat in 6.3 seconds. Whichever powertrain you opt for, it’ll come mated to an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission that sends power to all four wheels. The automaker’s air suspension, which can boost ground clearance by 2.8 inches when you’re off-roading, comes standard.
A firm sale date for the Defender 13 has yet to be announced, but you can expect it to be available before the end of the year. It will start at $68,000, and you can order the hulking 4×4 now through the Land Rover website.
Check out more photos of the SUV below:
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