Jan. 29—Rich in heritage, Land Rover has debuted its latest and longest SUV with lots of fanfare to entice buyers looking for off-road chops combined with luxurious features.

The new Defender 130 is a takeoff from the 110 model, adding 13 inches in length, accommodating third row seating for eight or oodles of cargo. First impressions are lasting with this nearly 18-foot chariot that will challenge most standard size garages, something to consider in northern climates.

Land Rover has been around for decades with a storied past. Years back it was United Kingdom's response to American Jeeps. Ownership has been a hodgepodge of sorts splitting between British manufacturing and Jaguar Land Rover. Both were purchased from Ford in 2008 and later bought by Tata Motors of India, now titled under Jaguar Land Rover Limited.

The exterior of the 130 is monstrous, challenging Escalade and Suburban for bragging rights. It wasn't always that way though.

Earlier Defender versions introduced in 1984 included two and four-door off-road cars, pickup trucks and the stretched Land Rover 127 — the forerunner of the new Defender. The rear end of the Defender mimics a large derriere with a centered full size spare tire flanked by vertical taillights. A liftgate opens toward the curb — a bit cumbersome while loading street side.

The new generation Defender drops with tradition replacing body on frame chassis with unibody construction for a smoother ride on pavement. Air springs and independent suspension have also replaced coil springs and solid axles, to the displeasure of some.

The Defender is available in four trim levels: S, SE, X-Dynamic SE and X with a First Edition variant — our tester for a week. This is not an inexpensive SUV. Prices range from mid $50,000 to more than $110,000, with ours stickered at $92,725.

Engine choices include a pair of six-cylinder mild hybrids, the smaller producing 296 horsepower while its colleague develops 395 ponies. Each is mated with an eight-speed automatic-transmission and both have standard all-wheel drive. Our tester, fitted with the latter power plant, reached 60 miles per hour from a dead stop in 6.2 seconds, respectable for a vehicle weighing in at 5,773 pounds. The Defender can tow up to 8,200 pounds.

For off-roading, the Defender is top of the hill up against Jeep, Bronco and most others. It has advanced systems including configurable terrain response, height adjustable air suspension, locking differentials, special deep-water mode, adaptive dynamics and hill descent control.

Contact independent automotive columnist Len Ingrassia at lenscarcorner@comcast.net.