The new Defender 130 has broken cover via patent drawings filed by Land Rover. Though it’s been more or less known that a larger Defender with a longer rear overhang was on the way, and there’s been test mules on the road, this is the first totally-unmasked image we have of it.
The new D130 rides on the same 119” wheelbase as the new Defender 110, and all of the extra size is behind the rear wheels. It’s similar to how Land Rover added cargo space to the Discovery II in 1998, while maintaining the Disco 1’s 100” wheelbase.
The D130 will supposedly seat 8 instead of the 7 that the D110 seats, perhaps by placing the rear seat behind the wheels and in a wider part of the vehicle. There should also be some more cargo space behind the third row.
The overall vehicle should be about 200 inches long, which is ten inches shorter than a new Chevy Tahoe. It’s believed that the D130 will only come in higher-end trim levels, and will take a flagship family hauler role in the Defender line.
Prototypes have been spotted with the 3.0-liter mild hybrid straight-six engine, though it’s likely that there will also be a V8 option, as well as various electrified choices.
While the “130” name doesn’t match up with the wheelbase of the new vehicle, it’s being retained from the classical Defender like the 90 and 110 names were to maintain trademarks and public awareness of what a “small, medium, and large” Land Rover is called.
There’s also rumors that Land Rover is working on a pickup Defender, maybe based on the 130’s dimensions. Although early media suggested a pickup was out of the question, it seems like the popularity of vehicles like the Toyota Tacoma and Jeep Gladiator, plus various vehicles in other markets, may be changing Land Rover’s mind.
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