The last model in the New Defender trio launches May 31st, with the new Defender 130 filling the role of an extended-length eight-seat adventure mobile.
The last model in the New Defender trio launches May 31st, with the new Defender 130 filling the role of an extended-length eight-seat adventure mobile.
Land Rover launched the new truck by revealing it bashing through dunes and spitting sand up the rear quarter panel – just enough to obscure any extended length.
The original Defender 130 was almost exclusively sold as a double cab high-capacity pickup truck, but this time around it’s reborn as a longer version of the Defender 110. The difference in length is behind the rear wheels, not between the wheels. The new Defender 110 and 130 ride on a 119” wheelbase (they kept the names, based on the previous Defender’s wheelbases, for brand recognition and trademark preservation), but the extra length over the 110 is behind the rear wheels. The 130 gives up the 110’s class-leading departure angle to make room, but because the 110 was just that good geometrically, the 130 doesn’t end up being that far behind most other 4x4s.
The D130 will come with eight seats, creating a truly family-friendly vehicle and a true Discovery alternative. The D110 does come with up to seven seats, but it uses Land Rover’s “5+2” classification which means, “the third row isn’t suitable for full-size people.” The Defender 130 will offer a full-size third row, meaning that the vehicle can seat eight adults in a 2-3-3 configuration, which means it will be the first-ever Land Rover to offer a three-person forward-facing third row.
The trade-off looks like it’ll be the option of the front jump seat.. That’s almost certainly for some kind of legal reasons – the only consumer vehicles available with nine-passenger seating are base-model full-size Ford and General Motors SUVs.
The Defender 130 may also fulfill the overlander role in the line, with the 110 just a bit small in the cargo area for extreme long-term travel. The larger cargo area of the 130 will create more opportunities for toting things in the backcountry, while the departure angle won’t be missed too much on milder overland trails.
More details will drop on Tuesday, including powertrains and any special 130-specific features. Of course, we’ll have all the dirt in the next Roverlog!
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