If one simply must always take a septet of their closest mates with them into the countryside, they’ll be thrilled to know Land Rover has finally launched a long-promised three-row variant of the Defender. Called the 130, a number which no longer has much to do with its wheelbase, the veddy British truck features an extended body for greater interior space.
How extended? Try a total of 13.38 inches, a curiously specific number that stretches the model to an even 211.0 inches. This extra length will permit a 2+3+3 seating arrangement in the Defender 130, or up to 80.9 cubic feet of cargo space with the second and third rows tucked away. For comparison, a Chevy Tahoe measures 210.7 inches long and is two inches wider. Both trucks are within a shout of 76 inches tall, with the Defender besting the Chevy by 1.8 inches in overall height (not that there will likely be a lot of cross-shopping between the two, just to give y’all an American yardstick comparison).
Despite the unwritten knowledge that many of these Defenders, especially family-oriented three-row rigs, will never see action at Dakar, JLR engineers are said to have crafted a subtle boat tail-style uplift on the 130’s rear to preserve its departure angle. This measure checks in at 28.5 degrees, though access to the cargo area is unchanged despite a fiddling of tail light placement to preserve the Defender’s body lines with these alterations. In other words, it seems the company didn’t simply graft on an extra foot of metal and call it a day.
Two different Land Rover powertrains will be available at launch, both with a six-cylinder mild-hybrid setup. The so-called P300 trim packs a 3.0L turbocharged inline-six good for 296 horsepower and 347 lb.-ft of torque – the latter of which peaks at just 1,500 rpm and stays there until well over four grand. Moving up to the P400 retains this engine displacement but the output is bumped to 395 ponies and 406 units of twist. Guess which one we’d prefer. Every Defender 130 is a 4×4 and fitted with an air suspension. That latter piece of kit permits the truck to ford up to 35.4 inches of water when its suspenders are jacked to their highest setting. And if you have a trailer, know the Defender 130 can tow up to 8,200 pounds.
Inside is typically Land Rover sumptuous, where chrome detailing and wood veneers abound. The 130 features a 10.25-inch infotainment screen shared with expensive variants of the 90 and 110, while the tony ‘X’ spec models get an 11.4-inch tablet. Trims range from base ‘S’ to a First Edition which will surely be marked up in hot demand at dealers. Model-exclusive paint colors and trim are also part and parcel of the 130 lifestyle, in case no one noticed all that extra length (make yer jokes in the comments, B&B).
Prices for the new Defender 130 will start at $68,000 in this country and is available to order now.
[Images: Land Rover]
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