Land Rover has revealed an even longer Defender 130 variant with seating for up to eight thanks to a three-person third-row bench.
No large SUV rival can seat more than seven.
Measuring 5,358mm long, the Defender 130 is an imposing machine indeed: it’s also over two metres wide even with the door mirrors folded, and nearly two metres tall.
The wheelbase alone is more than 300mm longer than a Smart EQ Fortwo. Â
The extra 340mm behind the rear wheels not only liberates the extra space (the passengers six to eight even get their own climate control zone), but also yields a huge 2,516-litre boot when the third row is folded.
With all eight seats occupied, the boot measures 389 litres – bigger than a Volkswagen Golf.
Prices start from £73,895 and the Defender 130 will be offered with a D300 300hp 3.0-litre straight-six diesel, or a choice of P300 300hp 3.0-litre straight-six petrol, alongside the more powerful P400 version – which, in top-spec P400 X grade, costs over £100k.
All three engines have fuel-saving mild hybrid tech.
Defender 90, 110 and 130
Although the Defender 130 won’t be as agile off-road as the smaller 90 and 110, Land Rover insists it’s still capable, thanks to a ‘boat tail-style uplift’ to the rear that improves the departure angle to 28.5 degrees.
This helps avoid the rear end dragging on the ground when driving up steep inclines.
All versions get standard air suspension, and the wading depth remains an impressive 900mm.
Every Defender 130 features a standard panoramic glass roof, to make things light and airy inside.
The seat rows are raised, ‘stadium-style’, as you move rearwards, helping improve visibility, and third row passengers even enjoy heated seats and USB-C sockets.
Up front, Land Rover fits the larger 11.4-inch Pivo Pro infotainment system first seen on the Defender V8. It has a curved glass interface and Tesla-style over-the-air updates. Â
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