If you’re in search of an off-road SUV with luxurious facilities, the 2023 Land Rover Defender exists in a unique league than the Ford Bronco or Jeep Wrangler. This makes the Defender a vastly superior every day driver, and even with out mud-terrain tires from the manufacturing facility, we reckon it might nonetheless sustain when the street ends. When in comparison with the vaunted Mercedes-Benz G-Class, the Defender shines with a a lot decrease beginning value and extra usability.

However in contrast to Mercedes, Land Rover sells its rugged SUV in two-door and four-door physique types, with an prolonged 130 mannequin that was launched for 2023. The Defender 130 grows 13.38 inches over the 110, providing extra room in all three rows, one further seat, and offering extra cargo area. We spent every week in a 2023 Defender 130 First Version to search out out if the stretching of an icon has improved the method.

What Is The Defender 130?

As talked about earlier, the Defender 130 is the longest model within the Defender vary. In contrast to a Cadillac Escalade ESV or a Lincoln Navigator L, the wheelbase on the 130 stays the identical because the 110 at 119 inches, however the general size grows from 197.5 to 211.7 inches. This offers the long-boy Defender barely awkward proportions on the rear, as if Land Rover copied the 110 into Photoshop and stretched the again with out adjusting the remainder of the car.

The remainder of the Defender design stays intact, with the 2023-only First Version including an Prolonged Vibrant Pack that features Ceres Silver Satin accents on the decrease cladding for a lighter, extra elegant look. Patrons who selected the First Version might solely get it in three colour choices: Sedona Crimson, Carpathian Gray, and Fuji White (pictured under). The 2024 mannequin 12 months configurator is already open, and it is too late to order a First Version as of this writing. That is fantastic with us, as there’s little on this package deal that could not be replicated or improved on with the Defender’s many accent packs.

Engines: No 4-Pot Right here

Each the Defender 90 and Defender 110 provide a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder as the bottom engine, however the Defender 130 comes with a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six as customary. Land Rover labels the bottom inline-six a P300 (the identical because the four-pot) as a result of it produces the identical output of 296 horsepower. The 130 does get extra torque, although, a 347 versus 295 lb-ft from the four-cylinder. Land Rover says the Defender 130 P300 can hit 60 mph in a decent 7.5 seconds.

Energy is routed by an eight-speed automated transmission to straightforward all-wheel-drive. The inline-six engine features a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, making the stop-start system easy and nearly imperceptible. The Defender can tow 8,200 kilos with the inline-six.

Patrons who need extra oomph can improve to the P400, which bumps the inline-six to 395 hp and 406 lb-ft and drops the 0-60 time to six.3 seconds. A 5.0-liter supercharged V8 is accessible as properly, referred to as the P500, producing 493 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque. This brutish motor can push the heavy Defender as much as 60 mph in simply 5.4 seconds, although it is price noting the 90 and 110 fashions get a barely stronger model of the V8 referred to as the P525 with 518 hp.

Inside: Extra Household House?

The principle purpose to purchase a Defender 130 over the 110 is inside area. Land Rover says the prolonged size of the 130 offers extra legroom, and is particularly extra spacious within the third row than it could be on the 110. The entrance chairs are nonetheless the very best seats in the home, providing heating as customary, a fridge within the armrest, open storage cubbies on the sprint, and an 11.4-inch PiviPro infotainment system. Air flow is elective on the bottom mannequin, as is heating for the second and third rows.

The second row is fairly luxurious, with heated and ventilated coming customary larger up within the vary, however in all trims, there may be loads of adjustability. Our take a look at unit was an early 2023 construct that was stricken by the chip scarcity, that means there have been no USB ports behind the entrance row. Land Rover confirmed to DrivingOnRoad that this situation was rectified mid-way by the 2023 mannequin 12 months, and clients can have the ports added freed from cost on the dealership.

It is troublesome to make a 3rd row luxurious, however Land Rover made an try by making heated seats and a separate sunroof for rear occupants obtainable. Nonetheless, ingress and egress to and from the third row are troublesome attributable to how little the second row tilts ahead. Legroom is surprisingly beneficiant as soon as again there, however because of the lack of an prolonged wheelbase, passengers are principally sitting over the wheel wells. This implies the children will awkwardly have one among their knees of their chest, which is uncomfortable for something aside from a brief journey.

Practicality: A Higher Cargo Hauler

Along with the added passenger area, the Defender 130 improves as a cargo hauler in comparison with the 110. When the third row is up within the 110, there may be nearly no area left for luggage. With the third row in place, the 130 provides slightly below 14 cubic ft of area in comparison with 10.7 cubes within the 110. The area benefit continues when the third row is dropped; the 130 measures 43.5 cubes to the 110’s 34.6 cubes. As for complete cargo quantity, that is a extra fascinating story. In comparison with the three-row 110, the 130 is superior, with 80.9 cubic ft versus 69 cubes. Nonetheless, should you did not want the additional seating area and opted for the two-row Defender 110, the overall area obtainable involves 78.8 cubic ft. With the additional size, the five-seat 130 has 88.8 cubes behind the primary row.

There’s additionally the problem with the hump within the trunk space. The Defender 130 from early 2023 has an enormous bump from the trunk ground to the third row, operating from wheel arch to wheel arch – and so the second row would not fold flat both. This creates a clumsy load ground that is not maximized. Land Rover says an adjunct can be obtainable for the 2024 mannequin 12 months that can enhance the hole between the trunk and the third-row seats. It is a no-cost repair on the dealership and properly price it.

Driving Impressions: A Luxurious Off-Roader

It might be longer than the 110, however the Defender 130 would not sacrifice a lot from behind the wheel. The dearth of an prolonged wheelbase might trigger packaging points, but it surely retains the Defender feeling spry. Steering is gentle however decently correct, and the usual digital air suspension offers a soft journey. Regardless of the gentle suspension and a brick-like form, the Defender delivers confidence on the freeway with on-road stability and a quiet cabin.

Although we did not take the Defender 130 off-roading throughout our week of testing, our earlier expertise with the 110 tells us all we have to find out about this car’s functionality. The superior Terrain Response system makes it simple to clear obstacles, even for a novice off-roader. The air suspension can elevate the Defender by 2.8 inches on the entrance and a couple of.9 inches on the rear, yielding 16.9 inches of wheel articulation. There are some compromises because of the 130’s added size, however we think about most Defender homeowners will hardly ever train this car’s full capabilities.

Pricing: Paying For Packaging

Although we reviewed a 2023 Defender 130 in First Version guise, pricing is already obtainable for the 2024 mannequin 12 months and the particular version is not on sale, so we reference the most recent pricing right here. The Defender 130 S begins at $69,100, an $8,500 improve over the 110 ($60,600). Keep in mind, although, the 130 does get an inline-six with extra torque as customary. Upgrading to the P400 powertrain brings the price to $77,100 on the Defender 130 S, whereas the X-Dynamic SE, X, and Outbound are dearer nonetheless, starting from $81,300 to $99,900 earlier than choices. The Defender 130 V8 begins at $116,600, topping out the Defender household. These are MSRP costs and exclude the $1,475 vacation spot price.

Except you really want the area behind the third row or plan to hold greater than 5 passengers typically, we’d stick to the Defender 110. It is higher wanting than the 130, but it surely comes at a sacrifice of round ten cubes complete cargo quantity if each fashions are in contrast as five-seaters. Most essential, it prices quite a bit much less. The Defender 130 actually would not spoil a fantastic recipe, but it surely may need been exectured higher if it had an prolonged wheelbase.