Land Rover unveiled this morning the newest version of its Defender model. The Defender 130 was announced last year, and now it's finally here officially.
Land Rover had been pretty clear about what was coming with the 130, so the surprises are few with this reveal. Here’s a quick rundown of what consumers are getting with this biggest and longest Defender to date.
First, the Defender 130 comes standard with a third row of seats, translating into seating for eight occupants. It was possible to opt for a third seat with the 110 model, but space was obviously more restrained in the back. That’s not the case here, and that comes thanks to an overall length that’s greater by 13,.4 inches than that of the 110 variant. In fact, the 130’s wheelbase is identical to that of the 110, so the entire difference comes behind the rear wheels.
As a result, there’s quite a bit more cargo space. Land Rover claims 13.7 cubic feet (388 litres) of space behind the third row, 43.5 (1,232 litres) behind the second row and 80.9 (2,291 litres) with both the second and third rows folded down.
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Under the hood, don't look for the V8 engine, at least not at launch (it's available with the 90 and 110 models as an option). At the outset, buyers will have a choice of two 6-cylinder engines, which means that the 4-cylinder engine of the base 90 and 110 models will be left out. Not much of a surprise, that, given f the size and weight of the Defender 130. We do find the 3.0L turbocharged 6-cylinder available with the other models, as well as another 6-cylinder, a derivative offering a little less capacity.
Ironically, that last engine offers 296 hp, like the 4-cylinder, but its torque will be greater at 347 lb-ft (the 4-cylinder engine's is 295 lb-ft).
It’s wait and see whether this block will eventually be offered with the other versions of the Defender. The 130 planned for North America gets an air suspension, which means more latitude in terms of ground clearance.
As for the price, we'll of course wait for the figures for the Canadian versions. In the U.S., the Defender 130 is priced at $69,350 USD, or $14,500 more than the entry-level Defender 110. Note that the trim level is higher from the start with a 130 model.
The list prices for the 90 and 110 models in Canada are currently $68,300 and $69,250 CAD, respectively.
We'll have the opportunity to come back to the equipment and prices that concern our market as launch date approaches.
