Review: Land Rover Defender 130
What is it?
I’m confident you don’t need me to explain what a new Defender 130 is, but in case you’re unsure, here we go. Basically, despite having the 130 moniker, the Defender 130 has the same wheelbase as the 110, but with an extended rear body to make room for the extra row of seats that make it an 8-seater.
This particular 130 is an X-Dynamic HSE with a 3.0 litre 6-cylinder 300PS Twin Turbocharged Diesel, and was an absolute dream to live with for a week.
On road
As I’ve previously written, driving the new Defender on any road is a relaxed affair, the aforementioned diesel lump is quiet and effortless, especially when bolted to the smooth shifting 8-speed automatic. Speaking of smooth, the air suspension does a fantastic job of ironing out all but the worst of road imperfections.
The cabin is quiet and very well insulated with a minimal amount of wind noise emanating from the A-pillars and large door mirrors, though you are awarded with a lovely roar when you plant your right foot.
Due to the extra length of the 130, in 8-seater guise, it weighs in at very nearly 2-¾ tonnes, and that’s dry and without passengers. You wouldn’t think it, as this heavy-weight will still get you from 0-60mph in 7.1 seconds and carry on until you reach 119mph. Unless you have a lot of disposable income, or a works fuel card, I wouldn’t recommend driving like that as you will probably see single figures when it comes to fuel efficiency. Driving normally, with some long motorway journeys, shopping trips and a day green-laning, saw 28mpg pop-up on the screen. WLTP figures quote 31.6mpg, in case you were wondering.
For a big SUV I was really quite surprised at how it handled narrow and twisty country lanes, body roll is modest, and the raised driving position allows you pinpoint exactly where you want to turn. Grip, as you would expect, is excellent.
In truth I didn’t notice the extra length when driving, but you do need patience when looking for a roadside parking spot, and I would imagine that’s it’s quite fun in a multi-storey carpark. With large windows all ‘round visibility is excellent, though the rear view is compromised by the spare tyre, which is when the ‘ClearSight’ interior rear-view mirror / camera comes into its own. Some say it takes some getting used to, but I’m fine with it.
Off road
After sharing some photos on social media there was a fair few comments criticising it’s lack of suspension flex, which is fair enough, but as I and others responded, you don’t need flex when you have what is probably the best 4WD system known to man. That was evident as I was climbing a very slippery and loose gravel lane with opposing holes as big as tyres. The monitor showed me the state of the wheels, and on occasions a yellow arrow would indicate that a wheel, even two were off the ground. Honestly, that was the only indication that Terrain 2 was working, as it almost immediately transferred power to the other wheels for traction - impressive stuff.
Another bonus was that this particular 130 came with a rear locking diff, that enabled me to position it in the strangest of posing positions, as you see with the main image.
The only difficulty you will really have when taking a new Defender green laning, and that’s the same for the 90, 110 and 130, is their girth - being over 6ft 6” wide they’re a tight squeeze through a lot of gate posts. Obviously the extra length of the 130 can make tight manoeuvres a somewhat nerve-wrecking experience, so I avoided those lanes.
Interior
In my opinion the new Defender has the best dash layout going, and as for cubby space, I can’t imagine that I would ever have enough clutter in my life to fill them all. Call them gimmicks, but I even like those deliberately exposed screw heads.
When it comes to seating the 130 boasts plenty of space for five adults to travel in comfort, and 3 smaller ones in the back. Access is easy with wide opening rear doors and folding 2nd row seats.
Of course, all the latest tech is fitted as standard in this top model, with the 10” Pivi Pro touchscreen proving intuitive to use and quick to respond. Adaptive cruise control helps enormously during long motorway slogs and worked really well.
My only disappointed was that I wasn’t able to lay all the rear seats down flat as I was looking forward to spending a night of two away in the 130 car-camping. Not sure if I was doing something wrong.
Conclusion
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the 130, except maybe trying to find a parking space big enough to slot it in. Overall the Defender makes you feel safe, and it’s so comfortable.
The major question when it comes to any Land Rover product these days is of course reliability. Scouring 4x4 forums as I do, I’ve found that the main consensus is that the new Defender is a reliable vehicle.
I know some will disagree with this, but overall I know, and I’m aware of more people who have minimal issues with their Defender than those who have had lots. On forums and Facebook groups, owners have commented that the majority of their problems stem from the dealerships who can be ‘useless and clueless’, sadly it’s often this experience that can make or break and brand, and it would appear that they’re not helping.
Another question I’m asked whenever I post Defender images on social media, is that a lot of you want to compare the new Defender to the INEOS Grenadier. After driving many examples of both, my conclusion is that they’re chalk on cheese. Whilst both are exceptional ‘off-road’, the Grenadier has vague steering and a more agricultural drive, whereas the the Defender is far more accomplished and is much more like driving a Range Rover or Discovery.
So, if you are looking for a large SUV with exceptional on-road, off-road and people carrying ability, the Defender 130 might just be for you.
Find out more at Land Rover Defender 130. Price start from £81,530
