I've written before that there are really only two other vehicles that compete directly with the Land Rover Defender---the Jeep Wrangler and the Ford Bronco.
I haven't driven a two-door Defender (known as the Defender 90), and it's been ages since I was in a two-door Jeep. I did drive the two-door Bronco about two years ago. The Ford is the longest of the two-doors at 174 inches. The Jeep comes in at 167 and the Defender 90 at a stubby 160 inches.
The four-door Defender is the one I know best---having been in four, including the 518-horsepower Defender V8. The other three have been Defender 110s. It, the four-door Wrangler and the four-door Bronco, are pretty close to each other in length---the Bronco the biggest at 189.4 inches, the Wrangler an inch shorter at 188.4 and the Defender 110 one inch shorter than the Jeep at 187.4.
And now, we have the Land Rover Defender 130.
It is 211.7 inches long (about an inch longer than a Chevy Tahoe), including the spare tire. That's more than two feet longer than a Defender 110 and there is no corresponding Wrangler or Bronco. The Defender 130 is in a class of one.
Nothing changes under the hood---it's the same 395-horsepower 3.0-liter six-cylinder, making 406 lb-ft. of torque, connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Towing capacity is 8,201 pounds. EPA fuel economy average is 17 miles per gallon combined city/highway---that's down 2 mpg from the Defender 110. That extra two feet of Defender adds another 805 pounds to the curb weight.
The Defender 130 is also a full second slower to 60 miles per hour from a standing start than the 110---7.5 seconds instead of 6.5.
All-wheel-drive with a twin-speed transfer box, electric power-assisted steering, Terrrain Response with selectable driving and off-road modes, hill descent control, air suspension, active dynamics and 20-inch wheels are all standard.
While that extra two feet at the rear accommodates a third-row seat and three extra passengers in most Defender 130s, our tester was the Defender 130 Outbound---no third row, seating for five and enough cargo to be, as the Beach Boys put it, "on safari to stay". Up to 76.1 cubic feet of space for your adventuring necessities.
And if that's not enough, there's another 0.84 cubic feet to be had in the external gear carrier on the right hand side.
And there's also roof storage and a deployable ladder to make it easier to load and unload.
The base price of the 2024 Land Rover Defender 130 Outbound is $85,975 including destination. That price brings with it, in addition to what we've already discussed, premium LED headlights, automatic high-beam assist, an openable panoramic roof, rain-sensing wipers, a rear wiper, rear privacy glass, power-folding heated door mirrors with memory and approach lights...
...heated and cooled front seats with memory, 60/40 second-row seats with manual slide and recline, a power-adjustable heated steering wheel, three-zone climate control with rear heating and cooling assist, cabin lighting, auto-dimming interior rear view mirror, keyless entry and pushbutton start, an 11.4-inch touchscreen with a 400-watt Meridian sound system, and a comprehensive suite of active safety features.
Our tester did have some extra cost options, as well: $810 for the Comfort and Convenience Pack (premium cabin lighting, twin front cupholders with cover, front center console refrigerator compartment), $1,250 for the Off-Road Pack (electronic active differential with torque vectoring by braking and a domestic plug socket), $1,400 for the Premium Upgrade Interior Pack (18-way heated and cooled memory front seats, a leather steering wheel and an extended leather upgrade), $1,850 for Towing Pack 2 (all-terrain progress control, Terrain Response 2, configurable terrain response, advanced tow assist, and a tow hitch receiver. Then come the a la carte options: $1,000 for a head-up display, $750 for Windsor Leather and Robustec seats, $700 for an interior protection and storage pack, $570 for wheel protection, including black locks and lugs, $570 for a ClearSight interior rearview mirror, $360 for on-board WiFi with a limited data plan, $75 for an emergency kit and $28 for the handover pack---key fobs presented in an elegant box.
All told, the price on the window sticker comes to $95,338.
Land Rover's storied Defender has had a 130 model before. They serve a purpose and have a customer base. They'll undoubtedly find a home for every one built. For those of us who don't need all that capacity out back, though, the 110 gives you all the goodness in a tidier, quicker and (slightly) more fuel-efficient package.
