Land Rover Defender 130 delivers on sports utility legacy 

LAND ROVER

Land Rover’s Defender 130 is big, luxurious and can navigate any surface.

Land Rovers are expensive and can be troublesome, according to almost anyone I’ve asked who owns one. 

I also asked if they would buy another and to a person each has said yes.

I’ve driven several Land Rovers and I know why. These things are deliciously smooth, drive like dreams and scream prestige. The Defender fits into those categories. It was discontinued in the states and was revived in 2020. It is available in lots of trim levels but the one I sampled was the Defender 130 V8. 

The Defender 130 has a longer wheelbase than the other models. It can seat up to eight or you can get it with captain’s chairs in the second row. You can also get it as a two-row vehicle with a huge cargo area.

The Defender 130 is also available with a supercharged charged V8 that produces 493 horsepower. You can power your way to 60 miles per hour in 5.4 seconds, which is impressive for something this big and heavy.

The Defender 130’s power is certainly impressive. Take this thing on the interstate and you get to see how quickly this vehicle moves. Gobs of power in on tap to punch past slow moving traffic. The handling was better than expected and the ride comfort is surprisingly smooth. The air suspension which can control ride height makes the vehicle feel almost plush.

Like most Land Rovers, the Defender 130 can be driven on about in surface except the bottom of the ocean. If water tightness wasn’t an issue, it probably could. I’m not the guy to go through the outback, so I take the company’s word on off-road capabilities. 

The Defender also offers a quiet ride for something with such an upright stance. There is a bit of tire hum, but not enough to be a problem. You can drown that out with the Meridian sound system which is standard on all models. It sounds great on any type of music.

The Defender is a handsome vehicle, especially in the matte paint finish. The longer wheelbase accentuates the vehicle’s rugged stance but elegant style. The interior is spacious and luxuriously finished in leather, mewl and wood. I love the touch screen and it’s sharp and modern graphics. The screen is intuitive as well.

The front seats are comfortable, and the driver gets a commanding view of the road. Power adjustments allow you to find the prefect driving position. The second-row captain’s chairs are nice and there is plenty of leg and head room. The third row is adequate but a little hard to get in and out. 

The Land Rover Defender 130 comes with a lot of standard equipment which includes roof rails, Meridian sound system, panoramic glass roof, keyless entry and ignition, adaptive cruise control, 11.4-inch infotainment system, power adjustable heated steering wheel, tri-zone climate control, 40/20/40 split rear seats and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The V8 package includes the 5.0-liter V8, 22-inch wheels, tow-hitch receiver, leather seating, cabin air purifier, leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated third row seats, heated windshield, refrigerated front console bin, massive head-up display and automated steering system web reversing with a trailer.

There may have been a few options thrown in but I’m not sure. I do know the 130 V8 starts at $123,900. Destination charges total an additional $1,850. That’s a lot of cash, but this is a lot of vehicle.

Pros:

• Powerful V8 Engine 

• Stylish exterior 

• Can seat up to 8

• Longer wheelbase than other models

• Comfortable ride

• Low noise levels

• Screams prestige 

Cons:

• Heavy rear door

• Pricey

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