Land Rover Defender 130 unveiled, gets 8 seater option for the first time, features mild hybrid engines
After teasing for a while, Land Rover has unveiled the much-awaited Defender 130, the world’s first 8-seater Defender. With this debut, the hardcore off-roader has now become a bit more family oriented.
Land Rover claims that the new Defender, the latest addition to its 4×4 family, gets a practical cabin that can seat 8 people in absolute comfort without compromising on the SUV’s excellent off-roading capabilities. It also gets rich equipment and mild hybrid engines.
To increase the seating capacity, the Defender 130’s length has been extended by 340 mm and this can seen at the extended rear overhang. The seating for 8 has been spread across the 3 rows of seats in the 2+3+3 configuration similar to the regular MPVs on sale worldwide.
The boot capacity has also been increased to 2291 litres with the second and third row seats folded. Even the 5-seater variant of the Defender 130 has a good storage capacity of 1232 litres. The luxury SUV will be available in 5 trims – S, SE, X-Dynamic SE, X, and First Edition.
Coming to the creature comfort features, the SUV gets dedicated ventilation for each row and there’s an optional exclusive 4-zone climate control system. Luggage can be loaded easily by controlling the air suspension using the click of a button at the back.
The car features a 10.25-inch infotainment system and 11.4-inch instrument cluster. An air purification system makes its debut on the SUV along with other standard features.
Power comes from 2 mild hybrid engines and the V8 has been given a miss this time. The low end variant, P300, gets a 3-litre mild hybrid turbocharged mill that exerts 296 HP and 470 Nm. The P400, on the other hand, gets a 6-cylinder unit that generates 395 HP and 550 Nm.
The engines are mated to Land Rover’s 8-speed ZF autobox. A terrain response system comes standard on the SUV. The Defender 130 has a max payload of 798 kg.
As far as exterior looks are concerned, not much has been changed when compared to the existing Defenders other than the extended length. The front bumpers get a copper-bronze finish though. The large alloy wheels are the highlights of the exterior.
The British maker said the SUV will help people in groups enjoy epic all-terrain adventures together as such shared explorations are becoming popular across the globe.
The new 8-seater off-roader has been priced from $68,000/- (Rs. 52,81,662/-). It joins the likes of the existing Defender 90 and 110 derivatives. The Defender 130 is India-bound and will hit our shores sometime this year.
