Consider this a fair warning.
If you purchase a Fuji White Land Rover Defender 130 S or attempt to pass one on the freeway on a sunny day, you could be blinded. Sounds dangerous, but if you have invested first in a sturdy pair of sunglasses you may spare your retinas.
That was the blindingly bright white of this week’s test truck, a stretched Defender 130, the S being the entry-level (such as it is) model. One would think white is white when it comes to vehicle colors, but this one seemed all the more startling because of the size of this new Defender that reminds me of when a kid stretches out Silly Putty. It looks long, large, and a bit over the top, and at 197.6-inches long it’s a large truck. Think Jeep Wagoneer L and Chevy Suburban big.
Land Rover reintroduced the Defender a few years back, with the two-door 90 and four-door 110 models. The 130 is a full 13.3 inches longer than its cousin the 110, and a hefty 30.5 inches longer than the seemingly petite Defender 90.
Size matters though if you’re going to carry eight folks in your large luxury truck. Indeed, the Defender 130 comes with second and third-row bench seats so eight passengers will fit. And it’s pretty roomy, just hard to climb aboard with a 22-inch step-up. And that’s with the Rover lowered as there’s a button on the console and inside the rear door (not a hatch) to lower the beast for loading and unloading purposes.
Let’s stick with the interior for a second and talk about those rear seats. They are comfy enough and cloaked in black leather as are all the seats. Each also has a headrest that can be lowered improve the driver’s rear view. These are heavy seats and pulling one forward after releasing the lever atop the second-row seat isn’t the easiest function. But once in back the rider will find decent knee and legroom. So, this is a proper three-row vehicle unlike so many where that back seat has been crammed in.
One can lower the third-row seats after opening that heavy rear door with a giant 19-inch tired mounted on the tail. Putting the seats down is no effort, just pull a cord to unlatch. But be sure no second row seats are reclined enough to interfere with the third row’s lowering.
Sadly, as in Toyota’s mighty Sequoia, the cargo area is not flat once those seats are down. There’s a couple inch ridge of seat base that separates the massive flat area beyond and the tiny bit of cargo room between the rear seats and the back door. A few grocery bags will fit there but turn them horizontal to the seats for an easier fit.
I generally like the interior though as it has that Jeepy, Land Rovery look of metal door trim that peaks through all the leather and soft black textured fabric on the doors, console and dash. That soft-touch feel is particularly nice in such a macho off-roader. Even the grab handle built into the dash’s top is soft-touch, plus there’s a tray atop the dash for sunglasses, phones and sundry necessities.
The giant storage box and armrest between the front seats is equally soft and pleasant to rest an elbow on, plus deep enough to hold quite a stash of trail and hiking goodies. One downside is that depth makes it hard to retrieve items in the console just in front of that bin as it is surrounded by big support bars. However, those provide more grab handle opportunities.
Rover’s dash is easy to see and read and the screen a good one at 11.4 inches. But its display is split in thirds, which seems a bit much. Halves are better for actual viewing and understanding. Also, I like to look at the 3D Google map, but it’s much harder to follow if you’re actually trying to find an address or negotiate a sprawling and winding network of suburban streets.
The info screen also is clunky in that it offers 16 home page choices from radio and nav to all the off-roading settings. A simple knob on the console is quicker to locate and use, especially when mudding about.
Rover’s Meridian sound system is good though and once you select your favorite XM channels it’s easy to adjust on screen. I like the volume roller knob on the steering wheel hub for quick control, plus there’s a knob near the passenger’s seat for their convenience.
The seats are comfy and the front ones powered, including three memory settings each. They also are heated, controlled via big climate dials on the dash, but you press them to adjust seat heat. No cooling here though.
Overhead is a power panoramic sunroof for the front two rows and a smaller manual sunroof over the third row. No side window sunshades though. And what’s up with that big white metal panel on the exterior, just in front of the third-row seats? It covers a roof pillar inside, but it’s a styling eyesore and also partially blocks visibility from that back row.
Land Rover though is known for its off-roading flair, and it accommodates passengers by putting thick rubber floor mats in all the rows to ward off nasty mud from hikers boots.
Speaking of which, certainly this Defender is meant for serious off-roading, witness it’s rating to ford 35.4 inches of water and a ground clearance of 11.4 inches. I’m guessing that 0.4 is the key in both circumstances. Nudge, nudge!
But for on-road experience the Rover is thoroughly civilized due to its solid power and a standard air suspension to soak up the bigger bumps. One might say that’s for off-roading too, but then our crumbling Midwest moonscape roads are possibly a bigger concern.
The ride is smooth and well controlled and the mild-hybrid turbo I6 3.0-liter engine cranks a reasonable 296 horsepower while providing an enthusiastic 347 pound-feet of torque for hustling up to highway speeds. Heck, this Defender will even trailer 8,200 pounds.
The handling is fairly precise and easy for a hefty hauler like this, weighing in at 5,570 pounds. I found the Rover easy to maneuver and park, both parallel and in grocery store lots.
For the record, Land Rovers says the Defender 130 will do 0-60 mph in 7.5 seconds and has a top speed of 119 mph. Don’t test that top figure off road, or in your neighborhood though.
Gotta mention one more performance point and that’s the 8-speed automatic transmission. It worked flawlessly, but when I had the windows down on a pleasant summer day I noticed the Defender sounds like a semi truck shifting through its gears — that noisy high-pitched hrrrrrumph, hrrrrrumph as it shifted. Didn’t notice it with windows up as the cabin is well isolated from road noise.
Doubt you’re considering a Defender if you worry about gas consumption, but this one was decent compared with past versions. I got 19.0 mpg in a mix of city and highway driving. The EPA rates it at 17 mpg city and 21 highway.
You’re likely wondering if the Rover name and off-road goodies like a twin-speed transfer case and Terrain Response drive modes pushes this well beyond a Wagoneer or Suburban for pricing. Not here.
The base-level S model lists at $69,475, including delivery. Adding options pushed it to $74,175, still competing well with the aforementioned SUVs. The test truck added an off-road package with off-road tires, domestic plug-in sockets and an electronic active differential with torque vectoring. That was $1,550 while a towing package was $1,850 to add a variety of electronics for off-roading, plus a receiver.
The cold climate package, the other major add was $700 for a heated windshield, steering wheel and washer jets, plus headlight washers.
If you move up to the SE, X-Dynamic SE, First Edition, or X models you’ll pay anywhere from $78,300 to $100,000. Depends on your off-roading budget and how many folks you intend to haul.
Fast Stats: 2023 Land Rover Defender 130 S
Hits: Primo off-roading ability and hauls 8, plus good power, easy handling, and nice ride. Panoramic sunroof and small third-row sunroof, heated front seats and steering wheel, radio volume roller on wheel, Meridian sound system, 3D map, a bevy of grab handles and a vehicle height adjustment.
Misses: Looks like body was overstretched, rear hatch opens out like door, tire on door makes it heavy, big step-up height, difficult multi-layer touchscreen (16 choices), awkward access to off-road settings via screen, clunky access to rear seats, no front cooled seats, cargo floor not flat, deep console so hard to retrieve items, and sounds like a semi shifting gears.
Made in: Nitra, Slovakia
Engine: 3.0-liter turbo mild-hybrid I6, 296 hp/347 torque
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Weight: 5,570 lbs.
Wheelbase: 118.9 in.
Length: 197.6 in.
Cargo: 13.7-43.5-80.9 cu.ft.
Tow: 8,200 lbs.
MPG: 17/21
MPG: 19.0 (tested)
Base Price: $69,475 (includes delivery)
Invoice: $65,395
Major Options:
Off-road pkg. (off-road tires, domestic plug sockets, electronic active differential w/torque vectoring), $1,550
Towing pkg. (all-terrain progress control, terrain response 2, configurable terrain response, advanced tow assist, tow hitch receiver), $1,850
Cold climate pkg. (heated windshield, heated washer jets, heated steering wheel, headlight washer), $700
Premium LED headlights w/signature DRL, $400
Fog lights, $200
Test vehicle: $74,175
Sources: Land Rover, www.kbb.com
