Launch of the Land Rover Defender 130: Large-capacity Kraxler

Out into the country for a barbecue with the regulars? No problem. Just get into the new Land Rover Defender 130 and off you go. And with a maximum of eight buddies. As the model name suggests, the British have stretched the Defender 110 quite a bit. Not by 20 centimeters, but by 34 centimeters, from 5.02 meters to 5.36 meters. These are dimensions of luxury sedans with a long wheelbase. Even if the befitting rear right seat is not quite as luxurious, the standard air suspension ensures good comfort when going over hill and dale.

It is part of the British off-road brand’s self-image that the extra-long Mercedes G-Class competitor does as well off-road as its shorter brothers. This is guaranteed by the long suspension travel of 430 millimeters and the high axle articulation. In view of the wading depth of 90 centimetres, the third Defender does not show any weaknesses with this value either.

Looking at the silhouette, the long rear overhang immediately catches the eye. The wheelbase is identical to that of the Defender 110 at 3.02 meters. When fully occupied, the seating configuration is 2-3-3. Due to the body width of around two meters, three adults should also be able to find enough space in the back. Because the roofline doesn’t drop, it doesn’t get tight around the head either. So that all passengers feel just as comfortable, the seats in row three are also heated. A full travel experience also includes storage and USB-C sockets for everyone.

The panoramic roof provides a pleasant light throughout the interior. If you fold down the two rear rows, the luggage compartment of the large-capacity Kraxler can hold a maximum of 2,516 liters. When all seats are occupied, the volume is reduced to 389 liters. Still enough to take the drinks for the circle of friends. To ensure that they arrive well chilled, Land Rover offers the Defender as an option with four-zone air conditioning. As with the other models in the series, the luggage compartment is loaded via a side-hinged door. This makes it difficult to find a parking space. The turning circle of 12.84 meters doesn’t make it any easier to operate in the city either.

The interior remains unchanged. So the XXXL Defender also offers the current version of the Pivi Pro infotainment with the 11.4-inch touchscreen, which was previously reserved for the versions with a V8 engine. The well-known air purification system will please allergy sufferers. If necessary, you can use the Defender to define and control any target with an accuracy of three by three meters – without a mobile phone or data connection. The technology behind it is called “what3words” and is a localization platform that has mapped the entire globe into a grid consisting of three by three meter squares, which results in around 57 trillion units. Each of these squares has an address consisting of three easy-to-remember words. In combination with the well-known HERE maps, navigation should also be possible in remote corners.

There is little new in the drives. There is a choice of three six-cylinder units with 48-volt mild hybridization: two diesel and one petrol engine. The D250 has 183 kW / 249 hp and a maximum torque of 600 Nm, the D300 has 221 kW / 300 hp with the same maximum torque. The good P400 petrol engine achieves 294 kW / 400 hp and 550 Nm. Prices start at 87,300 euros for the D250 and the provisional top version P400 “Defender X” costs 124,400 euros.