Land Rover will expand the Defender line-up next year with the introduction of the extended-wheelbase 130 variant, which has been spotted on public roads near the German Nürburgring and on the racetrack today, giving a close look at the longer car’s final styling and an indication of its readiness for production. Our photographer actually snapped the V8 variant of the Defender 130 – a model we didn’t expect to come but were taught better with the appearance of these spy shots.
A precise launch date for the range-topping Defender has yet to be confirmed, but prior to the standard Defender’s 2019 unveiling, a leaked internal presentation confirmed it will arrive in 2022 with eight seats, one more than the mid-range 110.
It is positioned as the ‘premium explorer’ of the Defender range, while the entry-level 90 is the ‘halo, image icon’, and the 110 is the ‘definitive Defender’. The 130 is likely, therefore, to command a substantial price premium over the other Defender models and be available in top-end trim levels only.
While the previous-generation Defender 130 featured an extended wheelbase over the 110, the new car’s longer footprint comes courtesy of a visibly upsized rear overhang, which takes the vehicle’s total length to 5.10 metres – 342 mm longer than the 110 and 227 mm longer than the Mercedes G-Class.
The Defender 130 can be expected to receive the full raft of diesel and petrol powertrains, including the P300e PHEV option and the hot, 550-hp supercharged V8 – as seen in these pictures. Also expected is an open-backed pick-up variant to rival the Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok.
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