Land Rover has enjoyed consistent sales growth over the last decade, and it shows no signs of slowing down now. The automaker continues improving and expanding its existing model line, and the newest addition to the family is coming on May 31. The Defender off-roader is getting a three-row option called the 130. Rumors of the 130 date back as far as 2019, but the first confirmation came last year when company CFO Adrian Mardell said the SUV would "hit a sweet spot in North America, China, and also the Middle East, which we're not yet touching." The first official image has now surfaced - we only had patent filings prior - of the Defender 130 chucking up dusty roostertails in the desert confirming that we don't have long to wait before we see it in full.
Though longer, the Defender 130 is still immediately recognizable. The SUV's unique round LED daytime running lights, upright boxy shape, and clean lines are all still clearly present here. We'll have to wait for the reveal to find out if Land Rover will offer the same exterior accessories for the 130 as it does for other Defenders, such as the $2,200 Country Pack, which brings mudflaps and other body protection components.
The three-row 130 will likely be available only with top trims, making it a flagship of sorts. The Defender 130 is likely to stick with gas-only powertrains for now, although a plug-in hybrid at a later date is likely. Nothing is confirmed yet, but the 130 is expected to get the six- and eight-cylinder engine choices available for other Defender models.
The 130 will retain the 119-inch wheelbase from the two-row Defender 110 but will be 13 inches longer than the 110, catering for the third row of seating and up to eight seats in total in a 2-3-3 configuration.
The Defender has been a massively popular model for Land Rover after its revival in 2021. The SUV brings fantastic off-road capabilities and is surprisingly refined on-road. It's an essential vehicle for the automaker, and some at the company believe it could become its own sub-brand within the greater catalog.
Orders open for the Defender 130 at the end of this month in the UK, and American buyers shouldn't have to wait much longer beyond that. We don't know the pricing details for the 130 yet, but it's expected to be at least $15,000 more expensive than the current 110, which starts at $53,400 before destination.