Land Rover Defender 130 seven-seater to launch in 2022 – report
The heavy-duty off-roader will share its wheelbase with the existing 110 but come with a longer body, according to a new report.
The Land Rover Defender is set to gain a longer 130 variant within the next 18 months, according to a report from industry publication Automotive News.
The Land Rover off-roader will reportedly come onto the market in the next 12 to 18 months, priced at the top of the range (the current entry-level 110 starts from $82,590 plus on-road costs).
Naming conventions for the original Defender line-up roughly referenced the wheelbase of each model in inches (90, 110, and 130).
However, a leaked specification presentation from July 2019 – also cited by Automotive News – indicates the new-generation 130 will instead retain the 3022mm wheelbase of the current, five-door 110 (shown above).
Accounting for the 130's 'larger' name is a longer body – likely thanks an extended rear overhang – allowing for a more spacious third row than the current 110, and increased luggage space.
It’s expected to measure 5100mm from nose to tail, making it 342mm longer than the 110, according to the report.
The addition of the seven-seat variant will reportedly allow the Defender to hit a "sweet spot" in North America, China and the Middle East not previously reached by the 110, according to Jaguar Land Rover's Chief Financial Officer, Adrian Mardell.
Above: The current Defender 110's third row. Below: The boot space behind the third row in the current 110.
A spokesperson for Jaguar Land Rover in Australia told CarAdvice: “Unfortunately, we cannot comment on the status of new models.”
“However, as always, would be interested in gauging the local appeal if such a model was to become available,” the spokesperson said.
The Defender 130 might not be the only new Defender variant due in the coming years, as last week CarAdvice reported a dual-cab ute variant of the Defender could similarly be on the horizon.
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