2023 Land Rover Defender 130 confirmed for June 1 reveal

UPDATE, March 2023: Defender 130 driven ahead of Australian launch

Before it gets to Australia, Wheels editor Enright has been out in the Middle East to test the new Defender 130's mettle. Read about it at the link below.

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May 2022: Land Rover Defender 130 confirmed for June 1 reveal

Land Rover has officially confirmed its new Defender 130 will be revealed on June 1, giving us our first look at the biggest Def' in the range.

Set to join the short wheelbase Defender 90 and standard wheelbase 110, Land Rover's 130 will feature three rows of seating, laid out in a 2-3-3 configuration.

Leaked patent images (below) suggest the 130 will also incorporate a longer boot than its siblings, potentially making up for the reduced space thanks to the third row of seats.

Land Rover has also confirmed it will open order books for the new body style on June 1, in line with its reveal. 4x4 Australia will provide more updates on the new off-roader when it launches at the start of next month.

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October 29, 2021: Land Rover Defender 130 images leaked

Images of what’s believed to be a patent for the Land Rover Defender 130 have been leaked –giving us our first look at the extended off roader.

Carbuzz sourced the images from the European Patent Office, the sketches showing what appears to be a Land Rover Defender 110 with an extended rear end.

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Reports are claiming the 130 is 33 centimetres longer than the 110, while still retaining the same wheelbase and rear side door size.

The current Defender 110 can be had with three rows of seats in the 5 + 2 configuration, but the extended 130 would theoretically allow for more leg room for rear passengers and a larger cargo space.

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In March of this year, we reported that Jaguar Land Rover officials had confirmed a longer Defender would be unveiled in 12-18 months, and it would cater to markets in China, North America and the Middle East.

It’s expected the 130 would simple carry over the drivetrains already available in the Defender 110 and the smaller, two door Defender 90.

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For the Australian market, those include the 147kW/500Nm 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder twin-turbo diesel MHEV hybrid, and the range-topping supercharged 5.0-litre V8 – which pumps out 386kW/625Nm.

We expect more details around the Defender 130 to come to light closer to the on sale date, which is now expected to be late 2022.