2023 Land Rover Defender 130 First Test: Long and Strong

Since the Land Rover Defender 110 went on sale in 2020, it won our 2021MotorTrendSUV of the Year award, spawned the short-wheelbase 90 two-door model, gained an optional V-8, and finally added this variant, the longer-bodied, three-row 130. Oh, and it isn't a Land Rover anymore. Huh?

That's right, this vehicle is now officially called the Defender 130, with the vaunted and well-known Land Rover name relegated to a "trust mark" to indicate off-road readiness, similar to Jeep's "Trail Rated" badge. (Range Rover and Discovery have also been elevated to full-brand status.) Whatever you call it, the three-row version packs all the goodness we love about the Defender 90 and 110 in a body with more room for people and stuff.

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Why It's Important

We hadn't yet put the 2023 Land Rover Defender 130 through its paces at our test track, nor had we spent much time in one here in the U.S.—international bureau chief Angus MacKenzie did run one to the south of France a while back—so we hadDefender drop one off at our Michigan outpost.

What arrived was a loaded eight-passenger First Edition model, a first-year special that combines several optional features in one package at a slight discount versus ordering an SE with the same boxes ticked. Its $86,175 base price was inflated slightly to a final tally of $92,075 with the addition of the $1,850 Towing Pack, a $500 Cold Weather Pack (a good deal that includes a heated windshield, heated washer jets, a heated steering wheel, and headlamp washers), the $300 60/40-split second-row seats with center armrest, and another $200 for a 22-inch spare wheel and tire.

That gargantuan roller was necessary to match the disappointingly plain, $2,000 set of 22-inchers bolted to the hubs. The final $1,050 went toward the Carpathian Gray paint, a hue with a much cooler name than visual sizzle. If you're going to spring for larger wheels and fancier paint, you can do better than these in the Defender catalog; the final result was like a $450 white T-shirt. Sure, it might be better than a $5 one, but who can tell?

The competitive set for the Defender 130 variant is pretty small—there aren't a lot of other three-row luxury SUVs with the chops to go where this one can go, right in the same price class. That said, shoppers might consider vehicles with two rows, such as the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, or less capable three-row models such as Lexus' LX and Cadillac's Escalade.

Pros: What We Like

If you can hop on a First Edition, do it, as it offers a plethora of otherwise optional equipment at a lower—albeit not low—price. We're also continually amazed at how Land Rover can make vehicles this big, tall, and heavy, and fitted with wheels this large, ride so well. It turns out tuning on lumpy British back roads can pay dividends even in Detroit, where we tested this particular Defender 130.

Even three years into its run, the Defender's interior still looks fresh, and it's a sensational place to pass the miles with comfortable seats and expansive visibility to the front and the sides. Perhaps the cabin's biggest accomplishment is that it feels and looks luxurious even while lined with hard-wearing, sensible materials that feel like they'll hold up to abuse in the harshest environments. Third-row access is easy, and there's a set of molded "steps" to help you make your way there, where even adults can get comfortable. In our example, the way back even featured two USB-C ports and heated outboard seats.

Body motions while cornering are pronounced, as they have been in pretty much every Land Rover ever, but they're extremely well controlled. It's but one facet of this luxury SUV's dignified and harmonious personality; it feels largely unflappable, an impression that extends to the buttery smooth mild hybrid turbo 3.0-liter inline-six. With 395 horses and 406 lb-ft of torque, it's plenty powerful, too, hitting 60 in 6.2 seconds; that's the same time we recorded from our yearlong 110 test vehicle with the same engine. The steering is a highlight, as well, being nicely weighted and enabling straight, true tracking even on rutted pavement.

Cons: What We Don't Like

Opinions amongMTeditors remain divided regarding the Defender 130's styling; it rides on the same wheelbase as the 110, and to many of us, it simply looks like one of those with a big ol' awkward butt.

Starts from a stop can sometimes feel delayed; we pin that on transmission-programming decisions perhaps made to limit stress on the all-wheel-drive hardware, as this ZF-sourced 8HP transmission appears in dozens of models around the world and is generally outstanding. It is otherwise smooth and unobtrusive in the 130, however. More noticeable are the Defender 130's extra weight and length—it's about 450 pounds heavier and 2 feet longer than the 110—even when simply making regular turns around town. You definitely know there's a lot of Defender behind you.

The interior is practical enough and ergonomically sound, but we'd change a couple of things, the location of the wireless phone charging pad for one. It's in a prominent spot where we'd prefer to toss our wallet and other daily detritus; we'd prefer the pad be located in the lower storage area of the tiered center tunnel. Apple CarPlay kept disconnecting, too, even while plugged in via USB cable. (There's also wireless functionality, but it, too, proved unstable.) And our First Edition had a refrigerator in the center armrest we could do without. It's a neat trick, but the space is relatively small and who wants to put their stuff in a fridge, regardless of whether it's on or not? These are all very minor quibbles, however.

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The Bottom Line

The 2023 Defender 130 is a distinctive, practical, hugely capable, and fine-driving three-row SUV that can take you practically anywhere in the world.