2024 Land Rover Defender 130 Review: The Best Of Both Worlds (And Priced To Match)
- Handsome, classic design
- 3.0L mild hybrid engine is potent and smooth
- Genuine off-road talent
- Well-equipped cabin feels premium
- 130 version is very big
- Price tag is big, too
- Thirsty engine
We're a long way from the days when an SUV was a humble workhorse, and the 2024 Defender roams even further from its rough'n'tumble roots. Rebooted at the transition point between off-road prowess and country lifestyle chic, the new Defender is arguably two vehicles in one — and priced, you could argue, like two vehicles, as well.
While Land Rover remains the parent brand, in recent years the automaker has worked to better distinguish its range. Defender is now a standalone sub-brand, as is Range Rover and Discovery. Of the current Defender line-up, there are three models primarily distinguished by length and number of doors. The smallest– and, from $56,400 plus $1,475 destination, the most affordable — is the three-door Defender 90. The Defender 110 (from $60,600 plus destination) has five doors, and is arguably the mainstay of the range.
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Then there's this, the Defender 130 (from $69,100 plus destination) first unveiled in mid-2022. It keeps the five doors, but stretches the rear behind the C-pillar. That provides space for a third row, potentially turning the SUV into an eight-seater. However, just to make things a little more confusing, not every Defender 130 will seat that many. This particular Outbound trim, for example, seats five, just like the Defender 110 and 90.
Three engines, with a twin-turbo V8 to come
The broad array of configurations — a strategy shared with the Range Rover, for that matter — continues when it comes to powertrain and price tag. A base Defender 130 uses the 3.0-liter P300 inline-six gas mild-hybrid engine, with 296 horsepower. Step up to the Defender S (from $77,100 plus destination) and the P400 version of that engine is tuned for 395 horsepower. That trims the 0-60 mph time from 7.5 seconds to 6.3 seconds.
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The same P400 is offered on the X-Dynamic SE, the Defender X, and this Defender Outbound, at which point you're at $84,500 (plus destination) without any options. Gape your wallet far wider, meanwhile, and the Defender 130 V8 can be yours. Its 5.0-liter P500 eight-cylinder gas engine pushes power to 493 hp and cuts the 0-60 run to 5.4 seconds. Be prepared to spend $116,600 (plus destination) for the privilege, mind. The 2025 model year will bring a new flagship Defender Octa, even more expensive and toting a twin-turbo V8.
The runaway rhino
Sure, 6.3 seconds might not sound particularly dramatic, at least when it comes to completing the 0-60 mph dash. The Defender 130 Outbound weighs 5,610 pounds unladen, however, stands almost six and half feet tall, not far off seven feet wide from outsized side mirror to mirror, and is close to 17 feet long including the spare wheel hung on the side-opening rear hatch. Finish it in handsome Carpathian Grey paint ($600) against the gloss black contrast panels, and there's a not-unintimidating sense of piloting a runaway office building down the road.
Or, maybe, a particularly grumpy rhinoceros. Nail the gas pedal, and the Defender's rear hunkers down before it surges forward. The Terrain Response 2 system's drive modes (included in the no-cost Advanced Off-Road Pack, among other packages) lack a Sport setting, but with 406 lb-ft of torque on tap — all landing from just 2,000 rpm — that's no great hardship.
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Tip the shifter for the eight-speed automatic transmission into "S" and the gearbox will hold lower ratios, but honestly things just get noisier as the inline-six spins up. It's low-end torque that the Defender is all about.
Off-road talent, whether or not you take advantage
There might not be a Sport mode, but the Defender covers all the bases when it comes to off-road focused settings. Along with distinct modes for Grass, Gravel, Mud, Rocks, Ruts, Sand, and Snow, there's a Wading mode (the Defender 130 is rated for water up to 35.4 inches deep) and an Auto mode that promises to do the heavy lifting for you. Air suspension can raise the SUV from its usual 8.5 inches of ground clearance on-road, to 11.5 inches off-road.
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All-wheel drive with a two-speed transfer box is standard, along with Hill Descent Control. The $1,250 Off-Road Pack adds an electronic active differential with brake-based torque vectoring, guiding power between the rear wheel with the most traction. There's also up to 8,201 pounds of towing capacity (the Towing Pack 2, at $1,850, includes a tow hitch receiver and Advanced Tow Assist).
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Like, I suspect, a lot of Defender owners, I didn't do much to stress the SUV's post-asphalt talents. Faced with rutted, muddy, unpaved roads the burly behemoth surged forward with blithe indifference to the surfaces beneath it. The big 20-inch wheels and their Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac rubber gripped like lovestruck lobsters, the air springs doing an impressive job of isolating the worst of the bounce and judder from the cabin.
A high-tech version of off-road rugged
Though Land Rover would gladly nudge you toward a Range Rover for outright luxury, there's something earnestly pleasing about the Defender's cabin. The Outbound trim gets black faux leather as standard — picked for its durability — though real hide is a $2,400 option. Heated and ventilated front seats (which actually blow warm air around you, rather than relying on the heat radiating), tri-zone climate control, ambient lighting, and a Meridian 400W audio system are all standard, as are wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on a curved 11.4-inch touchscreen.
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The driver gets a fully digital cluster, too, though there are dedicated buttons for the HVAC, ride height, and other essentials. Hit a key and the left temperature knob cycles through the off-road settings, though the on-screen display is relegated to a thin strip along the bottom. A bigger UI with more information as to which icon is which (and why you might want to switch between them) would be useful, especially in a stressful off-road situation.
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Land Rover's Pivi Pro infotainment system is straightforward, and faster to navigate than older iterations. A persistent on-screen camera button summons the standard 360-degree camera, welcome given the scale of the Defender and its not-inconsiderable blindspots. There's also lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, blind spot assist, rear traffic monitor, and the usual suite of active driver safety tech. A head-up display is $1,000.
Practical and whimsical, all in one SUV
In many ways, I couldn't help but be charmed by the Defender 130's vision of what's important in a modern SUV. Plentiful USB ports — in both USB-A and USB-C flavors, spread in handy locations — are welcome, as are the numerous rubber-lined trays and bins. Grab handles are treated as more than mere afterthoughts, with numerous spots to grip built into the core interior design rather than bolted on later.
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Our off-road future isn't without playful details, though. There's the $810 Comfort and Convenience Pack, for instance, the headline feature of which is a small refrigerated compartment under the front center armrest. Could I make a solid case for needing the side-mounted gear carrier slung on the Defender's rear panel, or for that matter, the fold-down steps to help reach the roof? Probably not, but that didn't stop me enjoying a week cosplaying "overlanding gentry" with them.
2024 Defender 130 Verdict
In the end, the Defender 130 is more SUV capability than I — or most people — likely require. Its excessive length seems wildly profligate in five-seat form, though the 35.8 cu-ft of cargo space back there is undoubtedly appealing to many. The speeds of which it's capable stuns, but then so does its thirst. The EPA says 16 mpg city, 18 mpg highway, and 17 mpg combined are possible, but you'll need a mighty light foot to make the Defender agree with them.
As I've found after previous stints behind the wheel of Defenders in 90 and 110 flavors, however, what my head knows, my heart struggles to accept. Some vehicles just strum that part of the brain which deals with want rather than need; there's a charmingly silly quality to this big SUV which defies explanation, even if I'd opt for one of its smaller versions.
Or, at least, I would were it not for the equally bombastic price tag. Equipped as shown, this particular 2024 Defender 130 Outbound lands at $93,788 all-in. Some may question if Land Rover's four year / 50,000 mile warranty can put its perennially underwhelming reliability score to rest, too. Where the original Defender was an off-road workhorse, this modern version doubles as a luxury SUV, and you pay accordingly. Wise shoppers will want to be sure they're making the most of both personalities in order to justify that spend.