Land Rover Defender 130 revealed with extra long eight-seat body

Land Rover has expanded the Defender line-up with the introduction of a new, elongated eight-seat version.

Called Defender 130, it borrows its name from a similar model found in the original Defender family.

It stands out from the rest of the line-up thanks to its massive interior, which can seat up to eight people in a 2+3+3 arrangement. Land Rover says the elongated body allows three adults to sit in the rearmost seats comfortably, though images released by the firm indicate it would be quite a squeeze for shoulder room.

Regardless, those in the rear should have good headroom and legroom, as well as heated seats, padded armrests, large windows and USB-C slots.

The Defender 130 also has van-like practicality. While the boot capacity is just 389 litres with all three rows in place, there’s up to 2,516 litres of cargo space with the middle and rear seats folded.

Up front there’s an 11.4-inch Pivi Pro touchscreen infotainment system that also controls all of the off-roading technology through a clear display.

Both petrol and diesel engines are available, all being 3.0-litre six-cylinder units coming with mild-hybrid technology. The two petrol versions make 296bhp and 394bhp, while the diesels are 247bhp and 296bhp.

It is unclear as yet whether the plug-in hybrid and V8 powertrains found elsewhere in the Defender range will be made available in the 130.

All 130 models also get all-wheel-drive as standard, with Land Rover keen to ensure it keeps the Defender’s off-road credentials intact. There’s also air suspension, adaptive dynamics and the firm’s Terrain Response technology.

Prices start at £73,895 for a petrol model with the top-spec diesel rising to £98,400. Opting for the limited-run, high-specification First Edition model takes the price beyond £100,000.