Land Rover will expand the Defender lineup next year with the introduction of the 130 long wheelbase variant, which was first spotted on public roads.
Photographs exclusive to Autocar show a prototype camouflaged near Land Rover’s headquarters in Warwickshire, giving a glimpse into the final styling of the longer car and an indication of its readiness for production.
A specific launch date for the top-of-the-line Defender has yet to be confirmed, but ahead of the unveiling of the standard Defender in 2019, a leaked internal presentation confirmed that it will arrive in 2022 with eight seats, one more than the mid-range 110.
It positions itself as the “premium explorer” of the Defender lineup, while the entry-level 90 is the “halo, image icon”, and the 110 is the “definitive Defender”. The 130 is therefore likely to fetch a higher price tag than other Defender models and only be available in high-end trim levels.
While the previous generation Defender 130 featured an extended wheelbase compared to the 110, the new car’s longer footprint is due to a visibly enlarged rear overhang, bringing the overall length of the vehicle to 5. , 1 m – 342 mm more than the 110 and 227 mm more than the Mercedes G-Class.
This prototype was fitted with Land Rover’s new 3.0-liter inline-six, slightly hybrid gasoline engine, which in the Discovery produces 355bhp for a 0-62mph time of 6.5 seconds, but the 130 can also receive the full diesel. and gasoline powertrains, including the optional P300e PHEV and the hot 542bhp supercharged V8.
As Autocar reported earlier this year, an open-back pickup variant is also expected to rival the Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok.
Executive Director of Vehicle Programs Nick Collins told Autocar that “there are no structural limitations” to a Defender pickup and hinted at the potential of such a model when recalling previous intentions of Land Rover to market the Defender as a complete “family” of models.
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Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-06-22 10:56:36
