Three-row 2023 Land Rover Defender 130 now on Philippine shores 

The all-new 2023 Land Rover Defender 130 has entered the Philippine market. This by far, is the largest form of the popular model, and it is designed to share adventures and travels with up to eight occupants. It is also packed with plenty of features, both for comfort and safety. And of course, it promises to be as potent as other Defender body styles when it comes to off-road capability. 

The 2023 Land Rover Defender 130

Here are the details of the Defender 130, from the inside out.  

Exterior 

Just like any other Defender, the 130 model sports a boxy look that pays homage to the classics. The front end gets a pair of LED headlamp clusters built-in with LED daytime running lamps, as well as a minimalistic, but rugged-looking multi-tiered grille. Down below is a silver-colored beefy lower bumper which is home to LED front fog lamps, and more air vents.  

It is then from the side that one will see the familiar boxy shape of the Defender. It gets the same squared and beefy fender flares and the same straight roofline. Being the 130 though, it features an extended body that’s 340mm longer than the short wheelbase models.  

Seeing this in the metal will provide a better perspective of its size

With this additional length, the overhang for the rear juts out a bit thus providing more space inside. Up top, it also gets a panoramic sunroof, with a separate one for the third row. At least for the Philippine-spec version, the “alpine windows” aren’t present on this longer version of the Defender.  

Towards the rear, one will find that it gets roughly the same design as the shorter models. It is fitted with twin square-shaped LED taillights while the spare tire is attached to the tailgate. 

Do note that the Defender 130 shown here is in Sedona Red, a color that is only available for the longer, three-row model. Also, the silver-colored bits on the cladding and skid plates are known collectively as the Extended Bright Pack.  

The Defender 130 from the rear

Completing the look of the Defender 130 is a set of 22-inch wheels. Then again, customers might be able to get smaller, or different-looking ones via Land Rover’s customization service. 

Interior 

Inside the Defender 130 is the same level of fit and finish you’d find in the other body styles. There are plenty of soft-touch surfaces inside the cabin, and leather is likewise present on the seats, interior door cards, and the dashboard. 

A peek inside the Defender 130's cockpit

The front seats of this Land Rover are electronically adjustable. Also present is an auto-dimming rearview mirror. Keeping everyone cool inside the Defender 130 is a four-zone automatic climate control system with controls for all three rows. 

Access to the third row is easy thanks to a sliding second row. The third row can seat up to three adults, and it comes with a 40:20:40 split-folding function.  

The Defender 130's third row

With all of the Defender 130’s seats deployed, it can handle up to 389 liters of cargo. Fold down all the seats, and then you get up to 2,291 liters of cargo space. 

Tech & Safety 

Handling the entertainment of those aboard the 2023 Land Rover Defender 130 is a new 11.4-inch Pivi Pro touchscreen headunit. It comes standard with wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, and plenty of USB ports. The said headunit is then linked to a 10-piece Meridian speaker set.  

The Defender 130's Pivi-Pro touchscreen headunit

Over to the driver’s side is a digital gauge cluster. This model also gets a wireless smartphone charging pad. 

As one would expect from a modern luxury SUV, the Defender 130 also gets a whole host of advanced driver-assistive safety features. This includes a 3D surround camera, a driver condition monitor, a 360-degree parking aid, lane-keep assist, emergency braking, traffic sign recognition, and an adaptive speed limiter, among others.  

The front cabin of the one in Sedona Red

Also present aboard this model is a total of six airbags, as well as a standard safety kit one would expect from a modern vehicle. 

Engine & Performance 

Under the hood of the 2023 Land Rover Defender 130 is a 3.0-liter turbodiesel straight-6 engine. It is paired with a mild hybrid system, and it can produce up to 300 horsepower and 650 Nm of torque. 

Power is then sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission. It is also equipped with a twin-speed transfer box, as well as several drive modes. Of note, its off-road mode provides a ground clearance of 290mm. 

The Defender 130's 3.0-liter inline-6 turbodiesel engine

It also gets up to 900mm of depth capacity for wading. Assisting the driver on this is Land Rover’s Wade Sensing system. 

The variant ground clearance is thanks to its air suspension. Also present on this off-road eight-seater are disc brakes for all four wheels, as well as an electronic parking brake.  

Pricing

Pricing for the 2023 Land Rover Defender 130 starts at Php 11.89 million. Together with the accessory pack worth Php 300,000, it bumps up the price to Php 12.190 million.

Actual price might vary due to customer's customization preferences

For more car news and the latest local car releases, keep it here on Philkotse.