New 2022 Land Rover Defender 130: extended SUV spotted again
Largest version of Land Rover's reborn 4x4 is set to bring eight seats at a premium price
The new Land Rover Defender 130 has been spotted again in camouflage, this time undergoing tests on European roads.
The stretched SUV was photographed in Germany in black-and white-camouflage, with black wheels and tinted rear windows.
Land Rover will expand the reborn Defender line-up next year with the introduction of this extended-wheelbase variant.
The model was previously photographed near Land Rover's headquarters in Warwickshire. The two sightings give a close look at the longer car's final styling and an indication of its readiness for production.
A precise launch date for the range-topping Defender has yet to be confirmed, but prior to the 2019 unveiling of the Defender 90 and Defender 110, a leaked internal presentation confirmed it will arrive in 2022 with eight seats – one more than the current five-door model.
The 130 will be positioned as the "premium explorer" of the Defender range, while the entry-level 90 is the "halo, image icon" and the 110 is the "definitive Defender".
It's therefore likely to command a substantial price premium over the other Defender models and be available in top-end trim levels only.
While the original Defender 130 featured an extended wheelbase over the 110, the new car's longer footprint instead comes courtesy of a visibly upsized rear overhang, which takes its total length to 5.1m - 342mm longer than the 110 and 227mm longer than the rival Mercedes-Benz G-Class.
This prototype was fitted with Land Rover's new mild-hybridised 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine, which in the Discovery produces 355bhp for a 0-62mph time of 6.5sec.
The 130 is expected to also receive the full raft of diesel and petrol powertrains, including the P300e plug-in hybrid and the 542bhp supercharged petrol V8.
Also expected, as reported by Autocar earlier this year, is an open-backed pick-up truck variant to rival the Ford Ranger and Mitsubishi L200.
Vehicle programmes executive director Nick Collins told Autocar that "there were no structural limitations" to a Defender pick-up and hinted at the potential for such a model by recalling Land Rover's previous intentions to market the Defender as a complete "family" of models.
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