 | Positives: Space for the whole family, rugged Defender DNA, shockingly good to drive, the best Land Rover infotainment system to date, tremendous storage choices, decent power even in the base trim. |
 | Negatives: Awkward proportions betray the Defender look, interior door handles mounted too low, minuscule cargo space behind row three. |
 | Bottom Line: The Defender 130 might look weird, but it provides real space for families while, at the same time, providing legendary Defender ruggedness and a very good driving experience. |
Driving Experience
The Defender 130 is a big boy, weighing in at 5,570 pounds for the S-trimmed model. It's also about 212 inches long and 77.6 inches tall. Those dimensions make it bigger than the Lexus LX but about the same as the Cadillac Escalade. It actually weighs a tad less than either of those models. The sheer size of it might make you think it sucks to drive, but you'd be wrong. Very wrong.
Ride Quality: The ride is plush without being mushy. Shock absorption is excellent over every surface we encountered.
Acceleration: 0 to 60 mph comes in 7.5 seconds. While that's not especially quick, it's more than commendable for a vehicle this size when paired with the base engine. The mild-hybrid system provides a bit more gusto and doesn't even require charging thanks to the reuse of energy collected when the 130 is decelerating and using regenerative braking.
Braking: The Defender 130's brakes are quite good for something this size, and modulation is very good. Braking distances are more than respectable for a 5,000-lb, very tall SUV.
Steering: We were surprised by how stood the steering is with good heft and excellent precision. The 130 is big, but the way it steers makes it drive smaller.
Handling: We marveled at how well-controlled the 130's body motions were in the turns. While there's definitely lateral roll, it all feels predictable and controllable, something you don't see in an SUV this large.
Technology
Land Rover and Jaguar's in-car tech has never been worth writing home about. It just seemed to lag behind the other luxury brands (even Lexus), but the new PIVI Pro system is the best infotainment system Land Rover has ever had. Combined with that freshened technology comes some really great physical controls.
Infotainment System: The 11.4" touchscreen is very unique, not only in its interesting size but also due to the fact that it is convex, which might seem pointless. What you get is a well-positioned, easy-to-touch, easy-to-read screen. Responsiveness is good, and menus are easy to understand.
Controls: We hope the Defender never goes all-touchscreen because the switchgear is great. The easy shift knob, the large climate control buttons, terrain select modes, and the audio knobs were really well while driving, and they're all centrally located.
Styling
Redesigning the legendary Defender for the modern age was not an easy feat. After the original, very-non-luxury Defender exited the American stage back in 1997, it was hard to imagine bringing one back in modern flavor. The brand had moved toward luxury, and the new Defender proved that Land Rover could redo it with a new, rugged look that stands out anywhere it goes. The two-door 90's length looks half-baked. The two-row, four-door 110 looks just right. The 130 looks good from the front and back views, but in profile, it looks really awkward.
Front: The very recognizable Defender face is the same here as it is on the other models, and that's a good thing. The round headlight signature set inside a rectangular housing looks great, along with the chunky grille and two-tone mesh lower half. Of course, what would it be without the huge "DEFENDER" lettering front and center?
Rear: There's nothing else the Defender could be mistaken for from the rear view, even more than the front. the small square taillights, the contrasting black vertical stripes, and the big glass and protruding spare look great together.
Profile: The added length gives it super-awkward proportions, and it betrays the handsomeness of the Defender in a big way. The white paint on our tester made it look even worse.
Cabin: The Defender does a great job of making a utilitarian cabin seem luxurious. It's a rugged but still refined look with great materials and one of the most unique interiors in the segment.
Comfort
The interior is one of our favorites because it's so practical yet very comfortable. The seat materials look tough but feel great to the touch, and there's actually room for eight adults, which is impressive in its own right. It's also easy to get to row three, unlike many of its competitors. Visibility is also one of its strong points.
Front Seats: The rugged seat material is quite comfortable, and we had no trouble getting into a good position. Bolstering could be improved, but the seat cushioning strikes a nice balance between plush and firm.
Rear Seats: Rows two and three are very comfortable in all positions, and the middle doesn't protrude. Even the cushion length is very good. The second row gets 38.4 inches of legroom (more than the BMW X7) and 31.7 inches of legroom in the third row (more than the Audi Q7). Headroom is also plentiful in all three rows.
NVH (noise/vibration/harshness): Build quality is good, and there were no squeaks and rattles. Road noise at highway speeds is also kept to a minimum, and even wind noise is kept at bay even with the presence of some very large side mirrors.
Visibility: Big windows all around provide very good visibility. Only the top of the spare tire on the tailgate partially obstructs the view out of the back.
Climate: The climate system is very good. We just wish the center vents in the dash could aim lower, but the dash border and the infotainment screen get in the way.
Safety
The Defender has not been crash tested by either the IIHS or the NHTSA, regardless of the model. It does come with a good set of standard safety features.
IIHS Rating: Not tested.
NHTSA Rating: Not tested.
Standard Tech: Even the base S model of the Defender 130 comes with a big set of standard safety tech such as Roll Stability Control, Emergency Braking, Emergency Brake Assist, Speed Limiter, 3D Surround Camera, 360° Parking Aid, Blind Spot Assist, Lane Keep Assist, Driver Condition Monitor, Traffic Sign Recognition & Adaptive Speed Limiter, and Rear Traffic Monitor.
Optional Tech: Our tester came with All Terrain Progress Control, which is adaptive cruise control for off-roading. It can operate in forward or reverse and between speed of 0 and 19 mph.
Storage/Cargo
The Defender 130 has a good amount of cargo space, but it's hampered by a limited space with all the seats in place. In terms of overall small item storage, the Defender is positively brilliant, hence the higher score here.
Storage Space: The front row is impressive with cubbies, shelves, pockets, and compartments galore. There are small shelves along the dash, even to the left of the steering wheel. There's a cavernous floor binnacle between the seats that can accommodate taller objects from the top. Door pockets are capacious, as well.
Cargo Room: The Defender 130 has a scant 13.7 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row and 43.5 cubes behind row two. Fold two and three down, and you get 76.1 cubic feet. The seats don't fold completely flat, which is annoying, but there's still a healthy amount of space for gear. Good luck sliding stuff out, though, because it can get caught on the seats.
Fuel Economy
Even with a gas-powered mild hybrid setup, there's no mistaking the Defender 130 for a big, heavy SUV. We weren't especially heavy laden during our test period (2 adults, 3 grammar school-aged kids), so it wasn't weighed down. We drove in a combination of highway and suburban driving.
Observed: 15.8 mpg.
Distance Driven: 144 miles.
Audio
The Defender 130 S comes with a pretty good semi-premium Meridian sound system that emits quality sound. It's got good bass and clarity, but it seem to lack the fullness of many premium sound systems. That said, we did enjoy listening to music and podcasts, and there was no distortion that we noticed.
