Land Rover unveils the Defender 130 Outbound, a luxury off-roader that offers a powerful V8 engine, with iconic Defender’s off-roading capabilities.

The Land Rover Defender is one of the most popular and recognizable names in the off-roading class of vehicles. The classic ladder-frame chassis, a no-nonsense boxy body, and a mechanical 4×4 drivetrain made the Defender one of the go-to solutions for exploring the unknown with confidence and excitement.

After enjoying a long production run from the 1980s to the mid-2010s, the Defender took a break for four years before re-emerging in its second generation. The new run since 2020 has surpassed Land Rover’s expectations about its success and capabilities. They have continued to work on it and update it to keep the flow going strong. The latest result of this effort is the new Defender 130 Outbound.

The folks at Jaguar Land Rover brought us the Defender 130 in 2022, a longer sibling of the Defender 90 and 110. The Defender 130 offers full three rows and a seating capacity of up to eight people. JLR announced the Defender 130 Outbound, a luxury version of the long off-roader. And it’s not just a Defender with some tech and a bit more comfort, it’s the ultimate luxury off-roader you can buy today.

While it’s longer than the ones we saw before, the 130 is still a Defender first. It’s got all the bells and whistles you would expect from an off-roader of the Defender’s stature. But there’s more where that came from. The Defender 130, as we mentioned, is a three-row SUV that can accommodate up to 8 people. The Defender 130 Outbound may have the same wheelbase, length, and interior space, it only has 5 seats spread across just two rows. Instead of the third row, what we get is a massive amount of cargo space to carry just about anything you’ll probably need.

According to the Managing Director of the Defender, Mark Cameron, the Defender 130 Outbound’s unique design enhancements and spacious interior provide an interesting blend of capability and practicality to adventure seekers going on a long haul. At the back, you get a whopping 1,329 liters (47 cubic-feet) of cargo room to store your stuff, and if you drop the 2nd-row seats down, the capacity increases to an even more impressive 2,516 liters (88.8 cubic-feet). The loadspace floor is nearly flat and just shy of 3.3 feet long, making it easier to load larger things in the boot. There are practical touches everywhere from the glove box to the roof rack.

With all that luggage and space for up to 5 people, the Defender 130 Outbound needs a robust powertrain, one that will not cease to provide the adequate power it needs at all times. Land Rover went the American route and deployed the supercharged 5.0-liter V8 motor from the Defender 110. The engine dishes out up to 493 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque. The powerful motor allows the humongous Defender 130 Outbound to reach from 0 to 60 mph in as little as 5.4 seconds, according to Land Rover, and it can tow up to 3,000 kgs (6613 lbs). Apart from this, the Defender 130 Outbound will also have the 3-liter, six-cylinder Ingenium P400 and D300 paired with mild-hybrid systems that we get with the standard Defender 130.

Regarding mechanical stuff and off-roading capabilities, JLR kept the Defender’s reputation intact with its Intelligent All-Wheel Drive System and Terrain Response 2, ensuring optimal traction regardless of the surface beneath the Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac All-Terrain tires or the obstacle in front of them. Also, the Electronic Air Suspension and Adaptive Dynamics are standard in this one. But that was always present with the Defender, especially the newest models since their reemergence in 2020.

With an SUV longer than 5 meters, it’s impossible to miss it on the road and ignore the massive presence it boasts. The Defender 130 gets Fuji White, Santorini Black, Carpathian Gray, and Eiger Gray color options. But the Outbound edition only gets the Carpathian Gray and Santorini Black from those. There is a Satin Protective Film available as an option to protect the exterior against scratches and to make it look even stealthier.

There are options for full Windsor leather or durable Resist fabric for the interior. Also, you get a lot of comfort and convenience-oriented features in the cabin as well. The interior gets an Ebony finish with an Ebony Morzine headliner. The Outbound also features Robustec veneer and signature cross-car beam in Satin Black Powder Coat Brushed finish. Talking about the shape, the key change is at the rear as expected since the front looks similar to the other Defender models. The side profile swaps glass windows for a solid panel at the rear and there’s a stepping ladder for easy access to the roof.