2023 Land Rover Defender 130 Review: Reaching For More – SlashGear

As it is with the 110, the 130 P400 and its mild hybrid setup doesn’t let the larger Defender down. Between reliably pulling off the line with reasonable ease and maintaining highway cruising speeds, there’s never a moment where it feels like the V8 available in other models would improve things here. 395 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque is plenty for this kind of SUV’s haulage demands, and it’ll still be able to tow 8,000-ish pounds of extra gear if the 130 somehow isn’t long enough. To that point, the Defender 130 cruises along just fine, but it does feel like a bus. 

Through the rear-view mirror, its back end is quite far away, and between that, the ride height and the spare tire adorning the back, it’s nearly impossible to see any vehicle that might be immediately following behind. All of this is certainly felt during any bend or intersection. It almost takes a minute to remember that the 130 is longer than it feels.

With that said, the Defender 130 can surprise you in unexpected ways. Pull into a tight parking lot and its lofty stature will trigger your anxiety to rise, but then it can maneuver around more deftly than anticipated thanks to its shockingly tight turning radius. The same is true when it needs to thread the proverbial needle be it a narrow spot or tight squeeze. Much of this, in a roundabout way, is a testament to the Defender’s utility beyond the road. While the 110 and 90 are more manageable, the 130 still rocks the adaptive air suspension and the various terrain selection modes afforded to its shorter siblings. All of the all-terrain-tackling tech is there, too, from pass-through cameras for the hood to the screens communicating wheel angle and suspension articulation. It would feel like taking a small class on the most ambitious field trip ever, but the Defender 130 could technically function off-road, even if it probably never will.