Biggest Defender, biggest engine, biggest price – biggest want?
By Matt Bird / Wednesday, 26 April 2023 / Loading comments
As the combustion era nears the end, so we can hopefully expect to see a few more crammed in where they were never expected to end up. Think GT3 engines in Caymans, supercar V6s powering Maserati SUVs, an F1 powertrain in a Mercedes hypercar and so on. The 100-year-old technology isn’t going quietly, put it that way. Now there’s another to add to the roster: the Defender 130 V8. Yep, eight seats *and* eight cylinders in a Land Rover. It’s the family car you never knew you always needed.
With both 90 and 110 Defenders already available with the venerable 5.0-litre, the 130 surely didn’t need the option as well. Which only serves to make its confirmation even more thrilling – after all, unnecessary V8s are often among the best. With 500hp and 450lb ft, the 130 should reach 62mph in 5.4 seconds. There isn’t a top speed yet, although presumably it’ll better the D300’s 119mph. The six-cylinder diesel felt adequately punchy in the bigger body, so it’ll be interesting to see how the V8 compares.
Marking out the £116k flagship will be V8 badges and quad exhausts (of course), as well as 22-inch alloy wheels and darkened tail lights. The 130 V8 will only be offered in Carpathian Grey or Santorini Black, which is a little disappointing; think how nice a dark red or blue could be on the grandest Defender of them all.
The V8 is not the only 130 news as part of the Model Year 2024 update, with a new ‘Outbound’ version also launched. It isn’t available with the 5.0-litre (boo), instead offered exclusively with the D300 Ingenium diesel. Specced with just five seats instead of eight, the Outbound has been designed ‘for clients who there’s always more to achieve’. To that end, it gets plenty of adventurey kit included, like rubber floor mats, extra lashing points, a new cargo net and the option of Resist fabric upholstery instead of the Windsor leather. The big draw, however, will be the space: there’s 1,329 litres in the boot even with all the seats up, increasing to a ginormous 2,516 litres if just the front row is utilised. Land Rover says the space ‘easily accommodates everything from wetsuits and kit bags to camping and climbing gear’. It talks of the 3,000kg towing capacity being ideal for stuff like jet skis as well, but with that much room you could just chuck one in the back…
Fellow Patagonia fleece wearers will know your Defender is an Outbound by the Shadow Atlas Matt finish to the grille and bumpers, Anthracite side vents, body-coloured D-pillar finishes and a choice of new wheels. Unfortunately, the colour palette is almost as plain as the V8, with two greys (Carpathian and Eiger), Fuji White and Santorini Black offered. Where’s Camel Trophy yellow when you need it, eh? Like the V8, the 130 Outbound is available to order now, priced at £80,390.
We’re not finished yet, either. Land Rover’s final significant update for the MY2024 Defender involves the 110. Those keener on the rural runabout look than the urban warrior aesthetic might be interested in County Exterior Pack, which costs from £1,855. Resurrecting a much-loved name from back in the day, the CEP can be optioned onto SE or HSE models, bringing with it door graphics, new treadplates, retro wheels (that can be had in white) and some new interior finishes. Customers can opt for a Fuji White body with Tasman Blue roof, tailgate, decal and treadplate, a Santorini Black body with the blue accents, or the one you’ll actually want: Tasman Blue body with white contrast elements. Ready to roll onto an Emmerdale set tomorrow. All three of these new additions to the MY24 Defender lineup are on sale now, so we’d assume the rest of the range can be ordered as well. We’re already getting the fuel card ready for the V8.
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