Land Rover Defender 130 2023: Australian price and release date confirmed

Land Rover has unveiled the Defender 130 and confirmed it will arrive on Australian shores within the first quarter of 2023 – between January and March.

Joining the current line-up of the two-door Defender 90 and four-door 110 variants, the 130 sits on the same 3022mm wheelbase as the latter but extends the bodywork a further 340mm to add a third row of seats.

Available exclusively in mid-spec ‘SE’ guise, pricing for the Defender 130 starts at $124,150 (before on-road costs) for the diesel-equipped D300 and $131,650 for the P400 petrol.

Both options make use of a 3.0-litre straight-six turbocharged engine mated to a mild-hybrid system, with the diesel producing 221kW/650Nm and the petrol 294kW/550Nm. A ZF-sourced eight-speed transmission and four-wheel-drive system are fitted as standard to both.  

More seats, more space

Land Rover will offer the Defender 130 in a choice of five- or eight-seats; with the former offering a van-like 2516-litres of storage space when the rear seats are folded flat, while the three-row has slightly less at 2291-litres.

When all three rows are in place, the Defender 130 still offers 389-litres of space, which is 87 more than the eight-seat Hyundai Palisade. 

The availability of eight seats will give the Defender a unique edge over rivals such as the Toyota Land Cruiser 300 Series, Lexus LX, Mercedes-Benz GLE and BMW X7 which only offer up to seven seats. 

Air suspension fitted as standard

Land Rover has fitted every Defender 130 with air suspension matched with its Terrain Response system, to offer additional capability off-road.

The system can raise the front of the car by 71.5mm at the front and 73.5mm at the rear, giving the Defender 130 a wading depth of 900mm  

Buyers looking to tow with their Defender 130 should note that the extended body has reduced the towing capacity from 3500kg on the 90 and 110 models to 3000kg.

Orders for the Defender 130 will open on August 1, with the first lot of deliveries expected to land in Australia between January and March next year.