Land Rover's Defender 130 Outbound: The Ultimate SUV for Exploring the Great Outdoors

Land Rover, the luxury car manufacturer, has recently expanded its range of off-roading vehicles to better cater to its target audience. As part of this expansion, the company has added three new options to its Defender lineup: the Defender 130 Outbound, the 493 bhp Defender 130 V8, and a new heritage-inspired County Exterior Pack for the Defender 11.

One of the highlights of this new lineup is the Defender 130 Outbound, which is available exclusively with five seats. This vehicle is designed to offer even greater potential for overland exploration, making it the perfect choice for those with active and adventurous lifestyles who want to pack everything they need to get out and explore. With its rugged exterior and advanced off-roading capabilities, the Defender 130 Outbound is the ultimate choice for anyone who wants to experience the great outdoors.

Land Rover has made it clear that the sole purpose of adding the Defender 130 Outbound to its lineup is to provide more options to its customers in the off-roading segment. By expanding its range of vehicles, Land Rover hopes to attract more customers who are looking for a luxury off-roading experience.

Know What's Inside Land Rover Defender 130 Outbound

The company behind the Defender 130 Outbound has gone to great lengths to ensure that this off-roading 4x4 stands out in the competitive market. The latest iteration of the Defender 130 Outbound boasts a subtle yet purposeful design, featuring a Shadow Atlas Matt finish to the bumpers and grille insert, while side vents are finished in Anthracite. To complement the Outbound's design, 50.80 cm (20) wheels are finished in Gloss Black, adding a touch of style to this capable off-roading vehicle.

In addition to the Outbound's design enhancements, Land Rover has also included a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine in the Defender 130 lineup. This engine provides a compelling blend of horsepower, cruising smoothness, and capability, making it the ultimate choice for off-roading enthusiasts. With its impressive 485 bhp of power and 610 Nm of peak torque, the 130 V8 can go from 0 to 100 kph in as little as 5.7 seconds, and it can accelerate the SUV from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.4 seconds.

When it comes to the design and exterior of the Defender 130 V8, Land Rover has left no stone unturned. This powerful off-roading SUV features Quad outboard-mounted exhausts, a sliding panoramic roof with a black contrast roof, ‘V8’ external badging, Matrix LED headlights with signature daytime running lights, darkened tail lights, privacy glass, and 22-inch satin dark grey alloy wheels. All of these design elements work together to create an aggressive and imposing look for the Defender 130 V8, making it a true head-turner on the road.

Inside the cabin, the Defender 130 V8 is just as impressive, with a range of high-tech features and luxurious touches. The SUV boasts a Meridian sound system, a head-up display, an interactive driver display, and cabin air purification, in addition to four-zone climate control, heated third-row seats, and climate seats in the second row. These features ensure that every passenger is comfortable and entertained, no matter how long the journey is.

Land Rover Defender 130 Power and Performance

The latest addition to Land Rover's Defender range, the Defender 130 V8, boasts a 5.0-litre supercharged engine, similar to its more potent 90 and 110 siblings, although detuned to 500hp. This robust engine helps the Defender 130 V8 accelerate from 0 to 100 kph in just 5.4 seconds. 

The vehicle distinguishes itself from the 130 variants powered by six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines with bespoke paint options in grey and black, a quad-exit exhaust, unique badging, and 22-inch dark grey wheels. The Defender 130 V8 also comes loaded with interior options, such as 14-way heated and cooled front seats, four-zone climate control, a Meridian sound system, and a head-up display as standard.

Jaguar Land Rover has remained tight-lipped about the future of the 'AJ' V8 engine, which made its debut in 1997 in a 4.0-litre form for the Jaguar XJ8 and XK8. The 5.0-litre engine, which powers the top-of-the-line Defender models and the Jaguar F-Type, could be the last of its kind. The V8 Range Rover models have already transitioned to a BMW-sourced 4.4-litre engine.

Meanwhile, the Defender 130 lineup welcomes the new 'Outbound' edition, which sacrifices the third-row seat to provide more storage space for adventurous travellers. It offers a cavernous 1,329-litre boot, which can be expanded to 2,516 litres when the second-row seats are folded down. The vehicle is exclusively available with either the mild-hybrid D300 diesel or the P400 petrol engine.

Land Rover Defender 130 Outbound Rivals

The Defender 130 has been designed with a specific focus on maximizing interior space, and it does so by adding 340mm of extra length behind the rear axle, rather than between the wheels as was the case with its predecessor.

This approach makes the Defender 130 identical to the mid-sized 110 ahead of the C-pillar and measures 5,358mm long. With its large size, the Defender 130 is ready to take on the biggest luxury SUVs in the market, and in fact, it's slightly longer than both the BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS.

Another unique feature of the Defender 130 is its two-three-three seating layout, which is available as an option. This makes the Defender the only mainstream SUV in Europe capable of carrying more than seven occupants.

In terms of variants, in addition to the new V8 and Outbound editions, the Defender 130 is available in SE, HSE, X-Dynamic, X, and limited-run First Edition guises. The First Edition variant is particularly notable as it comes with a range of carefully curated bespoke colour combinations and a bulk of options ticked.

Regardless of the variant, all Defender 130 models come equipped with adaptive air suspension, which offers up to 430mm of articulation and a wading depth of 900mm when in its highest setting. This gives the Defender 130 impressive off-road capabilities, making it an excellent choice for those who love to explore challenging terrain. Overall, the Defender 130 is an excellent option for those who need a spacious and capable SUV that can handle anything thrown it's way.