Land Rover Defender 130 teased ahead of 31 May reveal

Speculative reports dating three years will officially be disproved or confirmed on 31 May when Land Rover unveils the returning Defender 130.

Set to retain its standing as the flagship Defender above the short wheelbase 90 and long-wheelbase 110, the 130 will no longer feature an open rear deck.

As indicated by uncovered patent images in January, the 130 will morph into an SUV with an enclosed rear section and seating for seven, thanks to the inclusion of a third row.

Despite little being divulged in the depicted teaser image, what is known is that the 130 will measure 5 100 mm in overall length, a reversal of its nomenclature that represents 130 inches or 3 302 mm, while retaining the same wheelbase 3 022 mm wheelbase as the 110.

The extra row, now under a solid roof, is unlikely to impact the rest of the 130’s interior from a design perspective, as it is set to be identical to that of the 90 and 110. Still to be confirmed, though, are rumoured specification differences depending on the trim level and market.

ALSO READ: Land Rover Defender 130 previewed in patent images

Matters unlikely to change are underneath the bonnet as well, where the Defender 130 will derive motivation from the same assortment of four-and-six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines as the 90 and 110.

The outgoing 5.0-litre Ford-era supercharged V8 is also anticipated to be offered like in the 90 and 110, but for a short time as it is expected to give way at some stage to the BMW-sourced 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 used in the new Range Rover and Range Rover Sport.

As with the 90 and 110, all of the 130’s power units will be mated as standard to the ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic gearbox with drive going to all four corners.

Order books in the United Kingdom will open on the day of the 130s reveal, with pricing to be confirmed then.

For now, the Defender 130 is an unknown entity for South Africa, but chances are it could become towards the end of the year.