[imagesource: Land Rover]

Land Rover’s new 4×4 SUV is a real beast on the road.

The British 4×4 specialists’ Defender range is already pretty iconic, but the newest edition has been reimagined without compromise.

Unveiled yesterday, the 2023 Land Rover Defender 130 is far bigger and more powerful than its predecessors, the Defenders 90 and 110, which both debuted in late 2019.

The massive vehicle spans 211 inches from bumper to bumper, making it 30,6 inches longer than the two-door Defender 90 and 13,4 inches bigger than the four-door Defender 110.

The boxier and bulkier silhouette of the Defender 130 is only really noticeable from the side, though, where you can tell the difference between it and the 110’s rear wheel size.

The added length is hard to miss from the inside, where amazingly, there’s enough room to fit in an extra row of seats, reported Robb Report:

These aren’t pop up seats in the rear cargo area. Instead, the rear-most bench has more than enough room for three full-sized adults and increases the total seating capacity to eight (in a 2+3+3 configuration), which is actually one more than the three-row Discovery.

The automaker says that, with the third row up, you’ll have a respectable 13.7 cubic feet of cargo room. That expands to 43.5 cubic feet and to 88.9 cubic feet if you fold down the second row, too. So, whether you’re moving people or things, space likely won’t be an issue with the 130.

Another big change is in the engine.

Instead of the four-cylinder and V-8 that have been options for past Defenders, there will be two new mild-hybrid-assisted, turbocharged 3,0-litre six-cylinder Ingenium engines from which to choose.

Ready for the technical specs?

The first of those powertrains, the P300, will produce 296 hp and 347 ft lbs of torque, while the second, the P400, delivers 395 hp and 406 ft lbs of torque. Land Rover hasn’t said how fast the SUV will be, but the P300 will be able to sprint from zero to 60 mph in 7.5 seconds, while the P400 can accomplish the same feat in 6.3 seconds.

Whichever powertrain you opt for, it’ll come mated to an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission that sends power to all four wheels. The automaker’s air suspension, which can boost ground clearance by 2.8 inches when you’re off-roading, comes standard.

I don’t purport to understand all of that, but seems like a good time:

The Defender 13 should be available at the end of the year, although you can currently order the hulking thing in the US through the Land Rover website.

If you have a cool $68 000 (just over R1 million) to spare, that is, and that’s just the basic model price.

Plus whatever conversion, shipping, and tax charges that would be added on top of that.

[source:robbreport]