- It’s could be an eight-seater version
- Expected to arrive next year
Land Rover Defender is currently available in two bodystyles – 90 and 110. Both versions have two rows, but the former has two doors and the latter has four. Now, the British marque is out testing an even stretched out version – which is expected to be called the 130 – at the most unexpected of places for an off-roader, the Nurburgring.
Its presence at the ‘Ring could mean that JLR is testing the Defender 130’s driving dynamics at the moment. If you look at the prototype closely, the wheelbase appears to be the same as the 110, with the extra bodywork added beyond the rear axle. This could mean either of the two things. One, there will be a provision for a third row in the 130 with added seating capacity. Or second, it could have an extra cargo carrying capacity.
Whatever might be the case, the bodywork under the concealment doesn’t appear to differ much from the 110. Power will surely come from the familiar V8 that was introduced later for the Defender. This 518bhp supercharged mill should be good enough to haul the added cargo or passenger without a problem – be it on the road or off it.
What’s more, the elongated rear section opens up another avenue for the Defender line-up – a pick-up truck body style. Whether that will happen or not remains to be seen. But we could expect this elongated Defender 130 to arrive either later this year or in 2023.
