Capable updated Defender

ENDORSEMENT: TEST PROVED ALL CLAIMS ACCURATE

- Jaco van der Merwe

The Land Rover Defender 130 started life in 2023 as a very capable eight-seater SUV. Recent updates have transformed it into an even more capable and comfortable ride, albeit at the expense of one seat at optimal trim level.

The introduction of a more powerful diesel engine, the option of Captain Chairs in the second row and the standard inclusion of the Signature Interior Pack has given the Defender 130 a lot of impetus in the luxury three-row SUV segment.

We sampled the 130 in D350 X spec to put the updates to the test.

Starting with the powertrain, the Ingenium 3.0-litre straight-six twin-turbo mill has been upgraded from D300 to D350 guise, resulting in 257kW of power and 700Nm of torque, up 36kW/50Nm from before. The twist is still sent to all four wheels via eight-speed automatic transmission.