An excellent trail hunter for the extended family (Photo: Ronan Toppelberg)
Price:
NIS 622,000
We liked:
interior space for 8 passengers, interior equipment and usability of the passenger cabin, refinement and road behavior, off-road capabilities We did
n't like:
price, road tires, high sophistication for massive off-road work
Score: 9/10
The launch of the new Defender in 2019 was accompanied by a lot of criticism and protest from purists, who were outraged by the disappearance of the 70-year-old agricultural icon;
"It's not that" we whined with crocodile tears, where are the live axles, where is the chassis, where is the smell of burnt oil?
That's how we rebelled' But over the years, we've come to love the new Defender.
100,000 Defenders later the eyes have already gotten used to the modern design, the hyper-useful and spacious cabin, the excellent road handling.
We internalized that despite the excellent off-road capabilities, this Defender is aimed at the fancy boulevards of Los Angeles, more than at the jungles of Borneo, and in fact - from the moment I started referring to it as a Discovery 6, all my complaints disappeared.
This is an excellent vehicle in the classic 110 version, and also in the short 90 version.
And now Land Rover adds the 130 in an elongated version, for the benefit of those for whom the 110 is not spacious enough.
The 130 completes the British family, and Rover has even recently been dropping hints about a 'lifestyle' van that might appeal to American audiences;
So is (maybe) the pumping V8 engine already on the horizon with 518 horsepower.
A pure electric version won't arrive before 2025.
Honey, the family has expanded: on the right is a Defender 130, in the middle is a 110, on the left is a short 90 (Photo: Ronan Topelberg)
Design:
Looking from the front or the back, it's hard to notice the 34 cm transplant that turned the 110 into a 130.
The 130 also has a square and tough bulldog face, introverted in appearance but impressive.
At the back we get a clean and elegant design, with a spare wheel (full size, of course!) on the tailgate.
Even when looking at the side, the change is not obvious, but suddenly you see that he grew a butt, he stretched back and completely changed the proportions of the car.
I prefer the "wheels at the corners of the chassis" look of the 110 but there are also people who liked the elongated chassis better.
Keen eyes will notice that the 'alpine windows' have disappeared above the doors, they have been replaced by two panoramic roofs.
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The rear extension has been extended by 34 centimeters, providing serious space for passengers and cargo (Photo: Rami Gilboa)
Passenger cabin:
The 130 offers eight seats in a 2+3+3 configuration.
The dashboard and front two rows of seats remain exactly the same as in the 110, with a 10-inch multimedia display and a 12.3-inch virtual dashboard.
The interior design provides a unique infusion of luxury and quality, combined with intricate hints such as intentionally exposed screws, storage compartments galore, and one of the features I really liked in the elderly 110 I had - a useful and solid shelf across the dashboard.
Curiosity rises when we peek at the third row of seats;
It is a spacious bench that can comfortably seat two full-sized adults and another compact passenger.
That's one more passenger than in the 110, and the personal space has also improved a lot.
The three rows of seats have controlled heating and air conditioning, charging sockets, everything is ready to hit the Kalahari, or to pick up the kids from school.
Getting into the back seats is also possible for healthy people, but requires a degree of flexibility.
The dashboard is designed with purposeful elegance, very premium.
The sitting position is high and commanding.
There is a unique display for 4x4 modes, a long horizontal shelf, storage compartments for most (photo: Rami Gilboa, Rami Gilboa)
To increase the modularity, the second row of seats moved forwards and backwards.
An important volume has been added behind the third row of seats - there is now a respectable 389 liters there.
This volume allows a family trip with personal belongings that are not limited to a sandwich bag.
In the 5-seat configuration you are left with a 1,232 liter hangar, enough for any task.
Accessories:
like the 110, the 130 is also full of goodies;
External cameras that reflect the road and the road (due to a lack of electronic components, there is no video option for the internal mirror, too bad), the multimedia system is bright and fast, there are physical switches for most of what is essential.
Connectivity, charging and air conditioning, for all 8 passengers.
It is comfortable to sit in the third row of seats, two full-sized adults and one more compact.
There are charging points and air conditioning, there is not a bad storage volume behind the seats (photo: Rami Gilboa)
Performance:
The 130 is sold in Israel with a 2,997 cc in-line 6-cylinder diesel engine, which provides 250 hp and 60 kg, with an 8-speed gearbox. With a curb weight of 2,664 kilograms, it is not a racing rabbit, but it is completely agile And powerful. It cruises easily at highway 6 speeds, takes overtakings easily and decisively, absolutely not lacking in power - acceleration from zero to 100 in 8.9 seconds is a respectable figure for such a vehicle. I suppose that with a full family + camping equipment it will be less agile, But it will stand up to any task.
The fuel consumption is very good; in intercity cruising at 110-120 km/h we got over 13 kilometers per liter.
At 130 km/h the consumption increased to about 11 km/l.
Even on an off-road trip, the 130 pushes past eight kilometers per liter, completely satisfying.
The active safety system is complete.
By folding the 2 rows of rear seats you get a spacious hangar for luggage.
There are two sunroofs, the front one is very large.
The floor is not flat, it is less convenient for transporting or sleeping in the desert (Photo: Rami Gilboa)
Comfort and handling: In 1983, Land Rover's leaf springs were replaced by coil springs and since then, ride comfort has become a key element of the British company's DNA.
In the current Defender, the coil springs have been replaced with sophisticated airbags, which give it a high driving comfort on the road and on the trail.
The 130 provides excellent driving comfort on the highway or on city roads;
The M&S tires on the 130 give it an even better level of refinement and quietness.
This comfort is also expressed in off-road driving.
We did the northern part of the test on the fast dirt roads surrounding the "Tzvika farm" in the green advantages of Ruhama, a paradise for sheep, horses and peacocks.
The White Whale will sew up the trails quickly and smoothly, providing a rare combination of ride comfort and solid control of body shakes.
Even on less polished paths it was excellent.
There is no doubt that this is a very comfortable vehicle for long journeys on the asphalt or beyond it.
It goes without saying that the road behavior of the 130 is not sporty or sharp, but it is very stable and instills confidence.
I liked the weight of the steering wheel, the brakes are effective, although you can feel the great weight.
The high chassis leans sideways in turns, although the airbags reduce the jolts to a surprisingly good minimum.
Even without rear lateral locking, the 130 knows how to have fun with extreme crossovers and technical trails (Photo: Rami Gilboa)
Terrain:
The mechanical platform of the Defender 130 is almost identical to that of the 110, but it is less brilliant in technical terrain.
The 130 is heavier by about 350 kilograms, its departure angle is less good, it wears less grippy and durable M&S tires and also, it does not have a rear differential lock.
The 130 also does not have an option for the 18-inch rims that favor off-road drivers.
It's obvious from Land Rover that they didn't target the 130 for demanding off-road driving, but we insisted.
Beyond a fine ability in fast trail driving, we found that it also did not shy away from a more demanding surface.
The approach and belly angles are the same as those of the 110, the air suspension gives it a respectable 29 centimeters of ground clearance, it has a power transmission and one of the best traction control available.
The weak point is the pinch-sensitive All Seasons tires, but it is not afraid of trail trips, even in difficult off-road challenges.
Crawling in extreme crossovers we felt the lack of rear locking, when the engine power tries to find a tire with ground grip.
The Kardashian butt reduces the angle of abandonment and may hit the ground when going down a step, or when entering a steep climb (Photo: Rami Gilboa)
Those looking for a defender with as high offense as possible would do well to choose 110 or 90, with AT tires on the 18 inch rims.
That's what I thought, but it turns out that out of the 400 customers who have already purchased a new Defender in Israel, only 1% chose the 18-inch rims... Those who still need the 130 towing volume will be able to cap it with AT tires and travel easily on most roads in Israel .
It will be helped by fairly large 32-inch tires, a short 'power' gear and a Train Response system, not to mention a host of cameras and electronic controls.
The romantics are still mourning the separation from the old Defender, but there is nothing to be done - Land Rover has decided to move into the 21st century, and the new 130 does it perfectly (Photo: Rami Gilboa)
The bottom line
As part of 'due disclosure' I must confess that I am a big fan of the British brand.
Yes, Land Rover products are not perfect, they are technologically complex (in the case of the 130 with a 6 piston engine versus 4 engines, air suspensions versus iron springs), and hence the potential for malfunctions and surprises.
But these are exactly the assemblies that make the Defender 130 such a good car.
The 6-cylinder engine runs smooth and quiet, the air suspension acts as a magic carpet that provides unrivaled comfort and stability.
These assemblies also increase the price of the vehicle but give it capabilities and a great 'motor personality', unique to the British product.
load them all up, and set off (photo: Ronan Topelberg)
I am very attached to the 110, but the Defender 130 will be a faithful companion for owners of large families, road teachers and other carriers;
Even if you only need 7 seats, the 130 has advantages over the 110: more space for people, more space for equipment.
110 at a similar level will cost you NIS 592,900, so for the 130, you pay an additional NIS 1,000 for each additional centimeter... do the math.
Apart from the number "130" there is no connection between the elderly and vibrating model, and the sophisticated and high-quality machine on the left.
The 130 maintains insane prices on the used market (Photo: Rami Gilboa)
On the technical side: Land Rover Defender 130 SE250
Engine:
turbo diesel 3.0 liters, 6 pistons in a row
power/rpm (hp):
250/4,000
torque/rpm (kgm):
60/1,250
configuration:
unified chassis with four independent suspensions drive
:
permanent 4x4 , 'Power' gear, traction control and central differential lock
Gearbox:
ZF automatic, 8 gears
Performance:
Maximum speed (km/h):
188
Acceleration 0-100 (seconds):
8.9
Dimensions
Length (m):
5.3
Width (m) '):
2.1
Height (m):
2
Wheelbase (cm):
302.2
Ground clearance (cm):
21.8-29.0
Tires:
Pirelli M&S, 255/65R19
Approach / departure angles (degrees):
37.5 / 28.5
Wheel depth (centimeters):
90
Self-weight (kg):
2,664
Towing capacity (kg):
3,000
Safety:
European crash test score: 5 out of 5 stars
Active safety:
automatic braking, vehicle identification in " Dead zone", adaptive cruise control, lane departure correction, automatic braking in reverse
Air pollution:
Group 15 of 15
Warranty:
three years or 100 thousand km
Competitors:
(not direct) Toyota Land Cruiser, Ford Bronco, Lexus LX
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Tags
land Rover
Defender
SUV
4x4