This is not the first ever Land Rover Defender 130. No, that was the name given to the extra-long wheelbase version of the old Defender, and the numbers 90, 110 and 130 represented the three models’ wheelbases, in inches. The new Defender 130 doesn’t have a longer wheelbase (it’s the same 3,022mm as that of the 110), but it pays requisite homage to its utilitarian namesake by being the largest and most spacious model in the range.

2023 Land Rover Defender 130 exterior dimensions, styling

Yes, at 5,358mm including the spare wheel, the 130 is 340mm longer than the 110, but this added length has come entirely behind the rear axle, and that has its advantages and disadvantages. On a subjective note, some have found it a bit slab-sided or bulky looking compared to the far more truncated 90 and 110 body styles, and in truth, most large SUVs do have a long rear overhang (just look at the Range Rover). In the metal, the 130 more than delivers that imposing Defender presence.

It’s got the boxy shape, the big wheels and tyres – seen on our test car are a set of 20-inch wheels wrapped in blocky Goodyear Wrangler mud-terrain tyres – the retro-futuristic headlamps and tail-lamps and the spare wheel bolted to the side-hinged tailgate. The test car was also fitted with a dark chrome styling pack and the accessories pack that includes a ladder, storage box and roof rack that holds, amongst other things, a shovel, which was actually put to use on our day in the dunes outside Dubai.