Need to ferry eight in a spacious interior while climbing through the desert? Land Rover now has just the vehicle for you, with this new Defender 130 joining the Defender family.

Available as either an eight or five-seater, this Land Rover Defender 130 is longer than the already large Defender 110. 340mm longer, in fact. And all this length has been added aft of the rear axle, so the 130 sports the same 3,022mm wheelbase as the 110.

And with a total length measuring 5,358mm, the Defender 130 is properly long. For context, the Mercedes-Maybach GLS comes in at ‘just’ 5,205mm, while the facelifted BMW X7 is ‘only’ 5,181mm long.

All this length translates into what Land Rover states is uncompromised accommodation in the third row, handy, since the vehicle sports a 2-3-3 seating configuration. Those seated right at the back will also get heated seats, padded armrests, and access to thoughtful storage and USB-C ports to ensure high comfort on the go.

The Land Rover Defender also gets large windows and a standard fit panoramic glass sunroof, complemented by a second sunroof above row three, providing excellent visibility for all passengers. Ventilation is provided for each row, with additional ducting providing more heating and air-conditioning capacity via an optional four zone climate control, exclusive to the Defender 130.

And there’s also more space for all your outdoor equipment, with the eight-seater Defender 130 offering a total of 389 litres of space with all seats in place (space from the 110 is 231 litres with all seven seats in place).

Fold the third row and there’s a total of 1,232 litres of space, and with the second and third row folded, this space expands to 2,291 litres (the equivalent figures for the Defender 110 is 916 litres, and 2,233 litres respectively).

Up front, the Defender 130 gets the 11.4-inch Pivi Pro touchscreen as found in the Defender 90 and 110 V8. New chrome detailing alongside silver accents throughout the interior is being offered in the Defender 130, and customers will also be able to opt for new Light Oak veneers for the cabin, alongside Light Oyster perforated Windsor leather seating.

And for those looking to take this new Defender off-road, there’s also electronic air suspension as standard, offering a total of 430mm of articulation in ride height, and the ability of ford a maximum of 900mm of water.

That extended rear meanwhile sees the departure angle of the 130 reduced to 28.5 degrees. The Defender 110 offered a maximum departure angle of 40 degrees when equipped with air suspension and set to its off-road ride height.

On the exterior, the Land Rover Defender 130 is being offered with a new Sedona Red exterior paint finish, while an optional Extended Bright Pack will finish all lower body panels in Ceres Silver Satin.

Petrol-powered options for the Land Rover Defender 130 at launch include the P300, which utilises a 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine with mild hybrid technology delivering a total of 296bhp and 470Nm of torque. A P400 six-cylinder mild hybrid option is also available, which delivers a total of 395bhp and 550Nm of torque. Every Defender 130 is fitted with Land Rover’s Intelligent All-Wheel Drive system and an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission as standard.