If there was ever one thing I would change up about the Land Rover Defender 130 that I reviewed earlier this year, it was to offer it with some proper off-roading wheels and tires to take full advantage of its true off-roading capabilities. Fortunately, now, Land Rover is offering just that in a new Defender Outbound edition that I had fun checking out this week.
The new Land Rover Defender 130 Outbound is a new take on the mammoth-sized rover, adding a few customization features to make it unique and unleashing the hidden off-roading capabilities of such a vehicle that includes a robust all-wheel-drive system and trick air suspension. In being a large SUV that’s normally a 3-row vehicle that seats eight, the Defender 130 Outbound changes things up to omit the third row of seats and makes do with seating for five. Moreover, the Outbound edition covers the rear side glass with body-colored panels more for an aesthetic for where the external storage box and ladders go, but unfortunately, they block some of your blind spot viewing areas. Funny enough, the glass is still there so it looks as if you can remove the panels manually if you choose.
Rounding up the notable characteristics of the Outbound edition of the Defender 130 are its Wrangler Duratrac All-Terrain tires wrapping the black 20-inch wheels. The all-terrain tires do wonders for adding off-roading capabilities to an already-capable chassis and dynamics from its stout air-suspension and use of the Terrain Response system, which customizes the ride height, dampers, two-speed transfer case with included center locking differential, traction, and stability control, all to adapt to any off-roading condition. You can even ford up to 35.4 inches of water with the wading system sensing and revealing how deep you are in real-time. One of the drawbacks to the tires is the additional road noise that you get on the highway for an otherwise quiet and nicely insulated cabin in the Defender 130.
See Also: 2023 Land Rover Defender 130 First Edition Review & Test Drive
Powering the Land Rover Defender 130 Outbound P400 is an electrically-turbocharged inline-6-cylinder engine with 395 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque in a mild hybrid setup. For the new model year, Land Rover also offers the option for the P500 V8 engine touting 493 horsepower. However, with the P400 48-volt mild hybrid setup, the Defender 130 Outbound mated to a snappy and direct-feeling ZF-sourced 8-speed automatic transmission performs well, taking about 6.3 seconds to hit 60 mph from a standstill where there’s very little turbo lag. Still, there’s a relaxed sensation about the throttle response of the Defender 130 P400, which I experienced and explained in detail in my review from earlier this year of the Defender 130. Also, the suspension feels relaxed and keeps the big Defender 130 from lofting around, which you may initially think it does with how smooth it rides. You also can tow up to 8,200 pounds.
Fuel economy in the real world comes in near the EPA estimates of 16 mpg city, 18 mpg highway, and 17 mpg combined. These figures are far down from the normal Defender 130 as the Outbound edition creates some additional drag from its added equipment and all-terrain tires.
Paying homage to the Defenders of the past, the new Defender keeps on pace to offer a utilitarian interior but does so in a delicate way to not depart from it being luxurious at the same time. There’s a large, airy feeling of the cabin revealing the sheer size of the Defender 130. Omitting the third-row seats gives you additional cargo volume, which is part of the thinking in the Outbound edition to carry more “stuff” for those serious off-roading adventures.
The seating areas up front and in the rear bench, as explained in my previous review, are roomy and give you a sensation of having stadium seating. The front heated and ventilated seats have a vast amount of power adjustability and prove to be very comfy for long trips.
Land Rover keeps things mostly simple in its latest infotainment system using an 11.4-inch curved touchscreen, proving to be mostly user-friendly and responsive in most of its controls. There are also welcoming customization options of the systems to drag and drop certain functions and home screen panels for quick access. I also like that Land Rover utilizes a set of physical buttons for commonly used controls and two large rotary knobs for the four-zone automatic climate controls and terrain response system settings.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto both can be integrated wirelessly with a wireless charging pad located just in front of the armrest and opening to the optional refrigerated console bin equipped on my test vehicle.
The Land Rover Defender 130 Outbound gets all the expected active safety features but adds the ability to bring up the 360-degree camera system at any time at any speed. The trick camera system allows you to view multiple angles and even under the vehicle through the camera recording terrain and patching imagery to represent what you’re rolling over all for safe off-roading adventures or parking situations where the large size of the Defender can be intimidating to some. Another welcomed addition is the digital rearview mirror system that uses a rear camera to display a live image in the rearview mirror instead of having a rearward view that’s hindered by the spare tire and rear seat headrests.
Land Rover’s quest to bring the Defender back is a good move, considering the several size options and trim levels offered. With that, the larger Defender 130 starts at a respectable price of around $69,100, which isn’t bad for a large 3-row luxury SUV with its stout off-roading capabilities considering how much you would pay for one of the large Range Rover siblings. My loaded-up Defender 130 Outbound edition, as tested, comes to a price of $93,188, including a $1,475 destination and delivery fee.
