2024 Land Rover Defender

The Defender 130 is a tricky one to judge. On one hand, it potentially improves upon a design and package we previously lauded enough to crown as our 2021 SUV of the Year in the form of the standard Defender 110. The 130 is more than a foot longer than the 110 and has more room for people and stuff, stretching the existing design into a new body style. (The 130’s wheelbase remains unchanged.)

- Justin Westbrook

This time around, however, the looks don’t impress as much, as growing an established design makes the result simply look, well, bigger, not better. And not even quite big enough for all the interior space you’d like, as we’ll get to shortly.

For what it is, the third-row seating is well-considered, with two of the three passengers getting cupholders and direct air conditioning from third-row vents. However, the wheel wells eat into foot room and make for an awkward seating position, though the manually folding second row is easy enough to make your escape around. The third row seems fit for kids and, in trying circumstances, begrudging adults. The second-row climate controls are also welcome, but space is a little confined; we had to move the front seats forward to fold the second row flat.