NEWBURY PARK, Calif. – If there’s going to be every week to seek out your self with a Land Rover Defender 130 Outbound, it’s the one the place an historic atmospheric river dumps a staggering quantity of rain. Not that it’s best to drive by way of torrents of speeding water, but when something is up for the duty of actually protecting you excessive and dry, it’s this most up-for-anything model of the Defender.
Now, the 130 was successfully created to be the family-friendly model of the 2024 Land Rover Defender with 13.5 inches of additional size tacked on behind the rear axle to create sufficient room for an really liveable third-row seat. The Outbound’s main declare to fame is that it ditches that third row and as an alternative takes full benefit of all that additional size to create essentially the most voluminous cargo space doable. Significantly, the cargo space is nearly 4 ft lengthy. I needed to climb all the way in which in simply to safe the rear LATCH anchor on my son’s automotive seat. Whole capability is 46.9 cubic ft, up from 43.5 within the three-row 130 and 34 within the Defender 110. And no, I didn’t do a baggage take a look at. It will be pointless. The 110 wanted additional stuff past the standard six luggage to replenish the cargo space; I’m actually unsure what else I may haul out to fulfill the Outbound’s urge for food.
As a result of the Outbound’s a little bit of a bootleg creation, the air vents, storage bins, glass roof panel and rear aspect glass that may usually serve these within the third row are nonetheless there. Now, you may’t see that aspect glass from outdoors, however you may from inside, full with the defrosting heating factor – the physique panel you see from the skin is only a painted panel positioned over it. The fold-down ladder and storage field you see within the photographs listed here are equipment out there on each Defender, although they make these painted panels look extra purposeful. The ladder is neatly engineered, and I do know it will be an awesome assist with roof loading, however you’d must ask another person what the storage field is for. My greatest guess of “poopy diapers” in all probability isn’t proper. Each are dangerous information for aerodynamics and wind noise.
Talking of noise, the Outbound additionally will get all-terrain tires round black 20-inch wheels. I wouldn’t name them booming, however this can be a much less refined Defender to make sure. The same old buttery-smooth experience high quality will get a dose of impression harshness as properly on account of that extra-rigid rubber.
There’s one other challenge with that fats spare. As you may’ve seen from the photographs above in addition to the gallery under, I plugged my Yakima StageTwo E-Bike rack into the hitch receiver included within the $1,850 Towing Pack 2. Whereas the rack was put in with out challenge, the large off-road tire stands proud far sufficient that there was no solution to keep away from my Gazelle’s pedal from resting in opposition to the wheel. That appeared like dangerous information for the bike and the wheel, so I needed to go in opposition to Yakima’s directions and place the bike on the outer platform. It additionally meant I needed to bolt on that outer platform, which I actually didn’t need to do. This inconvenience for me may very well be a deal breaker for others, although, because it mainly means I can solely carry one bike or must take away the pedal. I used to be additionally unable to safe the rack in its upward place when not in use, that means I needed to drive round (and park) with an additional 2 ft hanging off the already extended-length Defender. Not very best. I’m curious to understand how the 130’s commonplace 19-inch wheel/tire package deal may change the state of affairs, as a result of we’re solely speaking a couple of centimeter or two right here regarding the pedal state of affairs. You positively wouldn’t need the tire cowl, although, and I am unsure a rack may ever fold up.
However, I may nonetheless use the rack, and the flexibility to decrease the air suspension with the push of a button within the cargo space is an actual back-saver given the Gazelle weighs over 50 kilos. And I have to say, how excellent is the mixture of automotive, bike and rack, right here? The 130’s matte Eiger Gray paint is an ideal match for my Gazelle, whereas the gloss black trim matches the Yakima StageTwo. It actually did appear to be I went out of my solution to coordinate all of it. By the way in which, that paint is successfully a $5,155 possibility as a result of “satin protective film” vital to guard the fragile matte paint from off-road damage. Each Outbound will get the distinctive “Shadow Atlas Matte” end on its bumpers, grille insert and wheels, whereas the aspect vent is completed in Anthracite.
The Outbound’s inside, aside from the absent third row, is nothing particular in comparison with different 130s though your customization selections are restricted. On high of a decreased variety of exterior paints, a black inside is compulsory. Customary is a mix of leather-based and heavier-duty “Robustec” textile ringing the seats outer parts and middle console, which collectively handle to tug off the twin objective of trying prefer it belongs in a luxurious car, whereas additionally seeming prone to maintain as much as extra rigorous use. Assume a high-end climbing jacket. You may as well swap the usual leather-based for fancier “Windsor” leather-based, that I simply assume got here from cows tended to by Prince William.
Additionally commonplace is the 11.4-inch PiviPro improve touchscreen (a 10-inch display screen is commonplace on decrease trim ranges), which might be the primary JLR infotainment system I can recall that does its job directly, hiccup or inflicting me to tug my hair out with frustration. The remainder of the cabin is spot-on aesthetically and functionally. I simply love the sprint cabinets and the middle console’s versatility, though I am unsure how a lot I would use the take a look at truck’s fridge compartment and surprise why the identical choices pack that features it additionally provides “Twin Front Cupholders with Cover.” Are you paying for the cupholders? The duvet? I imply, I like the duvet. It is a sturdy piece that hides away within the storage space under, and I used it for my telephone for the reason that wi-fi charger was roasting it (some air flow could be good), however pay additional?
Anyway. As with each Defender, the Outbound has a height-adjustable air suspension that permits you to decrease it when parked for straightforward bike mounting or hoisting your child into their youngster seat. You may as well increase it when off-roading, overlanding, fording a stream, impressing your folks or trying extra-awesome in footage on Autoblog. Sadly, I solely managed to do the latter since my typical off-roading spot was a muddy mess and fording a stream appeared like, properly, I already talked about the atmospheric river. Does “flash flood” imply something to you? Simply because the 130 Outbound appeared like the right car, doesn’t imply I used to be going to check that principle.
And actually, the essential factor right here is that I may do all that stuff, and isn’t that what a bad-ass SUV like that is finally for? It’s as a lot about potential as motion. I’m positive devoted off-roaders might be fairly happy, however very similar to a sports activities automotive and its track-going functionality, you don’t have to totally want or routinely use these capabilities to need one. Personally, I dig the Outbound’s look, particularly the body-colored panels masking the rear aspect home windows.
And also you’ll must as properly, since that’s mainly the one factor, together with the outside trim, that’s distinctive to the Outbound apart from the yanked-out seat. You possibly can’t precisely create your individual three-row Outbound utilizing the choices checklist, however you will get into the ballpark and avoid wasting cash. The Outbound begins at $85,975, together with the $1,475 vacation spot cost. That’s $3,200 greater than the in any other case equally outfitted 130 X-Dynamic SE. You possibly can add all-terrains onto that for $350, plus all the opposite choices affixed to this explicit Outbound, together with the outside equipment, Towing Pack and Off-Street Pack (digital lively diff, brake-based torque vectoring and a house-style electrical plug) that actually ought to be commonplace on the overlanding particular. Oh, and must you be questioning, the Outbound is barely out there with the 130’s commonplace mild-hybrid inline-six. The Defender’s 5.0-liter supercharged V8 possibility is unique to the aptly named “V8” trim degree.
So, Overlanders in all probability will admire these additional few cubes of cargo area – I do know Lexus discovered that overlanders had an inclination to yank out the GX’s third row – however for everybody else? You’re paying for somebody not to put in a 3rd row, pop in a special load ground, connect body-colored window coverings and apply some exterior trim nobody will discover. There’s additionally exclusivity, nevertheless it’s not like there’s a particular badge or something. So yeah, the 130 Outbound could be very cool, however then so is each Defender.