First Drive: 2024 Land Rover Defender 130 Outbound Is the New Lord of Luxury Off-Roaders
Bursting with rugged refinement and amped-up cargo capacity, Land Rover's brawniest Defender yet is a stately off-roading beast.
When the Land Rover Defender returned to the U.S. in 2020 after nearly a quarter of a century, it was a welcome alternative to those oft-termed „soft-roaders“—the more luxury-focused SUVs that can still perform reasonably well in the dirt. First came the Defender 110, followed by the two-door, short-wheelbase Defender 90. In 2023, the Defender 130 arrived, riding on the same 10-foot platform as the 110, but with a considerably longer body and a third row of seats. For the 2024 model year, the previously V6-only Defender 130 was finally offered with a 493-hp, supercharged V8 motor. But Land Rover wasn’t finished quite yet.
Alongside the Defender 130 V8, the British brand has now unveiled the Defender 130 Outbound, swapping out 3rd-row seating for more cargo space that endows the off-road SUV with extended off-the-grid capabilities. I had the pleasure of extensively testing this beast of an off-roader, albeit only on the highways and country back roads.
Here’s a detailed look at what sets the Defender 130 Outbound apart from other rugged full-size SUVs—including fellow members of the Defender family.
Land Rover might have won more buyers over by offering their supercharged V8 in the Defender 130. Sadly, the Outbound edition isn’t offered with this range-topping P500 powertrain. However, the P400 powertrain of the Outbound, comprising a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission, feels more than satisfactory here. It’s equipped with a 48-volt, mild-hybrid system that kicks in for some extra power, delivering a combined 395 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque.
