Land Rover Defender 7-seater shows up on patent shots

Rumors that Land Rover would be bringing back the three-row variant of the Defender emerged a couple of years ago, and rose in volume when a suspicious elongated Def was spotted testing in summer. Well, the latest patent shots leave no room for doubt: the Defender 130 is coming back.

The most intriguing thing is that, compared to the standard version, the new Def 130 relies on a huge rear overhang to accommodate the rear seats, while its wheelbase stays the same length. Land Rover never did anything like that, and one has to wonder just how well balanced the car can be with over 5.1 meters (16.7 feet) of body length and a meager 3,022 mm (9.9 feet) between the axles.

The launch is expected in 2022. In all likelihood, the company will primarily target the markets of China, North America and Middle East with this model.