Defender Updated for 2025, Captains Chairs Come to D130

The latest updates for the 2025 model year Defenders have been announced, with a few tweaks to the options and one big new feature: second-row captain chairs in the Defender 130, making it a much more appealing family hauler option.

When Defender 130 came out, its extended length and eight-seat capabilities put it against some of the heavyweights of the family SUV category: the Chevy Tahoe/GMC Yukon pair, the Ford Expedition, and the Toyota Sequoia. For families, the full-size third row was a massive selling point. The only thing that the Defender was missing was the second-row captain’s chair option that these other vehicles offered – two bucket seats with a walk-through passage to the third row in between. Not having this on offer has undoubtedly hurt the Defender 130 in family vehicle cross-shopping.

For the 2025 model year, captain’s chairs are here, with Land Rover turning market demands into reality. Only available on the Defender 130, the two seats borrow dial-adjustable inboard armrests from the Range Rover. The seating capacity drops to seven passengers, but with three full-size third-row seats accessed via the second-row walk-through, it’s in line with other offerings in this market segment. The new Signature Interior Pack also offers winged headrests on the first- and second-row seats.

For 2025, trim levels and accessory packs have also been harmonized. The V8 Carpathian Edition, which was the Defender V8 with visual tweaks, has been cut. The 90 and 110 feature the S, X-Dynamic SE, X (110 and 130 only), and V8 trims. The five-seater overland-ready Outbound trim returns on the 130 this year. Most of the accessory packs (Adventure, County, Urban) that were launched with the vehicle in 2020 are now merged with the Black Pack option.

Seat fabric choices have changed a bit too. The light tan Acorn color has been replaced with a whiter Light Cloud. Khaki, a long-term mainstay of the Resist textile line, is not available on every model. Vintage Tan, the classic British deep tan that was only available in the Windsor Leather seating, has been replaced with the similar Range Rover-derived Caraway.

The “finishers” on the sides of the center console, which were offered in a variety of wood tones from 2020-2024, are now offered only with textile coverings that match the various seating options. These colorways tie into the general interior color scheme.

Exterior colors remain unchanged, a continuing theme much to the chagrin of Defender enthusiasts – the palette is still based on the original 2020 palette, with almost all changes being made to remove colors or replace them with similar brand-wide changes. Tasman Blue, Pangea Green, Gondwana Stone, Fuji White, Santorini Black, Carpathian Grey, and Silicon Silver continue to define this model. Sedona Red, previously offered only on the Defender 130, will be offered for one year only in a special Sedona Edition Defender 110, though details on this were not available through North American press channels at writing, so we can’t confirm if this is an American-market product.

Now in its sixth model year, and almost five years after its public debut, Defender is not exactly the “new Defender” anymore, and has settled into its place in both the off-road and family hauler markets. Much like the Discovery in the 1990s, it’s a purpose-built 4x4 that has caught on with families, and Land Rover has adjusted their offerings to suit, without compromising the engineering that makes it such a remarkable off-roader.