Business

Want To Book A Ride? Land Rover Defender 130 Is Now Available As Taxi In Bengaluru

AnyFans 2025-09-19

By Auto Desk,News18

The Land Rover Defender is known for its rugged looks, strong performance, and luxury appeal. It has become a status symbol among celebrities, business owners, and public figures. In India, the Defender comes in three body types: the 90 (short wheelbase), 110 (standard wheelbase), and 130 (long wheelbase). Of these, the Defender 110 is the most common, while the 130 is quite rare.
But what’s even more unusual is seeing a Defender used as a taxi. Yes, you read that right! In Bengaluru, there’s now India’s first-ever Land Rover Defender taxi, complete with yellow plates and available for public hire. The taxi version of this SUV definitely stands out from the crowd.
Bengaluru’s Defender Taxi is Attracting Attention Online
Recently, videos of the Defender taxi cruising Bengaluru streets have gone viral on social media. The vehicle is painted in a striking Fuji White and Black dual-tone colour, giving it a bold and imposing presence.

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Its cabin features a classy Black and Tan interior. What makes it instantly recognisable as a taxi is the yellow number plate with registration ‘KA 03 AL 0006’ and the taxi number displayed on the rear fender.
This Defender taxi is a 130 D300 model, powered by a 3.0-liter diesel engine that produces 296 horsepower and 600 Nm of torque. It also comes equipped with mild-hybrid technology and a four-wheel-drive system, making it perfect for city roads as well as tougher terrain. The rental charge for this luxury taxi is Rs 3000 per hour.
The Story of The Owner Behind the Taxi
This unique Defender taxi belongs to a well-known car rental business called Ramesh Tours and Travels. The company is owned by Ramesh Babu, popularly known as the Rolls Royce Barber. In his early career, Ramesh worked as a barber before slowly building a luxury car rental empire.

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Back in 1994, Ramesh started his business with just one Maruti Omni. By 2004, he had expanded his fleet to seven cars. Today, the business boasts over 200 vehicles, ranging from affordable to ultra-luxury models. Interestingly, even now, Ramesh continues to cut hair at his salon, charging Rs 100 per haircut, staying connected to his roots.
More Luxury Cars Available for Rent
Ramesh Tours offers a wide range of high-end vehicles for rent. Besides the Defender taxi, the fleet includes luxury models like the Rolls-Royce Ghost, Mercedes-Benz G-Class, Toyota Fortuner, and many others. The Rolls-Royce Ghost, for example, is reportedly rented out at Rs 6000 per hour. Ramesh bought this car in 2011 for around 3 Crores. It is powered by a 6.6-liter twin-turbo V12 engine, delivering 562 bhp and 780 Nm of torque, with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

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The Mercedes G350d variant of the G-Class is also available at Rs 5000 per hour. It features a 2.9-liter diesel engine producing 286 hp and 600 Nm of torque.
Other vehicles in the fleet include Toyota Vellfire, Granace, Land Cruiser, Mercedes GLS, S-Class, BMW 5 and 7 Series, Audi Q7 and Q8, Kia Carnival, Toyota Innova Crysta, and electric cars like the Mercedes EQS and BMW i7. Some of these can be rented for self-driving as well.