The arrival of a new Land Rover Defender in the United States has been greatly anticipated. However, due to delays caused by the pandemic, individuals looking to soon get behind the wheel will face disappointing news. In a recent communication with Automotive News, the manufacturer confirmed that production of this highly awaited SUV has been expedited to fulfill commitments with dealers and customers. Nevertheless, availability is expected to be extremely limited for the next several months.
Buyers in North America have recently begun receiving the four-door Defender 110, however, specific delivery numbers have not been disclosed by Land Rover officials.
“Although the plant faced shutdowns due to COVID-19, efforts are being made to enhance production during the summer to meet demand,” stated Land Rover spokesperson Joe Stauble to Automotive News, pointing out that the company is addressing scarcity by providing a small fleet of demo vehicles to dealerships for customer test drives.
Although the program has been active since March, stay-at-home orders have hindered potential buyers from test-driving the new Defender.
Shortages are attributed to the company’s eight-week closure during the coronavirus outbreak and the single factory in Slovakia dedicated to manufacturing the new Defender. This plant, which has an annual production capacity of 150,000 vehicles for over 100 global markets, including the Discovery SUV, restarted operations in late May after being shut down since March 20.
Land Rover has assured that each of its 188 U.S. dealers will receive at least one vehicle by the end of June. This will prove to be quite challenging to meet the demand. If you are keen on acquiring one, ensure your finances are in order, as the starting price for the Defender 110 is $50,925, reaching over $100,000. A pricier two-door Defender 90 is expected to arrive later this year, potentially followed by a speculated Defender 80 in 2022.
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