The New Defender 110 has been available to order since September 2019, and already is selling well. The Defender 90 is now available for order, with the Defender 90 First Edition limited to 500 vehicles in the United States.
The New Defender 110 has been available to order since September 2019, and already is selling well. The Defender 90 is now available for order, with the Defender 90 First Edition limited to 500 vehicles in the United States.
The Defender 110 has defied expectations with its global demand, with the hyper-efficient Nitra, Slovakia factory cranking them out.
They've also been a success on the Internet, with over 1.21 million people configuring a Defender on Land Rover's website since it launched on September 10th. (I know I'm probably personally responsible for about fifty of those.) Of those configurations, over half included one of the four "accessory packs" that Land Rover is offering in 2020, which combine common accessories under one of four themes -- Explorer, Adventure, Country and Urban. The Urban Pack (a front under shield, bright rear scuff plate and metal pedals, and a spare wheel cover) has been most popular, with 35% of configurations including it. Close behind was the Explorer Pack, featuring mudflaps, hood blackout decal, wheel cover, wheel arch protection, snorkel, roof rack, and a side-mounted gear carrier.
The Defender 90 First Edition is the first version to go on sale in America, with 500 examples coming this summer. These will all be painted in Pangea Green, the "trademark" hue of the new truck, with a traditional contrasting white roof. The 20-inch wheels will be shod in off-road tires. Under the hood, there's the top-spec 3.0-liter inline-six Ingenium engine, with mild hybrid technology -- producing 406 ft-lbs of torque. That will take the Defender 90 from 0-60 in 5.7 seconds, and up to a top speed of 129 mph. It will also feature the folding fabric roof that will be an option on the D90, as well as the folding jump seat in the middle of the front row that provides seating for six.
The Defender 90 First Edition is on sale for $66,125, but the regular Defender 90 will be on sale for a lower base price since the First Edition is a moderately kitted-out version. Base price is expected to be in the mid-to-high $40K range, a bit lower than the Defender 110's $49,900 starting price.
There are more Defenders coming, too. A Commercial variant, without rear windows, is coming to select markets, though at this point, not to America. (Jaguar Land Rover North America leadership has commented that they're considering it, however.) There's also a plug-in hybrid version on the way as JLR works to electrify its lineup.
The Defender 110 is expected to be about 75% of sales, but the 25% who opt for the Defender 90 are the ones who are looking for a more off-road focused vehicle, or a toy. Though its wheelbase isn't 90 inches like the name would make you think (though the original D90 had a 92.9" wheelbase, anyway), at 101.9 inches it's still incredibly compact in the modern automobile market. It's also only 1.9" longer than the 100" Discovery 1, Discovery Series II, and short wheelbase Range Rover Classic -- a size considered by many off-road enthusiasts to be the ideal size for most conditions. In fact, the overall length and width of a 2020 Defender 90 is smaller than the footprint of a 2020 Toyota Corolla.
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