Unlike the neverending calendar year 2020, the 2020 model year has come and gone for the new Defender, and the order books are now open for 2021 models. With that comes the beginning of North American Defender 90 production, after a COVID-19-related delay. There are also tweaks to the Defender 110, now in its second year of production.
The biggest change is the introduction of a new trim level, X-Dynamic, which is available on the D90 and D110. The X-Dynamic trim is a bit of a bridge between the standard Defender and the Defender X, the high-level luxury trim. On the D110, it is available with the SE and HSE trim levels. (There's no non-X-Dynamic HSE available, unlike 2020.) On the Defender 90, it sits above the S (there is no SE or HSE), and is the cheapest way to get the P400 inline-6 mild-hybrid motor. The X-Dynamic also has Narvik Black trim, Silicon Satin skidplates, and special textiles.
There are some small option changes. There are some color changes, for one. Indus Silver seems to have given way to Hakuba Silver, named after a ski town in Japan that was the core of the Nagano 1998 Olympics. Yulong White also joins the repertoire as an extra-cost metallic color, though the non-metallic Fuji White is still available as the no-cost base color. There are also two new "premium metallic" colors, a sultry dark Carpathian Grey and moody Silicon Silver.
There's some new options with roofs. The black roof now comes with the option of a gloss black "signature panel," the controversial floating square design element in the C pillar of the D110. On the D90, the panel is optional, and comes with interior storage if it's fitted. On the D110, this also gives you black A-pillar finishers, instead of body-color ones; the D90 seems to have black pillars no matter what. In addition to the available glass panoramic roof, a folding fabric roof is now available in both the 90 and 110. Also, inside, there's no longer an option to not get a center console, though there is now an option for a console refrigerator on all models -- a noble swap.
The definite star of the show in 2021 is the Defender 90, finally available after a delay due to Covid-19 tangling production at the Nitra, Slovakia plant. The D90 is available with the same 2-liter 4-cylinder and 3-liter mild-hybrid straight-6 as the D110. The base model and Defender S are available with the four, while the X-Dynamic, First Edition, and Defender X have the six.
The Defender 90 is similar to the 110 when it comes to options. It also offers a glass panorama sunroof or sliding fabric roof, and the same color palette. The components are the same, and the same seating combinations are available, minus the third row that obviously doesn't fit in the shorter D90. However, it's available with six seats if you select the front jump seat. The D90 starts at $46,100, while the D110 climbs slightly to $50,500 for 2021 -- typical year-to-year inflation of base price that brings it just a hair over the $50k line.
Hopefully, 2021 will be a more consistent and stable sales year for the Defender, as it becomes a regular part of the Land Rover lineup. For the first time, the Defender is fully available in North America with no limited edition restrictions or 25-year imports needed, a special moment no matter what the vehicle looks like.
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