Land Rover Defender 90 orders delayed due to impact of COVID-19

Sales of Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR) long-awaited new version of its rugged Defender 90 4x4 have been delayed until September as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Production delays resulting from the pandemic had already caused the launch of the new model to be put-back from its initially scheduled date of February and now customers are being told that orders of the smaller Defender 90 have now been delayed until September.

Prices of the Slovakia-built Defender 90 have also been put on ice, according to a statement issued on JLR’s Land Rover UK website.

While the larger Defender 110 is available to order and collect from UK retailers now, it said: “As a result of the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic to our production plants globally, Defender 90 production has been delayed.

“We anticipate Defender 90 will be available to order from early September 2020. Current prices are indicative only.”

Prices for the Defender 90 start at £40,290.

The all-new Defender is built at JLR’s manufacturing facility in Nitra, Slovakia.

Today (July 31) Autocar reported that the factory, which employs 2800 workers and has an annual capacity of 150,000 vehicles, is currently running on just one shift, with JLR yet to confirm when it will resume its normal, two- or three-shift operations.

Last month JLR has announced that it will launch commercial versions of the new Defender 90 and 100 and restore the Hard Top name to rugged 4x4’s range offering.

Claiming to be Land Rover’s most capable and durable commercial vehicle ever, Hard Top versions of the Defender will feature a central front-row jump seat option to provide space for three, while Software-Over-The-Air will deliver updates without visiting a franchised car retailer.

Hard Top models will also offer a 3,500kg towing capacity with optional Advanced Tow Assist technology to effortlessly pull and manoeuvre trailers.