Of approximately 214,000 Jaguar Land Rover orders at the time of writing, about a quarter were for the Defender. Available in 90, 110 and 130 body styles, this renowned off-roader is built in a factory in Slovakia. To reduce the backlog of orders, JLR has added a third shift at the factory in Nitra where it builds the go-anywhere SUV. The Mercedes G-Class competitor has been the company’s most popular vehicle in the last seven quarters.
As is the case for most automakers, supply bottlenecks have hampered JLR’s day-to-day operations. Much like high-end brands, they prioritize vehicles with higher profit margins, so manufacturing at the Slovak plant is not affected. Discovery was also built there but wholesale (sales to dealer) numbers hit a record low in Q4 2022, just 1,924 units.
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Even though Defender is doing better than ever, one would argue the lineup is incomplete. A pickup truck has been on and off since the current generation launched towards the end of 2019. It’s still unclear if that will happen, but Nick Collins, Jaguar Land Rover’s executive director of vehicle programs, told Car to “watch this space” about the Defender truck. However, that was two years ago. Rumors have recently indicated Mercedes will be launching a G-Class ute, but nothing official at this time.
According to JLR’s “Reimagine” plans, an all-electric Defender is in the works and should be out later this decade. Discovery and Range Rover will also receive new versions that will do away with the combustion engine. No fewer than six EVs from Land Rover are planned to arrive this decade, with the first slated for a 2024 release.
Speaking of electric models, Jaguar intends to become a dedicated brand of electric vehicles by 2025.
