The next-generation Land Rover Defender received intense criticism from its loyal customers when it was introduced in 2019. Moving the model, which has been produced in England since 1948, to Slovakia was one of these criticisms. But despite the criticism, the new Defender did what its predecessors could not, making it the brand’s best-selling model.
When we look at the statistics, the importance of this success of the new Defender becomes clear once again. The new Defender’s predecessor, for example, was the least-produced Defender model since the Range Rover was introduced in 1970. The new Defender, on the other hand, seems to have found a new customer base in about 3 years.
However, it should be underlined that Land Rover could not produce much during the year. According to statistics, the Defender is at its peak this year, with more than 60,000 sold. Just behind the Defender is Range Rover Evoque with 40,000 units. The bronze medal goes to Range Rover with 38,000 units. The model with the lowest sales of the brand this year was Discovery, with less than 5,000 units sold.
Despite this success, Land Rover has experienced more than 147,000 production losses in the 2019-2022 period, according to official data. Land Rover, one of the manufacturers that suffered the most from the pandemic process, thus experienced a 39 percent decrease. As Land Rover’s transition to electric models will push prices up, the future of the brand seems to be open to discussion once again.