The 2021 Land Rover Defender and Discovery Just Hit a Major Setback
It is no secret that the automotive world has been severely affected by the global microchip shortage. From the mid-engined Chevy Corvette to the Ford F-150, no model has evaded it. However, a new report indicates that these issues have just extended to the 2021 Land Rover Defender and Discovery. That’s because Land Rover just shut down its factory in Slovakia with no set reopening date.
According to Autocar, this is a major blow for the carmaker since that one factory can produce around 150,000 vehicles annually. However, these are only the latest models affected after various shutdowns over the last few months.
2021 Land Rover Defender and Discovery production has halted
As mentioned in the intro, production of the 2021 Land Rover Defender and Discovery has halted completely. These SUVs come out of the brand’s factory in Nitra, Slovakia. However, this is far from the brand’s first shut down. Autocar reports that Jaguar Land Rover had to close down its UK factories in Castle Bromwich and Halewood back in April. This completely halted the production of the Land Rover Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoke. On Jaguar’s side, this affected the XE, XF, and F-Type.
As it stands, the only factory still in operation is the brand’s UK-based Solihull plant which produces the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, and the Range Rover Velar. As you might imagine, the last factory standing produces the brand’s most expensive vehicles. However, if this recent trend is anything to go by, production might have to stop in Solihull as well.
Adding salt into the wound is the fact that the British carmaker currently doesn’t know exactly when it’ll be able to re-open, seriously affecting its sales.
When will this off-roader get back on track?
As of writing, Autocar reports that the 2021 Land Rover Defender and Discovery likely won’t go back into production any time soon. If you’re a buyer with an order placed for one of these off-roaders, you’ll likely have your order delayed by a considerable amount of time.
For a bit of context, the factory that produces these SUVs can put out about 150,000 vehicles annually, serving the entire globe. In the U.S., at least, the Defender alone managed to sell 9,100 units in 2020. On the other hand, the Discovery sold 4,811 units during the same period.
According to Autocar, wait times for the Defender were already around a year before the shutdown took place. As a result, eager buyers will have to wait a considerable amount of time.
Is the 2021 Land Rover Defender a good SUV?
RELATED: This $200,000 Range Rover Classic and a Corvette Have 700 HP in Common
If you’re wondering why the waiting list for the 2021 Land Rover Defender is so long, it’s because it seems to be an excellent SUV. Read reviews by MotorTrend, Motor1, or Car and Driver, and you’ll notice a common positive opinion. Even Consumer Reports gave it a high road test and predicted owner satisfaction ratings. However, it did struggle in the predicted reliability category, showcasing various issues. Regardless, if you want to put one of these on your driveway, it’ll be quite a while.
The post The 2021 Land Rover Defender and Discovery Just Hit a Major Setback appeared first on MotorBiscuit.
