As of the end of June, the Defender finished just behind the Range Rover Evoque selling some 17,194 units (see complete breakdown below).

The second-generation Defender was launched at the beginning of last year, four years after the original SUV was axed after a production run of 67 years.

The original, post-Second World War Defender became an icon because of its rugged, boxy design and off-road capabilities. But it was always a niche model for Land Rover.

Land Rover faced the challenge of modernizing the off-roader to attract owners of the original model while also appealing to a new generation of buyers.

The updated Defender, which is upscale and has modern technology, quickly became a sales hit after its launch but this is the first time the model has overtaken the Land Rover Discovery Sport midsize SUV and the Range Rover Sport large SUV in the company’s global sales.

JLR has replicated the original vehicle’s choice of body lengths by launching the 110 five-door and 90 three-door models. A longer 130 seven-seater is due later this year or early next year that will further expand the model's appeal in markets.

The on-going global shortage of semiconductors could have an effect on the Defender’s performance, although Jaguar Land Rover says they are doing everything possible to mitigate the impact making product specification changes where possible. Currently, JLR has a customer order bank of 110,000 units—its biggest-ever number, and out of that number, 29,059 are for the Defender.

Keeping the Defender refresh, JLR has launched a supercharged V8 version for both the Defender 90 and Defender 110. It will then be joined by a plug-in hybrid version of the 110 which will offer a combined 398 horsepower and an all-electric range of 43 kilometers.

For the Philippine market, stocks of the three-door Defender 90 has just started arriving this month.

Land Rover Global Sales (As of First Half 2021):

• Range Rover Evoque – 17,622 units
• Land Rover Defender – 17,194 units
• Range Rover Sport – 16,809 units
• Land Rover Discovery Sport – 12,910 units
• Range Rover Velar – 12,382 units
• Range Rover – 12,300 units
• Land Rover Discovery – 6,168 units