Land Rover revealed the New 2020 Land Rover Defender for the first time in North America on Nov 21, 2019. The event was highlighted by a special performance by Grammy Award-winning artist and Defender owner, John Mayer, who performed his top hits including “New Light,” “Waiting on the World to Change” and “Carry Me Away.”
Also in attendance to celebrate the new Land Rover Defender making its North American debut were Land Rover ambassadors former Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn, Olympic gold medalist hockey player Meghan Duggan, and Olympic snowboarder Chris Corning. Celebrity guests included television personality and actor Wilmer Valderrama and actor Max Greenfield.
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“The event kicked off our strategy to bring the New Defender to market in the U.S., through partnerships and events, which are designed to appeal to a broader customer demographic, while also recognizing and celebrating our long-standing brand loyalists,” said Kim McCullough, Vice President, Marketing, Jaguar Land Rover North America.
The event offered guests a number of interactive experiences including 4xFAR Karaoke in anticipation of the upcoming 4xFAR festival which will combine award-winning musical performances with lifestyle, culinary and adventure experiences. According to Land Rover of South Dade, FL, the 4xFAR festival will be the first opportunity for consumers to experience the New Defender and will take place January 18-19, 2020 in Southern California’s Coachella Valley.
4xFAR will feature an eclectic and diverse forward-thinking music lineup that blurs genre lines, led by Grammy-winning artists Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals along with a Mark Ronson & Q-Tip DJ set, as well as two-time Grammy-nominated live electronic duo Sofi Tukker.
The custom Defender from the upcoming Bond film, “No Time to Die,” came straight from the movie set to make its global debut at Tuesday evening’s event. “No Time to Die” is planned for release in April 2020 and is the first movie to feature the New Defender.
The event also featured the new LEGO Technic Land Rover Defender, which was being assem-bled by LEGO Master Builder Chris Steininger. The 2,573-piece model combines the boundless creativity of LEGO and the instantly recognizable silhouette and unrivaled capability of the New Defender.
Since 2009, Land Rover has been on a transformational journey with new products and expansion of the Range Rover and Discovery families, resulting in U.S. sales growing from 26,000 units in 2009 to over 92,000 units in 2018. The previous-generation model of the Defender ceased global production in 2016 and has been absent from the U.S. market for more than 20 years; last being offered for the 1997 model year.
Photo by Harrison Hill, USA TODAY