After months of speculation and teasing, Land Rover debuted the Defender OCTA on July 3rd -- the most powerful new Defender since its debut, with huge changes in the powertrain and suspension. It takes the upper extreme of performance for the Defender line far beyond the current Defender V8, with an end result that blends in many elements of the Range Rover Sport SV.
Defender OCTA changes a few things from the rest of the Defender pack. Under the hood, there's the twin-turbo, BMW-derived 4.4-liter V8 engine, which also powers the top variants of the latest Range Rover and Range Rover Sport. It cranks out 626 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque, rocketing the OCTA from 0-60 in 3.8 seconds. Compare that to the not-at-all-slow Defender V8, which pulls a 5.1-second 0-60 out of its 518 horsepower, using the supercharged AJ-V8 engine that has been a Land Rover mainstay since the 2000s.
Underneath, there's the 6D Dynamics suspension from the Range Rover Sport SV, tuned here for heavy off-road use. The vehicle takes on a taller and bolder stance, with higher standard ride height (like most modern Land Rovers, it has an adjustable air suspension), wider stance, a bumper designed for even better clearance, and hefty skid plates. It's wide enough to require amber lights embedded in the grille in the USA. It also has the best wading abilities of any Defender, ever -- 3.3 feet, or one meter. (The OCTA page on Land Rover's website points out that this is twice the wading depth of an original Defender, which was about 19".)
The off-road tech doesn't stop there. The steering wheel has the same big red transparent button at the bottom as the Range Rover Sport SV. A short press activates an on-road program, which tightens up the suspension and steering for optimal performance in the twisties. A long press activates something more special, "OCTA Mode." This is tuned for performance off-road driving, with the suspension reacting to loose surfaces like gravel and dirt roads. It also activates an Off-Road Launch mode, which helps with acceleration on loose surfaces without losing group. When you turn off the traction control, an Off-Road ABS setting prepares the vehicle to stop safely on the same surfaces. The rest of the Land Rover Terrain Response system is also available when your off-roading is a bit more technical.
The vehicle is designed to be comfortable both on-road and off-road, unlike other brands' top-tier performance 4x4s, which often sacrifice on-road performance. This has been a bit of the ethos of the new Defender: something along the lines of a "grand touring 4x4." This design specification extends into the interior, where things are uprated over the already-classy baseline of other high-spec Defenders. The biggest difference in the OCTA is the Body and Soul Seats (BASS, presumably an intentional acronym), which have built-in speakers that use the Canadian-developed SUBPAC platform to make music something you can feel, not just hear. It also comes with six wellness programs. If you don't want the BASS seats, you can get standard performance seats; both are also available with chopped carbon fiber backs, a texture that makes itself seen across OCTA, including on exterior trim and the optional twin snorkel air intakes.
The OCTA brings some new colors, too, with Faroe Green and Petra Copper; Carpathian Grey and Charente Grey join in from the general JLR color palette. Faroe Green is only available on the Edition One, a 2025-only version of the Octa with high collectability potential. Edition One has a two-tone khaki and ebony Ultrafabrics knit textile, while the "regular" OCTA offers a luscious Burnt Sienna semi-aniline leather.
The question is, is it worth it? The regular OCTA starts at $152,000, with Edition One starting at $167,800. That's a big stretch from the $113,500 base price of Defender 110 V8 and certainly a huge difference from the $60,800 base price for a four-cylinder Defender 110.
Having had the opportunity to view the OCTA back in May at a preview in Brooklyn, I'd say there's something here if it's in your budget. The entire vehicle is elevated from the regular Defender line, and while it is still clearly of the same core, it feels more special than a regular Defender. Having spent some time myself driving equivalent high-performance 4x4s from other marques in the Western United States, I know that there is a certain level of comfort and confidence you get from driving a vehicle tuned like this down a twisting dirt road. The Defender may be a brute in any form, but the OCTA is the Aston Martin of the dirt.
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