Land Rover unveils the new luxurious Defender Octa, the 4x4 costing more than 200,000 euros

With the rise of SUVs, the most capable off-roaders have stopped being exactly that, tough 4x4s able to tackle any track or trail however narrow, and even icons such as the Mercedes-Benz G-Class or the reborn Land Rover Defender are no longer what they once were. The flagship is perhaps the G-Class, still very capable, yet few owners ever take it off the tarmac and even fewer drive it along tracks where its doors or plastic trim creak.

Largely, its hefty price is perhaps what stops its owners from thinking twice about leaving the safety of the asphalt, although they probably don’t need to put their 4×4 abilities to the test either, because the Mercedes-Benz G-Class has already been made for that: being a showy vehicle to feed your ego. Land Rover seems to have spotted an interesting market niche here, and within its range the model that best fills this role is the Defender, a model that was reborn far removed from the qualities and design that made it famous, but which now seeks its place in the garages of footballers and the wealthy.

To this end, Land Rover has created the Defender Octa, a model we were given a preview of at the beginning of the spring that has just ended, and which was announced as the Defender with the greatest dynamic capability ever built to date, also offering high performance and characteristics both on tarmac and off it, all with the luxury and pomp that Land Rover lends to its models. Although in my opinion, if they dropped the flourishes and devoted themselves to improving the reliability of their vehicles, they might once again become the esteemed brand they were in their day.

Now that we know it, we know the Defender Octa fits the largest tyres ever put on a Defender: as standard, 33-inch Goodyear tyres developed specifically for this model, which forced the designers to widen the wheel arches, which in turn also changes the design of both bumpers, including a new grille design for the front that optimises airflow and, at the rear, the active four-outlet exhaust line. In addition, improved underbody protection has been added, including a front sump guard in aluminium alloy with a Graphite finish and exposed front and rear recovery points finished in Phosphor Bronze.

The colour palette includes the new metallic colours Petra Copper and Faroe Green, exclusive to the Defender Octa, although whichever we choose, the roof and tailgate will be contrasted in Gloss Narvik Black. The paintwork and bodywork can be protected with a matt protective film, and the brand also lets us add a touch of personalisation with accessories, such as a winch installation kit or a double raised air intake, which, besides being designed specifically for this model, also features carbon fibre details.

Inside the Land Rover Defender Octa, Performance seats come as standard, with extra reinforcement in the backrest and integrated headrests, and it also incorporates Body and Soul technology Seat, which is nothing more than a relaxing function set to music so that, besides hearing the music, you also feel it. Now you’ll tell me what you want this for… although on reflection, perhaps when you’re not able to climb a trial, if you put this on you’ll relax and do it better.

As standard, the interior upholstery is a new Burnt Sienna semi-aniline leather with Kvadrat upholstery in Ebony, and, optionally, upholstery in Ultrafabrics polyurethane can be specified, which is 30% lighter than traditional leather, in the colours Light Cloud and Lunar, in addition to the Ebony semi-aniline leather.

Mechanically, the Land Rover Defender is powered by a 4,400 cc twin-turbo V8 with mild-hybrid technology, which produces 635 CV and a torque of 750 Nm (up to 800 Nm with Dynamic Launch mode activated), which is sent to all four wheels through the eight-speed automatic gearbox with long and short gears. Fitted with 22-inch wheels and all-season tyres, it can go from 0 to 100 km/h in 4 seconds and reach a top speed of 250 km/h, which is not bad for such a beast.

It has other improvements never before seen on a Defender, such as 6D Dynamics interconnected hydraulic suspension, with sturdier and longer wishbones as well as special active dampers with independent accumulators; not forgetting the new geometry and a height 28 mm greater together with a width 68 mm greater, which provide greater stability. Finally, there are 400 mm front brake discs gripped by Brembo brake calipers.

And now comes the best part of all… the Land Rover Defender Octa can be ordered from 31 July at a starting price of 207,450 euros, but watch out, because there will be a version, the Defender Octa Edition One, whose starting price will be a whopping 228,550 euros.

Technical specifications of this car

Off-RoadLand Rover Defender23 versions · from 78,700 €