When you hear the saying “go hard or go home”, it would appear Land Rover fully embraced this when they designed, developed and then released the Octa. A huge markup on the original Defender, this is a Land Rover that pushes boundaries and budgets. So, in this blog, we take a look at the Octa and give you everything you need to know.
From price to performance and design to handling, we’ll cover it all so you can decide whether this is the Land Rover for you.
What is the Land Rover Defender Octa?
The Defender Octa is a relatively new addition to the Land Rover family. Finally revealed to a global audience on July 3rd 2024. Powered by a BWW M5 engine, it’s a twin-turbo V8 beast that eclipses many other Land Rovers on the market in both performance and price.
With capabilities that see it reach 0-62mph in just four seconds, this 2.5-ton unit benefits from an engine that produces 635PS and 750Nm that jumps to 800Nm when in Dynamic Launch.
Fuse this with the hydraulically linked 6D suspension, 22-inch wheels, 33-inch tyres and a generally giant size when compared to other Land Rovers, and you’ve got a statement vehicle for sure.
Why is it called the Defender Octa?
The name Octa refers to diamonds (think octahedron), and with diamonds being seen as strong, luxurious, expensive and durable, you can see where the synergy between mineral and vehicle comes from.
Plus, compared to some other names we’ve seen on the SUV market, Octa sounds pretty good, right?
How much does a Land Rover Defender Octa cost?
Now we thought it was best to get this bit out of the way early. We don’t want you to get the credit card out in eagerness only to get to the end of the article and realise that it’s going to be selling the house that may help you buy the Octa.
The basic edition is going to set you back around £148,000 for a new model. With used editions incredibly hard to find, it wouldn’t be surprising to find a second-hand model coming in fairly close to these prices.
The Edition One, specially released for launch year, is capped at just 1,070 vehicles, and thanks to this limited production run, you’ll be parting with more than £160,000 to get one!
Is the Land Rover Octa good for off-road driving?
This could be seen as a tough question to answer. In terms of performance, the Octa delivers incredible 4×4 capabilities; however, for the price, are you going to want to be traversing through the rough and ready terrain in it?
With its suspension somewhat of an upgrade to other Land Rovers, it gives you a rally-driver feel when going at high speed across dirt and gravel, making for a more exciting ride, but again, it comes down to justifying the expense.
It comes fitted with all-terrain tyres that are tougher than the standard all-terrain tyres you might find elsewhere. With great puncture resistance, the off-road driving is likely to go without a bang too (pardon the pun!), which is often a relief to many!
How does the Defender Octa handle?
The Octa gives you a few driving modes to play with that truly transform the handling of the vehicle. Using a button at the base of the steering wheel, you can put it into Dynamic or Octa mode.
Give the button a quick tap and you’ll be in Dynamic mode. This is where the suspension is set low and firm, and stability is set to optimal for fast road driving. Hold the button a little longer, and you’ll be in Octa mode. This is where the SUV showcases a little more of its character. Your 4WD torque split will hit about 80% in favour of the rear, and the roll stability control will deactivate. In addition, ABS and traction control are significantly adjusted, giving you a rough and ready, yet fun drive.
Should the Octa mode be a little too much of an adrenaline rush, there are all the regular terrain settings you could expect on any other Defender, meaning you can customise your driving experience to your tastes a little more if need be.
It’s been said by many that the Octa also gives a faster steering response than other Defenders, but this feeling of agility largely comes down to the cross-linked suspension system.
How fuel-efficient is the Octa?
Unfortunately, but not totally unexpected, is the fairly poor efficiency. Much will depend on how you are using the Octa, but some tests have shown you’ll only get 20mpg from it, and this decreases significantly if you put the vehicle through its paces.
How fast does the Land Rover Octa go?
With the all-terrain tyres that come as standard, you’ll be capped at 99mph. Change them up from all-terrain tyres and you could experience speeds as high as 155mph.
How many seats does the Defender Octa have, and what’s its boot space like?
The Defender Octa is a 110 Defender model only, meaning it can seat five but gives each occupant plenty of space to remain comfortable, no matter how long the journey.
In terms of boot space, you’ve got 786 litres capacity if the seats are in use, fold them down and it expands to a decent 1875 litres.
What safety features and tech does the Land Rover Octa have?
The Octa comes with a host of features for both safety, convenience and entertainment. As standard, you’ll find the following included:
- Driver and passenger airbags
- Lane keep assist
- 360-degree parking aid
- Emergency braking (AEB)
- Rear collision monitor
- Traffic sign recognition & adaptive speed limiter
- Electric heated/power fold door mirror with approach lights
- Windscreen heating
- Adaptive cruise control
- Front view camera
- Navigation system
- Keyless go
- Pivvi Pro
- 4-inch infotainment display
Does the Land Rover Octa have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto?
Yes. Thanks to the Pivi Pro system being incorporated, you have full connectivity for either Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Its easy-to-use operating system makes set-up simple and allows you to get the tunes, podcasts or audiobooks playing as soon as you need them to.
Is the Land Rover Defender Octa bigger than other Land Rovers?
Compared to the regular Defender, yes. In its regular setting, it sits at 2000mm tall, and if you raise the suspension, you’ll benefit from 323mm of ground clearance!
Overall, you’ll see the Octa come in at 68mm wider than the regular Defender, but it retains the length of its older relative.
At RCV, we love the Defender Octa, it’s a sign of innovation from the JLR team, yet also keeps hold of some of the traditional features of a Land Rover. Should you own a Defender, new or old, visit us for your next service. We are the Land Rover Defender specialist for Kent and London, offering affordable services for a host of Land Rover models. With over 40 years of experience, our friendly team is on hand to assist with all aspects of servicing as well as Land Rover MOTs.