The Land Rover Defender Octa is one of the most highly anticipated new vehicle arrivals in South Africa for 2025. And albeit in a very limited run, it is more impressive than you could ever think. Charlen Raymond drives the SUV in the Ceder Mountains and the surrounding area.
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Fast Facts: Land Rover Defender Octa Edition One
- Price: R3 749 100
- Engine: 4.4-litre, V8, twin-turbo petrol + mild hybrid
- Transmission: 8-speed automatic
- Power: 467 kW @ 5 900 r/min
- Torque: 750 N.m @ 1800 – 5 900 r/min
- 0-100 km/h: 4.0 seconds
- Top speed: Wheel/tyre dependent
- Fuel consumption: 13.5 L/100 km (claimed)
- CO2: 305 g/km
- Rivals: Mercedes-AMG G63, not much else
Forget what you know, or thought you knew, about the Land Rover Defender, because the Octa just flipped the entire script on its head!
I know it’s a bold statement, but Land Rover outdid itself with the ultimate iteration of its Defender SUV. The Octa is the very best of what the Defender is and can be, leaving one to speculate that this SUV’s platform might not have seen its best days yet. Now, I know I’m getting a bit ahead of myself by speaking about potential future models, but this SUV is so impressive that you can’t help but feel there’s more in the tank.
Related: First Drive: Land Rover Defender Octa
But okay, let’s dial it back. What is the Octa?
In short, it’s the craziest, most insane version of the Defender yet. Powered by the 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 borrowed from the previous-generation M5 (we’ll get to the BMW in the room in a minute), the SUV is as mad as they come. It’s a vehicle that can comfortably – and scarily – run at 140 km/h on gravel with ALL the electronic aids turned off. However, as much as it delights the audible senses and addresses (some) humans’ innate need for an adrenaline rush, it also requires a skilled hand to extract the most out of it.
Yet, if you know what you’re doing and can hang with the big boys in a drift, then this SUV is worth the R3.5 million entry-level asking price.
Similar Look, But With a Twist
Admittedly, onlookers won’t know immediately that this is the Defender Octa. Yes, it is built on the Defender 110 and shares the same silhouette, but there are subtle differentiators to let it slip that it is the best Defender ever made.
The Octa’s grille, for starters, is different from the ones of its ‘lesser’ siblings, while both the front and rear bumpers are different. Worked into the front bumper is a wench, and there are phosphor bronze-finished recovery points – front and rear. The wheel arches have been extended, and the aluminium alloy front under-shield protection has a graphite finish.
Inside, the front seats are performance units, while the gear shift paddles’ edges have translucent lighting. The 11.4-inch touchscreen is equipped with the latest iteration of Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR) Pivi Pro multimedia system, which adopts wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Meridian Surround Sound system is bonkers beyond words, with small, additional subwoofers built into the seats; vibrating when the volume is turned up and you thump some deep drum and base through the speakers.
These are small items worth mentioning, but everything else is pretty standard Defender. It’s a familiar space that fails to alienate. However, the standard-size steering wheel does not do the Octa’s size – and performance – justice. Personally, I’d prefer to have it be slightly bigger, just for a meatier feel between the palms and fingers.
Octa In Numbers
The Defender Octa is a big SUV. Big and heavy. However, the way this thing moves puts all questions to pasture! It has an unladen weight of 2 585 kg. The length, width, and height is 5 003 x 2 105 x 1 995 mm. The wheelbase is 3 023 mm, the wading depth is an impressive 1.0 m, and the ground clearance is an eyebrow-raising 323 mm! To put it in perspective: it’s 107 mm more than the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 2.8 GD VX-R’s 216 mm! These are massive numbers, but what stumps you are the performance figures.
A BMW-sourced V8 engine powers the Land Rover Defender Octa. This unit, which was carried over from the previous generation M5, produces a jaw-dropping 467 kW and 750 N.m, shoving this all-wheel drive SUV from standstill to 100 km/h in 4.0 seconds. Yes, it is blisteringly quick and you almost can’t fathom how science and logic come together in a package like this. However, for all the craziness surrounding the car, surely there are questions about JLR’s decision to forego its 5.0-litre supercharged V8 in favour of a BMW engine. Right?
While the supercharged engine produces an already hefty 423 kW/700 N.m at its highest tune, it has reached the peak of what can be extracted from it and will soon be laid to rest. With the BMW partnership in the bag, JLR has access to newer engines with newer technologies, including the mild-hybrid (48V battery) fitted to the 4.4-litre mill. Traditionalists will probably bemoan the absence of the supercharger’s howl and brass nature, but adopting the newer engine from its Geman partners was a masterstroke by the Brits that will help ensure the internal combustion engine’s (ICE) continuation. At least for the time being…
All-Round Capable
Of course, conducting conversation around the Octa cannot be done without touching on its prowess. Over three days of driving across various terrains, there is no denying that the Octa is one helluva beast. The SUV was put through its paces on tarmac, gravel, sand (dunes), and rocks, with not one of these challenges getting the better of it. Everything is turned up to 11 when ‘Octa’ mode is activated and up to 80% of the power is sent to the rear wheels. It’s smile-inducing and oh-so-addictive!
Because of the 275/60 R20 Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac Advanced rubber, the maximum advisable speed is 150 km/h. (Side note: the Octa will reach 250 km/h when fitted with the 275/50 R22 Michelin Primacy All-Season tyre.) But on the 3-ply Goodyear’s, the Octa kept going without a moment’s hesitation. Once on the loose, dusty gravel roads of the Ceder Mountains in the Western Cape, it astounded with how much ease one could push the SUV. Expectedly, not all owners/drivers will get the most out of the Octa, but undulation absorption and cabin comfort are on unheard-of levels. Granted, the 6D Dynamics hydraulically linked air suspension plays a massive role in this regard.
Dune driving and rock climbing were also as breezy as they come, and the Defender Octa seemed to excel in every challenge thrown its way. And while some 4x4s and off-roaders will stutter to a stop on uneven surfaces, especially gravel, when you slam on the brakes, the Octa’s 400 mm six-piston (front, ventilated) and 365 mm single-piston (rear, ventilated) brakes would bring the bulky SUV to a standstill quicker than you could comprehend what had just happened.
In Summary
At R3 749 100 (before options) for the Defender 110 Octa Edition One (R3 499 100 for the ‘standard’ Octa), one can almost argue that it is unnecessary to spend such an amount of money on a vehicle of which only 2 000 are built globally, and a handful are allocated for the South African market (at least for this model year). It is easy to say that there are other, perhaps more luxurious SUVs, to choose from – some from sister-brand Range Rover! And these statements would all be true.
However, as things stand, the Defender Octa does not have any peers. It is a purpose-built SUV draped in an understated luxury attire. It does not scream ‘Octa!’ at the top of its lungs, and bar the rims, Octa badge on the rear doors, wench, and quad-exhausts you will not know that this is the ultimate iteration of the Defender yet. It may not make all that much sense on paper, but you’ll understand after an unadulterated driving experience where the reigns have been almost completely cut loose.
