By Malusi Msomi

Land Rover has been teasing us with their new high-performance SUV for a few months now. Besides the teasers, we’ve also seen a few YouTube spy videos of the boxy SUV doing some pretty impressive four wheel drifts around the famous Nürburgring race track. With that said, meet the new Defender OCTA. Land Rover says OCTA is their latest and most dynamically accomplished Defender ever created by the British Automaker. Combining extreme toughness with luxury, the Defender OCTA sets a new benchmark for performance both on- and off-road.

Design

The New Defender OCTA Edition One, available in its first year, comes with new paint options like Faroe Green and unique Chopped Carbon Fibre detailing. Compared to the standard Defender, the exterior design is more robust, with a raised ride height, extended wheel arches, and redesigned bumpers for better approach and departure angles. The OCTA can also wade through up to one metre of water.

Interior

Inside, the Defender OCTA combines luxury and durability. As standard it features new performance seats with Body and Soul Seat technology to provide an immersive driving experience. It also features new, durable materials and colourways, including a seamless knit textile and Khaki and Ebony Ultrafabrics PU.A.

Power and performance

Under the hood, the Defender OCTA boasts a BMW sourced 4.4-litre Twin Turbo mild-hybrid V8 engine, producing 467kW and 750Nm of torque. This powerhouse enables the Defender OCTA to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.0 seconds flat. The advanced 6D Dynamics suspension system with pitch and roll control, combined with heavily reworked chassis components, Land Rover ensures us game-changing performance across a variety of surfaces and conditions. Stopping power comes courtesy of 400mm front brake discs with Brembo calipers and the fastest steering ratio of any Defender to date, for immediate, precise, responses.

Enhanced off-road capabilities

The Defender OCTA features the new OCTA Mode, the first performance-focused off-road mode on a Defender. This mode enhances the vehicle’s off-road capabilities with dedicated anti-lock braking and launch control. The dynamic capabilities are further boosted by the hydraulically-interlinked 6D Dynamics suspension technology, providing greater wheel articulation and stability.

Launch and availability

New Defender OCTA order books will officially open soon with indicative pricing from R3,499,100. The new high-performance, all-terrain hero will make its public and dynamic debut at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed from 11–14 July.