Drive has been invited to sample Land Rover’s most outrageous and expensive Defender yet.
2025 Land Rover Defender OCTA
I thought Land Rover topped out its development of the Defender with the V8 model in terms of both performance and pricing.
Available for the 90, 110 and 130, the Defender V8 costs around $200,000. And wouldn’t you know it, that 5.0-litre supercharged V8 proves to be a perfect rowdy companion for Land Rover’s most popular model. What’s not to like about 386kW and 625Nm, after all?
I was wrong. Swapping out the blown motor for a twin-turbocharged V8 of BMW origins, the Land Rover Defender OCTA is the most hardcore model yet, upping the ante significantly.
It’s not just the 4.4-litre engine either, which is similar to what you get in the BMW M5 CS. The suspension gets thoroughly overhauled with advanced technology, and this Defender OCTA is wider, taller and noticeably angrier.
In true Land Rover style, there is no compromise in terms of utility for the Defender OCTA. Despite the changes to the powertrain and suspension, you’re still looking at a four-wheel-drive with a healthy payload, 3.5-tonne braked towing capacity, and low-range transfer case.
It’s the fastest, most powerful, most advanced and capable Defender yet. And by jingo, it’s the most expensive.
How much is a Land Rover Defender OCTA?
In a move that couldn’t be more diametrically opposed to what the original Defender championed, this new Defender OCTA has been designed to squarely take on the iconic, overpriced yet in high-demand, Mercedes-AMG G63. Another option in this high-price, high-performance SUV world is the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT, which doesn’t really bring the same broad attempt of on-road and off-road dynamism.
Of course, we’ve got pricier Aston Martins, Bentleys, and Lamborghini SUVs on one side of the OCTA, and the more, ahem, affordable BMW X5 M and Audi RS Q8 on the other side.
We’re looking at a starting price of $291,542 plus on-road costs for the Defender OCTA, which makes it almost $100,000 more expensive than the already pricey Defender 110 V8. On our drive, we’re behind the wheel of First Edition variants of the OCTA, which are a limited run and priced at $317,592 plus on-roads.
There’s 467kW and 750Nm available from the engine, with 800Nm available briefly in launch mode. The bump up in torque comes from the 48-volt mild hybrid system and facilitates a claimed 0–100km/h dash in four seconds flat.
Its suspension utilises a so-called ‘6D’ hydraulic and kinetic set-up, which eschews rollbars and instead controls body movements through an interlinked system of high-pressure pipes, pumps, valves and accumulators.
With hydraulic fluid running through each damper and a central control system, the Defender OCTA can actively control side-to-side body roll as well as fore and aft pitching and squatting, while providing varying levels of damping force in both compression and rebound.
This technology is a continual development of something that was initially invented in Australia, and used by Toyota and Lexus under the ‘KDSS’ moniker. It’s since been bought by Tenneco, and has been developed into something used by the likes of McLaren, Rivian, and Mercedes-AMG.
But as hinted by the use in Toyota and Nissan four-wheel-drives, this suspension technology brings off-road benefits by allowing for more unrestricted articulation and wheel travel when needed.
Track width is increased via flared wheel arches, as well as bespoke suspension control arms. The tyres are a little taller with a 33-inch diameter and wider at 275mm each. Along with a bump in ride height, the Defender OCTA is 28mm taller than standard, and gets a (claimed) 323mm of ground clearance at its maximum ride height.
First Edition models get 20-inch forged alloys wrapped in Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac all-terrain tyres, something that Australian-delivered models will unfortunately miss out on. The other option of BFGoodrich Trail Terrains will be available in Australia, along with 22-inch alloys with a Michelin Primacy highway-focussed tyre.
Behind those wheels are 400mm six-piston monoblock stoppers up front, with 365mm twin-piston units at the rear. For those who want to fit a smaller-diameter tyre, these big calipers are the reason you cannot.
Externally, the OCTA gets a larger and redesigned grille (for extra airflow), redesigned bumpers for maximising off-road clearance, a black contrast roof and unique copper and grey exterior elements. First Edition goes to the next level with ‘chopped carbon’ finishes both inside and out.
In terms of exterior branding, it’s deceptively subtle. A sandblasted aluminium motif is most noticeable on each flank, but otherwise the OCTA is mostly differentiated by its wider and taller stance, along with the redesigned nose.
On the inside, the biggest change is the seats. The front seats are heated and ventilated, but also get adjustable bolstering and a so-called ‘Body and Soul’ system that is designed to let you ‘feel’ music as well as hear it. Its rear seats are redesigned with a good dose of extra bolstering as well.
| Key details | 2025 Land Rover Defender OCTA |
| Price | $291,542 plus on-road costs |
| Available colours | Petra Copper Fuji White Charente Grey Faroe Green (Edition One) Carpathian Grey (Edition One) |
| Rivals | Mercedes-AMG G63 |
How big is a Land Rover Defender OCTA?
Extra tyre diameter and new suspension – still with height-adjustable airbags – give the Defender OCTA a boost in height over the regular Defender, sitting at an even 2000mm tall in its regular setting. You’ll notice the extra height when clambering into the cabin, and from the driver’s seat as well.
When you raise the suspension, you’ll get 323mm of ground clearance, and up to one metre of wading ability.
Its 1996mm of width is 68mm more than a regular Defender, but length holds steady at 5035mm.
Commensurably, off-road clearances have been improved with the OCTA. The departure angle is an impressive 42.8 degrees, helped by keeping the four exhaust outlets tucked away. The approach angle has been tweaked as well, now 40.2 degrees. Breakover angle is listed at up to 29 degrees, which is also a big number.
In other words, I don’t think there is anything this side of an off-road truck that will give as much off-road ground clearance as this OCTA.
On the inside, the Defender OCTA is similar to what you get with a high-grade Defender with all of the fancy options ticked. The sportier seats – specific to this model grade – and unique colours do set it apart, especially with the ‘chopped carbon’ finishes of the Edition One splashed across the back of the front seats.
And of course, the OCTA button on the steering wheel is the ever-present reminder of what’s available at the press of a button.
Similar to the outside treatment, the inside of the Defender OCTA is neither gregarious nor ostentatious. There’s some mood lighting and plenty of nice materials, but the interior instead continues to impress with the elegant design and practicality for everyday useage.
Although sportier seats hold you in place better during hard driving, they are still plenty comfortable for daily driving.
Second-row space and visibility is good, giving comfort and flexibility for adults and child seats in the back. And as you’d expect, we’ve got air vents and power outlets aplenty.
There’s a claimed 972 litres of boot space available in the Defender OCTA, just like a regular Defender. It’s a squared off and hard-wearing space that will fit loads of gear.
| 2025 Land Rover Defender OCTA | |
| Seats | Five |
| Boot volume | 972L seats up 2277L seats folded |
| Length | 5035mm |
| Width | 1996mm |
| Height | 2000mm |
| Wheelbase | 3022mm |
Does the Land Rover Defender OCTA have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?
As you would expect, the larger 11.4-inch infotainment display is used in the OCTA, with a pleasing curve to the screen and running the latest iteration of Pivi Pro. This is a great system, with all of the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity you could wish for, along with a functional and intuitive operating system.
This new operating system brings internet connectivity, which allows for remote controls and monitoring through the Land Rover ‘InControl’ app.
There’s also a good digital instrument cluster in front of the driver, along with a head-up display and upgraded Merdian sound system that works in concert with the seats for a more immersive listening experience.
Is the Land Rover Defender OCTA a safe car?
While four and six-cylinder variants of the Land Rover Defender get a five-star ANCAP safety rating, such a rating isn’t extended to anything with eight cylinders.
So, the Defender V8 and OCTA are both effectively untested by ANCAP, despite sitting adjacent to a relatively impressive rating from 2020.
| 2025 Land Rover Defender OCTA | |
| ANCAP rating | Unrated |
| Safety report | Link to ANCAP report (All other Defender variants) |
What safety technology does the Land Rover Defender OCTA have?
In my opinion, all car makers should sit down and look at how Land Rover has implemented its driver assistance controls for its vehicles as the gold standard in how things should be done.
New cars are all becoming more sophisticated in the range and performance of their crash-avoidance technology, but sometimes these features can get in the way of everyday driving and be annoying. This will depend on each driver’s own preferences and threshold for beeps and interruptions, but Land Rover’s inclusion of a button on the steering wheel, which can be customised for easy adjustments, is a masterstroke.
Otherwise, there is a good range of active driving technology like autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and a slick adaptive cruise-control system in the Defender OCTA (among many others).
| Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) | Yes | Includes pedestrian, cyclist, and junction detection |
| Adaptive Cruise Control | Yes | Includes traffic jam assist |
| Blind Spot Alert | Yes | Alert and assist |
| Rear Cross-Traffic Alert | Yes | Alert and assist |
| Lane Assistance | Yes | Lane-departure warning and lane-keep assist |
| Road Sign Recognition | Yes | Includes intelligent speed limit assist |
| Driver Attention Warning | Yes | Includes fatigue monitor |
| Cameras & Sensors | Yes | Front and rear sensors, 360-degree camera |
How much does the Land Rover Defender OCTA cost to run?
While there are cheaper Defenders in the range to keep up the maintenance on, servicing costs look to be commensurate with the number of cylinders rather than the level of overall performance.
Land Rover offers a five-year and 130,000km service plan on the Defender OCTA, which costs $3750 and works out to be an impressively cheap $750 per year. However, there is some intelligent monitoring going on here, so you might get notified of an earlier service requirement depending on what you’re driving on and how you’re driving.
The Defender range is covered by a five-year unlimited kilometre warranty, back up by five years roadside assist.
| At a glance | 2025 Land Rover Defender OCTA |
| Warranty | Five years, unlimited km |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 26,000km |
| Servicing costs | $3750 (5 years) |
Is the Land Rover Defender OCTA fuel-efficient?
Fuel efficiency isn’t the Defender OCTA’s strongest suit. With great performance, in such a big vehicle, comes great thirst. Land Rover claims that this Defender OCTA is only slightly less efficient than the Defender V8, but our testing told us a different story.
We saw an average of around 21.0 litres per 100 kilometres during our time in the Defender OCTA. This number did get even higher at times, and it’s worth noting we were giving the car a good thrashing more often than not. But on a more subtle highway cruise, I saw as little as 16.0L/100km indicated.
But in any case, we weren’t able to get anywhere near the 13.1L/100km claim.
| Fuel efficiency | 2025 Land Rover Defender OCTA |
| Fuel cons. (claimed) | 13.1L/100km |
| Fuel cons. (on test) | 21.0L/100km |
| Fuel type | 95-octane premium unleaded |
| Fuel tank size | 90L |
What is the Land Rover Defender OCTA like to drive?
“I’ve never met a kilowatt I didn’t like” is a quip I heard a while back, and it’s something that rings true here.
Even though all powertrain options in the regular Defender range feel punchy and responsive, even that sweet little turbocharged P300 four-banger, one thing this Defender OCTA does is raise the stakes in performance quite considerably.
Opting to use BMW’s smaller, more potent 4.4-litre brings 81 extra kilowatts and 125Nm of additional twist than the old supercharged 5.0-litre. It also brings a different character.
Torque is available in an impressively wide ban of revs, offering staggering pull and responsiveness for such a large and heavy vehicle. And it will do it from any point on the tachometer.
The 0–100km/h dash is achieved in four seconds flat (claimed), and is faster than the nemesis G63 AMG by almost half a second. Porsche’s Cayenne Turbo GT is faster, but it’s also more expensive and utterly road-focussed.
Regardless, acceleration is brutally quick. It’s also quite clinical and without the kind of emotion that you get elsewhere. The hydraulic magic underneath the OCTA allows the body to stay surprisingly flat without the drunken lurch that the Defender V8 gets.
While there are some nice noises, it’s also not the same kind of thunderclap you get from other hi-po V8s. The Mercedes-AMG G63 has a much more scintillating soundtrack, as does a high-spec Porsche Cayenne.
From a closer stable, the previous-generation Range Rover Sport SVR and outgoing Jaguar F-Pace SVR both generate a louder and better treat for the ears.
Although, we did get an overheating warning pop up on the cluster a few times after wringing the car’s neck in hard conditions (uphill and on soft sand) on a 39-degree day. After backing off, temperatures dropped back into the regular band and the warnings disappeared before any kind of limp mode was engaged.
I’d hypothesise that a blocked filter somewhere or maybe a dirty radiator was the cause of our problems, because we were on the fifth rotation of media tasked with giving the cars constant hell for two days straight.
But still, it’s worth a mention as a possible issue. And it’s something that Land Rover will no doubt pay more attention to as it prepares a factory team of vehicles for Dakar and the World Rally-Raid Championship.
It might not point the nose to the sky and rattle your ears like a raucous hot rod, but you’ll need some steering inputs to keep this thing running dead straight. Hard acceleration on dirt imbues a nice dose of scrabble, the vehicle dancing around underneath you as it searches for traction.
Keep the foot buried and you’ll notice how quickly the surroundings start to blur past you. Snapping through the eight-speed automatic transmission eagerly, the engine doesn’t take a pause. All of that torque maintains massive straight-line acceleration, even when you’re already deep into the triple digits.
At least, until an indicated 168km/h, where our vehicles were electronically limited because of the tyres.
The OCTA is particularly hilarious on dirt, where the sharp steering and impressively planted suspension goad you on to keep outrageous speed over bumps and whoops.
It skips across the top of rough surfaces gleefully like a rally car, keeping the driver connected and confident to push harder and harder. You can steer sharply, rotate the vehicle on the brakes, and slide with speed and hilarity through sweeping bends.
These brakes aid the confidence as well, giving a great feel at the pedal and plenty of stopping force. And with plenty of scope for adjustment through the steering, you can have the Defender OCTA dancing and sliding underneath you as you laugh and grimace behind the wheel.
Getting back on the throttle gives instant reaction. There’s no sense of hesitation or lag in the torque delivery, especially when you’re in Dynamic or OCTA modes.
Keep feeding the OCTA into corners and a rear-wheel-drive bias delights with a tail-happy nature that’s progressive, playful and easy to explore. Once again, it’s the hydraulic technology underneath the vehicle that is doing the hard work. Corrugations, dips, potholes and bumps are absorbed smartly, transmitting little into the body.
The drive system with constantly varying levels of torque split between front and rear, along with the active rear differential, plays its part in making things playful and endearing. Our short opportunity to test the OCTA on a makeshift off-road circuit was hugely enjoyable, and not long enough to really uncork all of the fun potential on offer here.
The trick is in the suspension. While feeling soft and absorptive, body control is unnervingly excellent. Normally, these are two characteristics that are mutually exclusive, and excellent performance on or off-road comes with a tangible compromise here or there. But here, you get more of a taste of both sides than you’ve ever had before.
There’s no doubt that the three-ply Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac all-terrain tyres blight the on-road experience a little, giving some noise and squirm through the more aggressive tread pattern and stiff sidewalls.
The faster steering (from the Range Rover Sport SV) and excellent body control mean the OCTA is much faster and more competent than you’d expect on-road, and significantly more capable than a regular Defender.
So much so that the tyres begin to give up their end of the bargain. Turn-in isn’t as scalpel-sharp as you might get with a good road performance tyre, and you can feel the sidewalls flex about under load before the available lateral grip becomes exhausted.
But, flip side once again. The simple fact that you can hammer down bitumen and blacktop at 170km/h, rip though back roads as fast as a sports car, but then rock-crawl confidently at the same time is an outrageous feat.
I’d hazard a guess that with some kind of high-end on-road performance tyre, the Defender’s on-road credentials will improve a lot. But that’s also kind of missing the point.
In low range, the Defender OCTA is excellent. Our sample rock crawl was only short, but the huge levels of tyre grip, ground clearance, stability and electronic smarts mean this is one of the best and most capable standard four-wheel-drives that money can buy. It just happens to be a lot of money.
Those who want to hedge their bets can opt for a less aggressive BFGoodrich Trail Terrain on the same 20-inch wheels, or on-road performance can be prioritised with Michelin Primacy rubber on 22-inch rollers. Going for the big wheels also raises the top speed to 250km/h.
| Key details | 2025 Land Rover Defender OCTA |
| Engine | 4.4-litre V8 twin-turbo petrol |
| Power | 467kW at 7000rpm |
| Torque | 750Nm at 1800–5900rpm (up to 800Nm in Dynamic Launch mode) |
| Drive type | Full-time four-wheel drive |
| Transmission | 8-speed torque converter automatic |
| Power-to-weight ratio | 190.1kW/t |
| Weight (kerb) | 2510kg |
| Spare tyre type | Full-size |
| Payload | 720kg |
| Tow rating | 3500kg braked 750kg unbraked |
| Turning circle | 12.84m |
How much weight can a Land Rover Defender OCTA tow?
Even though we have a high-performance SUV with trick suspension and a howling V8, there’s still a 3.5-tonne braked towing capacity available for owners. The unbraked towing capacity of 750kg is par for the course, and a 6730kg gross combination mass puts the Defender in good stead as a tow vehicle (except for the pending fuel bill).
With a kerb mass of 2510kg, the 3230kg GVM gives you a healthy 720kg payload (more than the 300 Series LandCruiser, and almost matching the Ford Ranger Raptor).
The fact that Land Rover has managed to bring so much performance potential into the Defender OCTA without watering down some of these key figures is hugely impressive. For reference, the 2025 Mercedes-AMG G63 has a braked towing capacity of 3175kg and payload of 563kg.
Should I buy a Land Rover Defender OCTA?
The OCTA is in a tricky position to impress for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the base Defender vehicle is already quite excellent in terms of its combination of off-road ability and on-road polish. And depending on the powertrain, you’ve got good levels of silky six or angry V8 power available.
And on the other hand, there’s the price. Floating around the $300,000 mark is a serious amount of money. I, for one, can remember a $39,990 drive-away price for the old TD5 Defender 90 in the early 2000s.
But this is a proper halo car, with supercar-esque statistics and credentials to take on the likes of a Mercedes-AMG G63 and Porsche Cayenne Turbo. Audi’s RS Q8 is there, and those with pockets deep enough can look at something like a Lamborghini Urus or Aston Martin DBX.
But the appeal of the Defender OCTA is that it gives an edge of true off-road ability and dynamism – alongside impressive on-road performance – that will leave all other fabled competitors in the dust.
The Defender OCTA isn’t just a vanity project, nor is it a blatant cash grab behind the facade of a fancy model. Instead, I can say that after driving a few hundred kilometres in varying and challenging conditions, it’s a clear exercise in engineering – a team of some 8000 engineers putting their noses to the grindstone and flexing their muscles on making a ridiculous Defender.
Yes, it’s outrageously expensive. But so is the competition. And I’m realistically going to find it hard to pragmatically justify the price of anything beyond a quarter of a million dollars.
But the performance of this vehicle goes a long way in that theoretical justification. It’s staggering, and not just in one discipline. On-road poise might be thwarted a little by the Duratrac all-terrains, but the fact that you can rock crawl, sand drive, rally and B-road blast so competently in one package is quite staggering.
Or, cruise around gently on suburban and highway roads with good ride comfort and (tyres notwithstanding) refinement.
So while it might be able to jump and slide like a Ranger Raptor, the Defender can also hurtle through the corners like a giant hot hatch. In the meantime, you’ve got a competent, luxurious and elegant SUV that can tow anything, rock-crawl some serious terrain, and grab all of the attention you’d want around town.
The occasional overheating warnings we got are concerning, even though nothing came of them. And to be fair, we were hammering the car quite hard in 40-degree ambient temperatures. And like I said, I’m guessing our vehicle might have had a clogged air filter perhaps, or needing a good clean-out of the various radiators at the front.
And of course, with great performance comes great consumption. The running costs are naturally going to be quite high.
How do I buy a Land Rover Defender OCTA? The next steps.
Land Rover Australia tells us that less than 100 examples of the Defender OCTA will be coming to Australia in the first 12 months. Interest has been strong so far, but there are still some vehicles available from the initial batch that are available for buyers.
Aside from having a big chunk of cash ready, you’ll also need to consider whether you want the First Edition model (which isn’t going to return in future years), or if you’re happy with the regular OCTA. And of course, choose your wheel and tyre package.
The next step on the purchase journey is to check the Land Rover website for stock of your preferred Defender variant. You can find Land Rovers for sale at Drive Marketplace.
To discuss colour and trim options, or if you’re ready to kick the tyres you can find your nearest Land Rover dealer here, and we’d considering looking at the equally outrageous offerings of a Porsche Cayenne Turbo (either the GT or Hybrid), as well as the Mercedes-AMG G63.
If you want to stay updated with everything that’s happened to this car since our review, you’ll find all the latest Land Rover Defender news here.
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