Every now and then, a vehicle manufacturer releases a statement piece. That’s the best way to describe the Land Rover Defender 110 OCTA. The British marque is aiming to go further than it’s ever gone with a Defender. When you look at its unique styling, large engine, and overall specs, it’s hard to argue that they haven’t reached that goal.
Under the hood, you have a 4.4-liter twin-turbo mild-hybrid V8 engine capable of producing 626 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. Things like the torque are boosted a little if you use the “launch control” setting, which improves your ability to accelerate on a loose surface.
This may all sound a little ridiculous, but the specs do suggest this is something a bit special. So naturally, I had to try it out.
It’s pretty militaristic
There’s no way around it. The Defender OCTA looks like a serious bit of equipment. Its matte black styling, the squared-off, almost classic Land Rover appearance, the 20 to 22-inch rims, and the overall size of it. It definitely has that “spec ops” look about it.
I’m not invading a small country in this, and that feels like a waste. It seems like the sort of thing you could load up with all kinds of ordinance and then drive through a warzone with. The OCTA also seems very off-road-capable though I couldn’t directly test this. With nearly 13 inches of ground clearance, over three feet of wading depth, an excellent camera system, and locking diffs — you should be able to tackle all but the most challenging terrain in Land Rover’s magnum opus.
If the terrain is flat and well-paved, you also get a 0-60 time of less than four seconds. Which, in a vehicle as large as the OCT,A is a bit ridiculous. It’s a magic bus that accelerates and handles like a sports saloon. I’m all for it.
Underneath it all, it’s definitely a Defender
If driving a car blindfolded wasn’t a bit of a safety nightmare, I’m pretty sure I could pick a Land Rover out of a lineup without too much difficulty. There’s definitely a distinct level of feedback and responsiveness from the steering and pedals. Mechanically, everything is pretty much as perfect as it gets.
It’s a very large, very heavy vehicle, but it’s engineered in a way that makes it incredibly controllable. It doesn’t drive like something with this amount of weight, and you’d think the center of gravity was a lot lower than where it must actually be on an SUV like this. It’s absolute witchcraft.
It also has those little luxury touches. The “bare” rugged look in parts, but somehow a fitting amount of leather. Firm, practical seats designed to hold you in place when you’re tilting 30 degrees, that are somehow comfortable. A full-blown fridge in the center console, because warm water is unacceptable when you’re raiding a cartel encampment or whatever.
One day, I might write something absolutely ripping a Land Rover to pieces. When that day comes, it’s probably going to center around how the company has messed up the handling and feeling of the vehicle. This isn’t that day; the Defender OCTA is as good as it gets. This is what, time and time again, makes me understand why people pay as much as they do for a Land Rover or Range Rover.
There’s still that little bit of fun to be had
So I couldn’t take this one off the beaten path, which is unfortunate. But that’s life in New York for you. However, even if you don’t have access to trails, you can still have a good amount of fun with the Defender OCTA.
Despite its all-wheel-drive system, it’s designed to send a bit more power to the back wheels than the front in certain circumstances. Which makes it a little bit tail-happy from time to time. If your steering is close to full-lock and you decide to hammer the gas, you’ll feel that the rear starts to slide a little. This injects a bit of excitement into the OCTA.
Now it’s not something you can enter into a local drifting competition. But I believe if you have access to a parking lot in the snow season, you’ll be able to have a lot of fun with this. When things stop being fun, that all-wheel drive system means you can get control back with very little effort, too. Add in the aforementioned acceleration and (when you’re not trying to make it a bit more playful) the handling, and you’ve got something that is genuinely entertaining to drive.
Mission accomplished?
Land Rover tried to make the perfect SUV here. Something that does it all and then some. A celebration of what makes the brand so popular. I see this kind of thing a lot, and it often goes catastrophically wrong. Compromises are made, certain things don’t line up, production is rushed to meet deadlines, and everyone gets disappointed.
Are there any downsides? Well, the Defender OCTA is going to hit your wallet with a starting price just shy of $160,000, Land Rover-level maintenance costs, and an engine that can post 11 MPG in certain circumstances, and will likely drop below six if you take it off-road. But if this sort of thing interests you, then this is all pretty much irrelevant. It’s an extravagant toy, in the extravagant toy price bracket, and will be worth every penny to those who want it.
It’s also as practical as any other mid-sized SUV. If you need to move smaller items of furniture, or take six people somewhere, or like to go over the top on your weekly shop, the space is there in the back. The full-sized spare bolted to the “back door” isn’t just there for decoration either. It’ll fix a flat and survive as long as any of your other tires (though you should repair any flat and get your wheels rebalanced ASAP either way). If you can genuinely afford one of these, it’s not a “nice idea,” it’s a borderline must-buy.
