2025 Land Rover Defender Octa review – an SUV designed to go fast off road
The most powerful Land Rover Defender packs a 4.4-litre turbocharged V8 punching out 626bhp, while a host of tweaks elsewhere means it should also shrug off rough terrain very quickly...
Price from £145,300 | On sale April 2025
In the music world, a VIP track is a song that’s been lightly reworked by the original producer (rather than a full remix by someone else). As a result, it’s still recognisably a song you love, but it brings a twist that lets you enjoy it differently. In many ways, the Land Rover Defender Octa is a VIP version of the regular car.
It’s still recognisable as a Land Rover Defender but it’s been fettled to look, sound and drive differently, courtesy of massively flared wheel arches, a 68mm wider stance, a 28mm rise in ground clearance, sharpened-up steering, heavy-duty suspension and a big petrol engine.
The thing is, it’s quite easy to find a hugely powerful SUV nowadays, but Land Rover reckons being fast on the beaten track just isn’t enough: the Octa has been designed to be driven quickly off-road.
That makes it rather unique, but also rather short of direct rivals. You might consider the Mercedes AMG G 63, with its own combination of a big engine and old-school ruggedness, but the Ford Ranger Raptor seems to be closest in brief. Indeed, the Raptor is a pick-up truck that costs significantly less, but its biggest selling point is also what draws a huge smile on your face – being able to consume rough terrain as quickly as possible.
What is the Land Rover Defender Octa like to drive?
Let’s start with the engine. It’s a 4.4-litre turbocharged V8 petrol unit that’s also found in the Range Rover Sport SV and produces a mighty 626bhp. It comes with mild-hybrid tech (to help bolster performance and fuel economy a touch) and an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
The Octa’s 0-62mph time of 4.0 seconds is slightly slower than the Range Rover Sport SV’s 3.8 second time but it still edges ahead of an AMG G 63 (at 4.4 seconds) and is significantly quicker than a Ranger Raptor (taking 7.9 seconds).
Considering its brutish appearance and punchy performance figures, the Octa is as easy to drive as any Defender in its default Comfort drive mode. The engine is hushed and will effortlessly cruise around town at low speeds – it certainly doesn’t feel like a highly strung engine waiting to sling the car towards the horizon at any opportunity.
The ride remains comfortable and controlled, but the most notable difference is found with the steering. It feels far more direct and responds with a higher level of immediacy that's lacking in a standard Defender, making the Octa even easier to thread down narrow streets.
When you press the drive mode button on the steering wheel to select Dynamic mode, the Octa suddenly livens up. A bassy digitised engine sound and subtle exhaust note is introduced for an added layer of theatre, while the engine revs higher before the auto gearbox changes up.
Speaking of which, while the engine is happy to rev all the way to the limiter, it’s hugely flexible, delivering its muscle at low revs and consistently pulling hard across the mid-range. As a result, you can pick up speed at a decent pace without having to work it hard.
Meanwhile, weightier steering helps it feel far more precise when turning in to corners and the adaptive air suspension stiffens up to keep body control neatly in check while still soaking up mid-corner bumps with ease.
True, the low-speed ride becomes a little busy, but because it settles down on a country road, you soon find yourself building up a rhythm at a brisk pace. The only time the Octa feels a little on the heavy side is when you press on the brake pedal, which needs a hefty shove to get a meaningful amount of bite to slow the car down.
The optional Goodyear Advanced All-terrain tyres fitted to our test car are the most off-road biased tyres you can have with the Octa, and because they come with a chunky tread and thick side walls, you don't get a great sense of grip when you initially turn in to corners. Outright grip isn’t huge either, but once you’ve taken some time to trust what’s available you soon make the most of it and the Octa responds in a slightly playful manner.
If you head off road you can press and hold the drive mode button to access Octa mode. That provides a more rear-biased power delivery and firms up the suspension even more, while the steering becomes lighter to help the driver make direction changes on gravel surfaces or mud ruts more effortlessly.
We got to test the Octa on a muddy, heavily rutted surface at speeds of up to 70mph and the beefed-up suspension tackled the forces with no problem at all. Indeed, it thumps around and jostles you in your seat in the process, but the suspension settles down quickly in preparation for what you throw at it next. Meanwhile, the Octa's extra ground clearance means you don't have to raise the suspension as often to clear obstacles.
What is the Land Rover Defender Octa like inside?
The Octa is only available in the mid-sized 110 version of the Defender as a five seater, but it’s far more spacious for four occupants than a Ford Ranger Raptor or Mercedes G-Class and less of a squeeze for a fifth occupant.
There’s also far more space for luggage in the boot than in a G-Class, and while you can throw things into the Ranger Raptor’s load bed and not worry about it getting dirty, you’ll need to keep it all tied down as well.
Otherwise, the Octa comes with sports seats up front, while the steering wheel gains shift paddles for the gearbox and a drive mode button. The Edition One – a limited-run model sold in the Octa's first year of sales – comes with carbon-fibre trim finishers.
If you want to know more about the Defender’s interior and practicality, read our Land Rover Defender review.
2025 Land Rover Defender Octa verdict
As the flagship model in the Land Rover range, the Defender Octa is even more impressive than its Range Rover Sport SV stablemate. It combines serious off-road ability with a huge sense of fun that you can also enjoy on the road.
The Octa costs nearly £100,000 more than a Ranger Raptor and is much more luxurious, but doesn’t feel as unwieldy to drive. Meanwhile, the Octa costs significantly less than the AMG G 63 (at around £186,000) and is significantly more advanced both on and off road.
True, most buyers will only need a standard Defender, but if you have to get the one that feels the most special, this is it.
What Car? rating 4 stars out of 5
Land Rover Defender Octa Edition One price and specs
Price £160,800 Engine 8cyl, 4395cc, turbocharged, petrol Power 626bhp at 5855-7000rpm Torque 553lb ft at 1800-5855rpm Gearbox 8-spd automatic, four-wheel drive 0-62mph 4.0sec Top speed 155mph (99mph with 33in all-terrain tyres) Official fuel economy 21.7mpg CO2, tax band 294g/km, 37%
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Read more: The best sports SUVs
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