- The new Land Rover Defender Octa takes aim at the Mercedes G-Class.
- Its starting price of $153,625 is more than double that of the entry-level Defender.
- A twin-turbo V8 engine develops a mighty 626 horsepower.
- Subtle aesthetic changes belie a hugely capable, desirable vehicle.
2025 Land Rover Defender Octa First Drive: A Subtle Yet Exciting G-Wagen Rival
The subtle yet hugely capable Defender Octa takes aim at the Mercedes G-Class
To South Africa and the launch of the Defender Octa, arguably the most extreme, multifaceted Land Rover ever. This is the Defender that'll take on that other reinvented icon of yesteryear, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, both on the trails and in the psyche of the well-to-do. It will reach U.S. dealerships later this year, priced from $153,625, or $169,425 in the Edition One guise we test here. That's more than double the price of an entry-level Defender, but it's also a lot more car.
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A new name for a Land Rover that's not a Land Rover
The Octa is the offspring of Jaguar Land Rover's Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) team, which handles all the company's sporty specials. Think of SVO as the equivalent of BMW's M or Mercedes' AMG. But whereas AMG spans the breadth of the Mercedes range, SVO wears a bunch of different hats.
"There was lots of discussion about whether we should build a Defender SV," said Jamal Hameedi, SVO's director, alluding to the more road-focused, hard-hitting Range Rover Sport SV. "But we wanted to do something different with Defender. It needs its own identity." This led to the birth of the Octa name, which derives from the octahedral shape of a diamond, in case you were wondering.
Subtle Octa badging litters the car, but what you'll struggle to find are Land Rover badges. There's one on the nose but that's about it. JLR is determined to create a "house of brands" so Defender, Discovery, Range Rover and Jaguar all stand alone. It's a Defender Octa, not a Land Rover Defender Octa.
The "anti-AMG"
The view within the Defender team is that the contemporary G-Class, or G-wagen if you prefer, has cultivated a bling, celeb-obsessed image, especially in AMG form. Such extrovert behavior is not very Land Rover, nor very British. "We wanted to build an anti-AMG," said Hameedi, an Anglophile American.
The result is a vehicle that's very, very subtle. Defender geeks will spot the extended wheel arches, revised grille and quad exhaust pipes, but the typical bystander will struggle to differentiate the Octa from its $70K sibling. Inside, the theme continues. The Edition One is distinguished by some chopped carbon-fiber detailing, but with the exception of some chunkier new seats, there's little else to set it apart.
I'm no fan of ostentation, but I'd appreciate a little more "surprise and delight" for my $170K. For example, what about a unique startup sequence on the digital display? That was a feature of the James Bond Edition Defender. Or a different steering wheel? I don't need to shout to the world that I'm (hypothetically) rich, but I'd still like to feel the cut of the cloth.
On-road in the off-roader
Early images of the Octa drifting its way around the famous Nürburgring Nordschleife racetrack actually created a false impression. This is not a track-focused sports car in an off-roader's body, it's a better Defender, with higher limits everywhere.
There are two elements to its transformation: the engine and suspension. Although Land Rover's own V8 will continue in lesser Defenders, it wasn't deemed suitable for the flagship. Instead, a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 with a mild hybrid system was sourced from BMW, before being modified by Land Rover for its newfound purpose. It develops 626 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque, which is more thrust but less twist than the rival Mercedes-AMG G 63.
The other big change is the introduction of so-called 6D air suspension system with triple-valve dampers. In theory this allows for better control of individual wheels, increasing the potential off-road while delivering better control on asphalt. A choice of three different tires are offered to favor on- or off-road use. All the test cars in Cape Town rode on 20-inch wheels with Goodyear all-terrain tires, the most dirt-friendly option.
Even the entry-level Defender is a world away from its hardcore (and hard-work) predecessor, but the Octa introduces a whole new level of on-road ability. It's genuinely rapid — Land Rover cites 0-60 mph in 3.8 seconds — and the body control is excellent with none of the wallowing typically associated with vehicles of this genre. It's capable of covering a lot of ground very quickly.
But this is not a pseudo sports car in the vein of Porsche's Cayenne or the Range Rover Sport SV. It never quite disguises its obvious bulk and mass, while the steering lacks the response and precision of the best SUVs (not helped, admittedly, by the off-road tires). The engine's also surprisingly subdued. It sounds better outside than inside, and only at full throttle is it genuinely sporting. It's all part of the "sleeper" vibe, but if I'd spent $170,000 on a V8, I'd appreciate a bit more burble.
Off-road in the on-roader
South Africa has quite a glorious mix of terrain, set against backdrops of extraordinary natural beauty. I was able to test the Octa on sand, on dirt and on some tricky rock climbs. In such conditions, it's genuinely superb, blending software and hardware to fine effect.
The suspension's ability to soak up rough terrain at all speeds is truly outstanding, reducing fatigue. The easy torque of the V8 also makes the Octa a fine companion in the dunes. Little wonder that it will form the basis of the company's upcoming Dakar Rally racer.
It remains to be seen how many Defender customers will take their expensive toy into such extreme environments, but they'll be missing out if they don't.
Final thoughts
I look forward to testing the Octa and the G-Class back-to-back on U.S. soil. There's no denying that both are extraordinarily capable vehicles with genuine everyday versatility. Both also cost similar money, but they are different in character.
The Mercedes, for all its ability, is a very obvious display of wealth. The Defender, by contrast, will slip unnoticed through the streets. In some ways it's a bold call, but JLR's executives are confident there's a rich breed of customers who don't want to flaunt their means.
Let's hope they're right because the Octa deserves to succeed. Right now, it's hard to think of another vehicle with such an extraordinary breadth of capability, at any price.