Zero to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds, like a track-day sports car.
Fully articulating axles and among the highest approach, breakover, and departure angles of any factory vehicle, like a modified desert racer.
Semi-aniline leather in tasteful Burnt Sienna, like a super-luxury sedan.
Is there anything the 2025 Defender Octa lacks? Land Rover calls its new SUV “the most dynamically accomplished Defender vehicle ever created, with unmatched breadth of capability and performance both on- and off-road.”
But, if you want one, you’d better move quickly. Recently renamed parent company JLR plans to send just 1,000 copies of its new superweapon to North America. They’ll start at $153,475, including a mandatory $1,475 delivery fee.
626 Horsepower, Added Ground Clearance
The Defender Octa’s blistering acceleration comes from a 4.4-liter twin-turbo mild-hybrid V8. The engine produces 626 horsepower and up to 553 lb-ft of torque. Power goes through an 8-speed automatic transmission with high- and low-range gears, reaching all four wheels.
Top speed is limited to 155 mph with all-season tires. But you’ll probably want the all-terrain tires. They limit the speed to 112 mph. But they let you take full advantage of the hydraulically interlinked 6D Dynamics suspension. The Octa sits 1.1 inches higher than the off-road-monster Defender 110.
Other enhancements “include longer and tougher wishbones, and unique active dampers with separate accumulators.”
The combination results in a 40-degree approach angle, a 42-degree departure angle, and a 38-degree breakover — the kind of numbers we expect to see only on off-roaders with aftermarket modifications. It can wade through an astonishing 3.3 feet of water, the company claims.
Exclusive Colors, Unique Wheels
The Octa uses the same bodywork as the Defender 110, with modifications including extended wheel arches to accommodate a stance nearly 3 inches wider and new front bodywork including “unique grille designs allowing greater under-bonnet airflow.”
Buyers can choose from two shades of gray or two exclusive colors, Petra Copper and Faroe Green, with optional protective matte film.
Wheel choices include 22-inch models or a 20-inch design our Lyn Woodward calls “one of the most gorgeous production wheels I’ve ever seen.”
Opulent Interior
Your 2025 Defender Octa will be capable of handling almost any terrain, but you won’t want to get out and risk muddying the cabin.
“The standard interior is a new Burnt Sienna semi-aniline leather, with Kvadrat textile trim in Ebony,” Land Rover says. Ultrafabrics in Light Cloud and Lunar will be optional.
Performance seats use immersive integrated Body and Soul Seat audio technology.
“Inside, it’s as luxe as Land Rover gets,” Woodward comments.
