For R3.6m, the Land Rover Defender Octa promises powerful performance with a mix of luxury and superb off-road capability.
The Land Rover Defender needs almost no introduction. It's arguably the most recognisable premium off-road SUV in the world, and it's had a lookalike recently selling like hot cakes in the local market, but the similarity really ends there.
While the Defender is a well-known vehicle, a special edition in its lineup that sits at the top of the range goes almost unheard of. It's the Land Rover Octa 110, described as the 'toughest, most capable and most luxurious model in the unstoppable 4x4 family' in a press statement. On paper, the Octa 110 merits that description, as the numbers separate it from the pack.
Developed by Land Rover's Special Vehicle Operations (SVO), which creates halo vehicles for the brand, the Octa's 110 name is said to be derived from a diamond, the toughest mineral on Earth. In South Africa, there aren't many Octa 110s on the road, and reportedly there are only 50 models of it in the country.
It's exclusitivity makes it special, but it also really has a strong road presence, I discovered. It's instantly noticeable to pedestrians that the Octa 110 is not your regular Defender. On paper, and in the flesh, it really is the pinnacle of the Defender.
The Defender Octa 110 test unit came in a dark bluish colour called Sargasso Blue. A raised ride height, a widened stance, extended wheel arches, and redesigned bumpers give the Octa 110 its visual distinctiveness and a flair of performance.
The bumpers also improve the approach and departure angles, which helps when tackling steep terrain. Tough underbody protection is fitted too. The Octa 110 can also wade through up to one metre of water, deeper than any production Defender before it.
The wheel arches have been extended further to make room for tyres up to 33 inches in diameter, the largest ever fitted to a production Defender.
The front bodywork features new grille designs for improved airflow to the engine, while a new rear bumper houses a four-exit exhaust system. Underneath, an aluminium alloy front under-shield with a graphite finish is fitted, along with exposed bronze-finished recovery points at the front and rear.
Underneath, the changes go further than the bodywork. Land Rover's Special Vehicle Operations division reworked the chassis for the Octa 110, introducing 6D Dynamics suspension, a hydraulically interlinked active suspension system fitted to a Defender for the first time.
It's designed to reduce body roll and pitch on tarmac while still allowing maximum wheel articulation off-road. The Octa 110 sits 28mm higher than a standard Defender 110 and has a stance widened by 68mm, giving it greater ground clearance and stability.
Longer, tougher wishbones and unique active dampers with separate accumulators are also part of the package, along with uprated 400mm front brake discs and Brembo calipers.
Power comes from a 4.4-litre Twin Turbo mild-hybrid V8 engine, producing 467kW and up to 750Nm of torque. It's paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission with high and low range gears. This allows the Octa 110 to accelerate from 0-100km/h in 4.0 seconds, and it can reach a top speed of up to 250km/h when fitted with 22-inch lightweight alloy wheels and all-season tyres.
To manage all this performance both on- and off-road, the Octa 110 gets its own dedicated driving mode. Alongside the standard Comfort Mode and a Dynamic Mode for on-road driving, there's Octa Mode, the first dedicated off-road performance mode fitted to a Defender.
It includes an Off-Road Launch mode for better acceleration on loose surfaces, and when combined with the lowest traction control settings, it also enables a specific Off-Road ABS calibration
My verdict on the Land Rover Octa Defender 110: brutal power, great on-road presence with the off-road capability to match, aura, and expensive.
