The Land Rover Defender OCTA has been launched with prices starting from ₹2.59 crore ex-showroom. For those who feel the “base” model Defender OCTA is not rare or special enough, there’s the Edition One, which is available only for the first year of production and costs a premium of ₹20 lakh over the “normal” one. Just in case you are wondering “but there’s already a Defender with a V8 engine” then read on as we elucidate what differentiates the Defender OCTA from the Defender V8.
While the Defender V8 makes use of the venerable AJ-V8, refined through the years, the V8 in the Defender OCTA has a different pedigree. It is the S68 V8 from BMW, with 4.4-litres of capacity, thumping out 635PS and 750Nm (800Nm with launch control enabled) courtesy of twin-turbochargers, among other things. The most powerful production car to bear the Defender nameplate, the Defender OCTA is not just a pavement prowler, as it has a 28mm elevated ride height, 68mm wider stance and enhanced underbody protection. Total ground clearance stands at scarcely believable 323mm.
The Defender OCTA hits 100kmph from a standstill in just 4.0 seconds. The 275/50 R22 (33” for the Imperials, not the Stormcloaks) tyres are the largest-ever fitted to a Defender, as are the 400mm brakes. Inside, the occupants will be cocooned in comfort thanks to the ‘Immersive Body and Soul Seat’ technology that apparently enhances front-seat occupants’ experience, and there are six wellness programmes that can help enhance mental and physiological wellbeing (we don’t understand the place for something like this in the Defender OCTA, but good on Land Rover for offering it).
Considering the performance on offer and the price it’s available at, there’s not much that can come close to the Defender OCTA in terms of value for money. It’s hard to think of a car that is five times the cost of most 2BHK apartments in Tier 2 cities as a value proposition, but such is the world we live in, and cars like the Defender OCTA, which doesn’t take itself too seriously, we feel make the world a better place.
