Car report: Defender Octa

The Defender is the quintessential Land Rover. With the OCTA, the brand now adds the ultimate version, aiming directly at the Mercedes-AMG G63. We headed to the Belgian Ardennes to investigate how well the OCTA performed.

Some people now know Wout Bru mainly as the man of Real Housewives of Antwerp-participant Natassia van Kerkvoorde, but in Belgium, Bru is primarily known as a celebrated chef. He's the head chef at the Hotel Sanglier des Ardennes, where he now oversees four restaurants. It's at this hotel where we settle in for a visit to the Defender House, which has been temporarily set up in the Ardennes. There, we're introduced to the lifestyle of Defender customers: Copperhead gin, Big Green Egg barbecues, and Mon Dada candles, to name a few. Belgium's most famous chocolatier, Dominique Persoone, was in attendance, although Defender introduced him as a "flavor acrobat." And the lunch? Well, that was served by Michelin-starred chef Wout Bru. Moreover—it's an English brand, after all—there was a tea sommelier present. Yet, we had a completely different reason for descending on the Ardennes. First and foremost, we wanted to see how the Defender 110 would fare in the Ardennes. We'd driven south from Utrecht in a (now discontinued) P400e. But we were especially curious about another Defender: the OCTA, whose name, incidentally, refers to a diamond.

Battle scars

Let's first delve into the history of Defender. When you see the cars in the photo, the first thought that comes to mind is: 'Ah, a Land Rover!' However, that's only partly true. Parent company JLR wants to house of brands and that's why Defender, Discovery, and Range Rover must evolve into independent brands (which, incidentally, still bear the Land Rover logo). Of course, that doesn't change the fact that the Defender's pedigree does indeed begin with Land Rover. From the brand-new OCTA, the line even runs directly to the very first Land Rover, which debuted at the AutoRAI in 1948. That model was later called the Series I. In 1984, a new generation followed, succeeding the Series III. With this model change, the Defender name appeared on the car for the first time. In 2016, the original Defender went out of production, after which Land Rover unveiled the current generation for the first time in 2019. Deliveries began in 2020, making the model now over five years old. And five years is practically new in Land Rover terms: after all, the previous model lasted almost seven decades with only minimal changes.

Compared to the previous generation, the current one looks less utilitarian; you'll think twice about climbing behind the wheel in your muddy wellington boots. With this Defender, just like with almost any other car, you're afraid of a scratch on the paint or stains on the upholstery, while such things battle scars The old one only showed that you at least knew how to use your car. Yet, Land Rover does consider the current Defender a "work vehicle." That's why the inside of the doors, for example, is covered with a material that can withstand a few knocks. But that's no less practical in everyday life. That's why, for example, Top Gear The Defender was named Car of the Year immediately after its arrival. And it's a hit with the public: when we recently visited Het Arsenaal in Naarden-Vesting, there were five Defenders in the parking lot, even though this had previously been the exclusive domain of the Range Rover.

Ready for Dakar

Perhaps that's why the brand felt there was room for a top-of-the-line model. The OCTA is considered the ultimate Defender. It's equipped with a 635-hp V8, fifty horsepower more powerful than its main competitor, the Mercedes-AMG G 63. The G 63 is essentially inferior to the regular G-Class in every respect: less comfortable, less stylish, and less capable off-road. Yet, it's the G everyone wants. It's logical that Defender offers a competitor. The great thing is that with Defender, you can choose: you can opt for an OCTA with 22-inch wheels designed for asphalt, or you can choose 20-inch wheels with off-road tires. With the latter, the OCTA is actually more capable off-road than its lesser siblings, according to the manufacturer. To prove this, the OCTA will compete in the grueling Dakar Rally starting next year and the FIA ​​World Rally-Raid Championship. Besides the Dakar, this championship consists of rallies in Portugal, Argentina, Morocco, and Abu Dhabi. That off-road capability is a major difference compared to its competitor: the G-Class, as an AMG, is more focused on paved roads. There's nothing wrong with that, but when you consider that the G in G-Class stands for SUVs It's remarkable, isn't it? It's a shame, then, that in the Ardennes we were only allowed off-road with the other Defenders present – ​​the OCTA was still too new for that. However, the regular Defenders convincingly proved they still hold their own in the terrain.

'This is the one car that seems to do everything, your Swiss Army knife on wheels. Its performance on the road is incredibly impressive. And when the road ends? You can just keep going.

Powerhouse

To be honest, I never understood what people in the city needed a large SUV for. Until I drove the new Defender for the first time five years ago, coincidentally also for MASTERS. We wanted to photograph the car for the RAI, because that's where the first Land Rover had its world premiere in 1948. When no one was there to open the barrier, we simply drove up to the exhibition building via the stairs. Curbs? No problem. Tram tracks? Seemed nonexistent. All of this applies to the OCTA, but it's capable of more. It's to the regular Defender what a BMW M5 is to a standard 5 Series and a Porsche 911 GT3 is to a 911 Carrera. How did the developers achieve this? They didn't make it easy. For starters, under the long hood is a 4,4-liter twin-turbo V8, good for 635 hp and 750 Nm of torque. The chassis has also been revised. The track width was increased by 68 millimeters and the ground clearance was also increased by 28 millimeters. The chassis is the main dishThe OCTA features air suspension combined with hydraulic shock absorbers, which are cross-linked. To ensure the body doesn't move too much, Land Rover developed a system called 6D Dynamics, which is also used in the Range Rover Sport. Moreover, it offers more direct steering than the standard Defender, making it easier to maneuver in town.

Pocket knife

A logical question about this car is: why? The answer is quite simple: the market demands it. Just look at the number of G 63 AMGs you encounter, and the Netherlands, thanks to its high purchase tax, is still an extremely unattractive country for such vehicles. That doesn't make the car itself any less attractive, by the way. On the contrary, because this is the one car that seems to be able to do everything, your Swiss army knife on wheels. Its performance on the road is incredibly impressive. And when the road ends? Then you can just keep going. It weighs over 2.500 kilograms, but it manages to disguise that weight well, for example, by sprinting from 0 to 100 in four seconds. Its only problem is that not enough people know about it yet. That's why it perhaps (also) relies on people who, after their umpteenth G-Class or Range Rover, want something different. It's certainly not cheap, as it costs almost €300,000 (which, incidentally, makes it less expensive than its main competitor). But we promise: once you've discovered the OCTA, you'll wonder what you've been wasting your time on.