JLR is no stranger to SUVs with beefy engines, and its next will be a hardcore Defender that will introduce the new Octa designation. Prototypes have been testing for more than a year and this week JLR confirmed the debut for July 3.
The Defender Octa arrives as a 2025 model and getting your hands on one won't be an easy task, at least in the first year. Similar to the launch last year of the Range Rover Sport SV, production of the Defender Octa will be limited for the first year and buyers will be selected. Anyone interested will need to register for and presumably attend a special preview event. JLR will host seven of them around the world, including here in the U.S.
JLR is short on specifications for the Defender Octa but said the vehicle will come with a twin-turbocharged V-8 with a mild-hybrid system, as well as the automaker's new 6D Dynamics suspension. Both features are found in the related Range Rover Sport SV, which generates 626 hp from a BMW-sourced twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8.
The 6D Dynamics suspension is a combination of hydraulic interlinked dampers, height-adjustable air springs, and pitch control, which according to JLR can keep the vehicle's body at an almost level stance during hard cornering, or when traversing rough terrain at speed. The system eliminates the need for conventional anti-roll bars.
Teaser for Defender Octa debuting in 2024
Prototypes were also seen wearing Brembo brakes, a titanium exhaust system, and 20-inch wheels with BFGoodrich all-terrain tires. All the prototypes thus far have been based on the Defender 110 body style.
The testing, which is ongoing, has spanned a wide variety of conditions including racetracks, rally stages, rock crawls, and extreme weather. Some of that testing has taken place on Germany's Nürburgring racetrack and on the rocky trails of Moab, Utah.
In case you're wondering about the Octa name, it likely refers to certain diamond shapes in geometry known as octahedrons. It's likely JLR wants to convey that the Defender Octa embodies resilience akin to a diamond, the toughest naturally occurring substance on Earth. A diamond shape will feature as a logo on the Defender Octa, as seen in the teaser photo above.
