The Land Rover Defender family will grow with the imminent launch of a new high-performance variant. This new model will be the toughest Defender of all time and will be equipped with a twin-turbo V8 with mild hybrid technology.
Jaguar Land Rover has dubbed the style Defender OCTA. It takes its name from the octahedron shape of a diamond and will be adorned with diamond-shaped graphics, adding a brilliant black diamond on a titanium disc on each “Signature Graphic” panel. What is the meaning of the references to diamonds?Land Rover claims that, like a diamond, this new Defender will have “diamond-worthy luxury credentials”. All of the long-term Defender’s flagship styles will also have this diamond graphic.
The technical specifications of the engine have not yet been confirmed. What we do know is that it will be a 4. 4-liter twin-turbo V8 from BMW, as opposed to the old-school supercharged engine of the current Defender V8. This engine makes 635 hp in the Range Rover Sport SV and we can expect a figure.
It’s not just this new powertrain that will make the Defender OCTA special. Like the Range Rover Sport SV, it will also feature the company’s 6D Dynamics system, which consists of semi-active electro-hydraulic valves. This configuration virtually eliminates pitch and frame. It rolls when accelerating, braking, and cornering and also makes articulation easier.
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“The Defender is synonymous with off-road capability with a lineage that dates back to the 1 Series in 1948,” said Defender CEO Mark Cameron. “The new Defender OCTA will take this to the next level, with an impressive stance, cutting-edge generation and unprecedented attention to detail. With amazing functionality and an ambitious new attitude, it will allow our guests to revel in epic adventures in greater luxury.
Tests of the vehicle are already underway in Sweden, in the deserts of Dubai, at the Nürburgring and on challenging off-road trails in Moab. The new OCTA Defender will launch this year, but a date has yet to be announced.