Here it is, one of the most outrageous factory spec 4X4 offerings to ever take to Australian roads. Defender’s OCTA finally arrives following applause and anticipation overseas. It appears to exist for one reason – because “why not?”
What’s the story?
The Defender OCTA is the answer to that aforementioned question that nobody asked. Land Rover has taken the 110 platform – already competent, clever and covetable – and dialled it up to create something unhinged. OCTA is caught somewhere between a high-performance luxury SUV and a modern off-road missile. Its name is inspired by the octahedron shape of a diamond, one of nature’s toughest forms.
OCTA is wider, louder, faster and more technically ambitious than anything the iconic badge has attempted in years. Rest assured, this isn’t the usual aesthetic overhaul with a tokenistic dose of more power. If the standard Defender is a tool, I can assure you the OCTA is a weapon – both inside and out. And you’re paying big dollar for the privilege.
Who’s the buyer?
A tough question to answer, to be honest with you. The OCTA is pure presence in every respect of the word. It’s where “F-you” money and “F-you” flex meet at the apex of the 4X4 food chain.
Our test vehicle, at $323,000 before on-roads (!!!), is twice the entry price of a Defender 110 P425 V8. Its only worthy off-road rival in the country is the Mercedes G-Wagon. Every single option box has been ticked on the OCTA, so those wealthy enough don’t have to concern themselves with the hassle of finding a pen.
OCTA is for someone who wants theatre and an if-you-know-you-know level of curbside credibility. Whether they value the wild off-road engineering between the axles or not, with its 6D dynamic suspension, nothing they can throw at the OCTA will even come close to scratching it, let alone breaking it. So I’d almost argue that the ground-breaking ‘body and soul’ seats – with speakers built-in to the leather – paired with a killer sound system, would have the OCTA appealing more to well-healed audiophiles than cashed-up paddock bashers.
Tell us about your first impressions
Presence, and lots of it. OCTA makes some humbly-specced Defenders look like a matchbox toy. Paint options exclusive to the OCTA are Petra Copper, Sargasso Blue, and Faroe Green, the latter of which, on our test car, looked more like a wet concrete tone in the flesh than any resemblance to a green.
It feels imposingly large at first, but you quickly become accustomed to its flexing fenders and accompanying 68 mm of additional width. The 20-inch wheels matched to chunky BF Goodrich trail boots also mean the OCTA rides considerably higher than its standard sibling. Impressively, despite the off-road rubber, any feedback from the tyres when hookin’ it on tarmac is unnoticeable to the common man.
Inside, it’s not as flashy as its price tag would have you believe. Flecky bits of carbon adorn some surfaces, and the new 2026-era extended infotainment display sits proudly in the centre. For the money, OCTA’s interiors might not be enough to sway Mercedes buyers. But it’s also fair to acknowledge Defender’s no-fuss DNA before comparing it to the G-Wagon’s luxury interior – loyalists likely won’t care. They’d buy it regardless and die on that hill.
Give us the top lines on performance and/or efficiency/range. What’s it like to drive?
Punchy. Punchier than any Defender before it. For something this tall and this heavy, the acceleration borders on absurd. Even when shooting off the line with launch control (of course it needs launch control), its twin turbo-charged V8 trying to put down 467kW of power, doesn’t rear its hind legs.
OCTA’s composure under a heavy foot is almost unbelievable. Steering is precise enough to inspire confidence, and the chassis feels far more sorted than a vehicle of this size has any right to be.
During my week with the car I didn’t have the chance to put it through the off-road wringer. But to be honest, nothing I could have thrown at it would have been deserving of such a machine. It would have been insulting, even. ‘OCTA’ Mode, which is essentially Defender’s rally-configured Mad Max mode, can be unleashed by the big diamond button on the steering wheel. In response, the interior lights see red, and the car’s ready to be flogged on whatever unsealed surface you deem fit.
Standard Defenders over the years have proven their off-road chops to me time and time again, and done so with ease. I have no reason to doubt this car’s Dakar-level of capability.
And efficiency? Well, that’s not why we’re here.
Tech & connectivity – what’s the word?
Cameras are excellent, and you have to learn to trust them or you’ll shy away from most parking spots. What I pleasantly loved the most was the silencing button on the steering wheel to mute the overzealous safety warnings. More cars need this quick-action option, and it’s now standard on these latest Defenders.
As I mentioned, the 2026 model year OCTAs have the new, larger infotainment screens pinched from the Range Rover SV. It’s flawless, as far as we’re concerned.
And the lowdown on safety?
Well, to begin with, the OCTA is a tank. You’re likely one of the biggest cars on the road. So that peace of mind is your baseline, and then when you layer on all of Defender’s stacked safety and driver aids, you surely have one of the safest cars going around.
Off-road, traction systems and terrain management give you confidence to battle any weather or get yourself out of sticky situations you probably shouldn’t be in, while on the road, the OCTA feels stable and reassuring at speed. It’s a big unit, but it never feels unwieldy.
The most memorable – or heartbreaking – thing about your drive?
The “body and soul” seats, which are standard as part of the OCTA offering, legitimately offer one of the most all-consuming audio experiences I’ve ever enjoyed in a car. Rolls-Royce might rival it with exceptional high fidelity and quality, but the OCTA almost blows your socks off. You’ll find yourself rinsing every all-time track in your repertoire at least once.
It is a little heartbreaking that most won’t ever experience its full rally potential, bogged down in Mosman or Toorak school zones.
One thing you should know before a test drive?
It’s a slum dunk for the “heart over head” adage, and you won’t ever leave the car without a smile on your face. Impossible not to love – head-scratching to understand – but loveable nonetheless. Defender’s OCTA is the best dumb purchase with four wheels you might ever make.
