New Land Rover Defender promises to be toughest, most luxurious yet

We already thought the Land Rover Defender was pretty tough, and we also thought in V8 guise it was plenty quick enough. But apparently JLR had other plans, as it has just announced a new model — and yes, it’ll be tougher, more powerful and more luxurious too.

It’s called the Defender OCTA, with the name being short for the octahedron shape of a diamond (because diamonds are tough and luxurious, geddit?). Land Rover’s really leaning into this theme, since the new flagship Defender will carry a new encircled diamond graphic that features across the exterior and interior, including as a gloss black diamond within a machined and sandblasted titanium disc. So there’ll be no mistaking this top dog Defender for a lesser spec.

We know what you’re thinking. We’d like a closer look at the new Defender OCTA too, but JLR is keeping its cards close to its chest for now – or the PR department fancies two bites of the cherry, so we’re not getting a full reveal just yet. Instead we’re told the new car features the same trick suspension as the frighteningly expensive – and rather quick – Range Rover Sport SV. 

Called 6D Dynamics, the hydraulic interlinked suspension cleverly removes almost all signs of pitch, roll and dive during hard acceleration, braking and cornering. We got to experience this from the passenger seat of an SV flung around the Goodwood Motor Circuit last year and, despite the wet conditions, it was mightily impressive, with the car remaining almost totally flat and level at any speed.

That should be true of the Defender OCTA too, but JLR says the suspension also improves its off-roading abilities. The system promises to “maximise independent wheel travel and articulation across the most demanding off-road terrain.”

What else? JLR says the Defender OCTA will be powered by a twin-turbo, mild-hybrid V8 engine, and teaser images show off a set of beefy Brembo brakes and mud-plugging tyres. There also appears to be a glowing red button at the foot of the steering wheel, and that new square-in-a-circle logo is slapped onto the side of the car for good measure. Incidentally, JLR says the badge will appear on all future flagship Defender models.

Price? We don’t know that either, but given the Range Rover Sport SV is a whopping £170,000, the toughest, most luxurious and most powerful Defender yet will surely be similarly expensive. Exclusive too, since JLR says “Defender Elements event series” will exclusively preview the new car for prospective clients.

Speaking of the car, Mark Cameron, managing director of the Defender division of JLR, said: “With astounding performance and a bold new attitude, it will enable our clients to master epic adventures in heightened luxury.”

JLR says the car is “undergoing the most exhaustive development regime in Defender history,” which includes snow and ice in Sweden – keep an eye out, residents of Arjeplog – plus desert sands in Dubai, rock crawls in Utah and, of course, the Nürburgring.