The Land Rover Defender family is set to grow with the impending launch of a new high-performance variant. This new model will be the most powerful Defender ever and rock a twin-turbocharged V8 with mild-hybrid technology.
Jaguar Land Rover has dubbed the model the Defender OCTA. It gets its name from the octahedron shape of a diamond and will be adorned with many diamond-shaped graphics, including a gloss black diamond within a titanium disc on each ‘Signature Graphic’ panel. What’s the significance of the diamond references? Land Rover says that like a diamond, this new Defender will have “diamond-like tough luxury credentials.” All future flagship Defender models will also have this diamond graphic.
Technical specifications for the engine have not yet been confirmed. What we do know is that it will be a 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 from BMW as opposed to the old-school supercharged mill of the current Defender V8. This engine delivers 635 hp in the Range Rover Sport SV and a similar figure can be expected.
It’s not just this new powertrain that will make the Defender OCTA special. Like the Range Rover Sport SV, it too will have the firm’s 6D Dynamics system consisting of semi-active electro-hydraulic flow valves. This setup almost eliminates all pitch and roll during acceleration, braking, and cornering and also aids in articulation.
Read: Land Rover’s Defenders From TReK Off-Road Competition Can’t Catch A Brake Leading To Recall
“Defender has been synonymous with all-terrain capability with a bloodline tracing back to the Series 1 in 1948,” Defender managing director Mark Cameron said. “New Defender OCTA will take this to another level, with a dramatic stance, innovative technology and unparalleled attention to detail. With astounding performance and a bold new attitude, it will enable our clients to master epic adventures in heightened luxury.”
Testing on the vehicle is already underway in Sweden, the deserts of Dubai, the Nurburgring, and along challenging off-road trails in Moab. The new Defender OCTA will be launched this year but a specific date has not yet been provided.
