2025 Land Rover Defender Octa Review: The Ultimate Bug-Out SUV

The Drive

16-07-2025

The latest car news, reviews, and features.
I hate the term 'bug-out.' I blame the lone episode of Doomsday Preppers I watched years ago, as every other word that came out of those people was bug-out this, bug-out that, and bug-out everything. Given that I only keep one or two cans of food in my pantry at a time, I'm far from a prepper, but even I can admit the 2025 Land Rover Defender Octa is the ultimate bug-out ride. This much became evident during a punishing, eight-hour off-road excursion along the Colorado-Utah border.
This isn't a huge surprise, given the regular Defender's exceptional off-road and on-road manners, which already make it the ideal vehicle for folks trying to escape civilization—or zombies. The recipe isn't exactly complicated either; great ground clearance, great approach/departure angles, capable drivetrain, smart software, and a solid set of tires. Nick Dimbleby
The new Octa, though… it escalates everything. It's so much more than just a range-topping trim with a few add-ons and a steeper price tag. From behind the wheel, it drives like a completely new SUV. It's cushy inside with just the right amount of macho outside. And its performance? Well, it makes a Bronco Raptor feel like a basic off-road go-kart from Tractor Supply. And hell, I had a lot of good things to say about the Ford.
Pull up Land Rover's announcement and you'll see words like 'dynamically accomplished,' 'imposing,' and 'most powerful.' Y'know, the typical buzz words for a new flagship performance vehicle. Yes, the Defender Octa is the pinnacle of the Defender—not just in the lineup, but probably for good. Having been around since 2020, this is almost certainly the last version of this Defender we'll ever see.
Let's start with the engine: the twin-turbo, mild-hybrid, 4.4-liter V8 now produces 626 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque, up considerably from the standard 518 hp and 462 torques. It's capable of doing zero to 60 mph in just 3.8 seconds, and while that's not the point of this thing, it feels and sounds great doing so. Jerry Perez
A key differentiator is the new 6D suspension, which is what you'll find in the Range Rover Sport SV. (For what it's worth, I've tracked that car on an F1 circuit and was floored by its chops.) A system of hydraulically interlinked, continuously variable semi-active dampers ditches sway bars for this much more responsive and adaptable setup. Compared to the regular Defender, wheel articulation is considerably improved, as is stability on dirt and tarmac—so much so that the roll center remains the same despite riding 1.1 inches higher.
Design-wise, the Octa is slightly more aggro. Up front, a redesigned grille with larger openings feeds the repositioned radiators, and a bronze-colored recovery hook sits above the skid plates, which run the full length of the underbody. Out back, a new bumper and lower fascia encase quad exhaust pipes, while 33-inch tires and a 2.6-inch wider track give the Octa a menacing look without going overboard. The 20-inch Edition One wheels are phenomenal, too, showing that great design isn't just for the fancier Rovers. Jerry Perez
The interior is fancified in various ways, but it's not so much that the Octa loses its utilitarian nature. The performance seats look straight out of a supercar with their slightly more pronounced bolstering and exposed chopped carbon shells, but they're wrapped in 3D‑knit, high-performance fabrics so they can get wet and dirty while remaining easy to clean. The dash, doors, and other panels feature softer surfaces, whereas the regular Defender doesn't, making the cabin visually nicer and a bit more comfortable.
First up was a Baja-style dirt track. When I hopped into the Octa with American racing badass Davy Jones behind the wheel, I didn't think I'd be in for an eye-opening ride. His skeletonized, blacked-out Tag Heuer Carrera Chronograph should've told me something about his tendencies, but I hadn't even processed that thought when we were four tires off the ground over the starting line. First corner, a left-hand kink that immediately led into a tight right-hander. Why treat that as two separate corners when you can just kick the rear out going into the kink and then swing it hard the other way to slide it through as one? That's what he did. The savagery didn't end there, as the Le Mans winner and Indy 500 runner-up kept powering through the bumpy course while telling me what I should and shouldn't do when we swapped seats. Okay . Nick Dimbleby
I activated Octa driving mode and set off on my first lap, which felt like crawling compared to Jones' pace. My second lap gave me a taste of the Octa's balanced chassis and super-quick steering. I was blown away by its agility and sharp turn-in, even under awful grip conditions. The rear was playful and slidey, but I never had that oh-shit feeling where you feel like you're about to roll. Bumps I could see with my eyes could not be felt with my butt, and all I had to do was keep the momentum up to allow the suspension and traction control to work as intended. On my third lap, I put most of the pieces together and even recreated Jones' drift through the first two corners. I felt like a rallying hero. I've driven real rally cars before, and the Octa made it easy and fun to drive at a stupidly quick pace on dirt, whereas the rally car made me fear for my life.
Still not fully grasping how Land Rover turned a Defender into a rally raid truck while keeping its utilitarian nature, I woke up the next morning ready for a full day on the trail. We'd start southwest of Grand Junction and dive deep into Glade Park, where we'd crawl up several thousand feet in elevation. On our way down, we'd drive along the very edge of Moab in Utah and do a water crossing before following the Colorado River back into camp. Land Rover didn't waste any time with the route, as the going got tough just minutes into the trail. Jerry Perez, Nick Dimbleby
I had not been so happy about Land Rover's decision to send a trail guide with me in the car. This wasn't my first rodeo, you know? But an hour into our expedition, I was more than grateful for Matt's presence and expert guidance. This trail wasn't just for the incredible photos you see here—it was to punish the hardware and test my skills. You put a tire an inch off where it should be, and that might be the last thing you do.
The Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac R/Ts clawed their way up the loose rocks caked with dirt, rarely skipping a beat thanks to the Terrain Management system. I was in 4Lo and with the suspension set to its highest setting, giving me 12.7 inches of ground clearance. I felt like we could've conquered that segment on 4Hi or Auto, but Matt explained that, given the many hours ahead of us and the 105-degree weather, we wanted to avoid unnecessary slippage that could overheat components. We'd also be driving the entire route on the recommended tire pressure for street driving (37 psi) to more or less prove that the Octa doesn't require any special prep to shine off-road. Jerry Perez, Nick Dimbleby
It didn't take long for the steep hairpins to put all systems to the test. Full steering lock to one side or the other while asking the differentials to propel a 5,900-pound SUV without any wheelspin is tough. Decent-size boulders were no match for the air springs, which absorbed them with ease and allowed the tires to drive right over them without upsetting the balance. I'd also never been more reliant on front and side cameras like that day; it made the difference between continuing to climb or having to get out every two minutes to analyze the trail.
For having 626 hp, feather-like applications of the throttle were easy, especially when crawling up or down big rocks; likewise, the brake pedal was calibrated just right to offer a powerful bite without being too grabby. Just like at the Baja track, the Octa-specific steering rack (13.7:1 ratio) made it quick and easy to navigate the tightest of trails without doing much wheelin' at all. Nick Dimbleby
Coming down from the mountains proved that while the Octa's suspension could take a multi-hour beating from hell, it was a different story for my lower back. This was by far the most aggressive trail I had ever experienced in any vehicle, and it seemed like it kept going forever. Branches and other bits of nature left their artistic signatures on the body panels of six-figure Defenders, and I could hear the underbody protection doing its job over and over again.
After lunch, it was six hours down and two to go. At last, some smooth, curvy tarmac to open up the V8 and hear it roar. Like in a James Bond movie, a convoy of 10 dark-colored Defenders snaked their way through country roads around Moab as if we were en route to a supervillain's lair. In Sport mode (Octa mode is virtually the same but for loose surfaces), the Landy had a downright nasty attitude; the V8 just wanted to push harder, the new Brembo brakes dig deeper into corners, and the quad exhaust makes all the noise coming out of 'em. Just like in the dirt, you momentarily forget that you're driving a 16-foot-long SUV because body roll is minimal even when cornering at 80+ mph. That's where my co-pilot kindly requested I draw the line. Even with the knobby Goodyear Duratracs, which are rated up to 99 mph (another set of all-terrains and all-seasons are rated for 130 mph and 155 mph), road noise was minimal, and it was easy to hold a conversation or listen to music while storming down a canyon. Nick Dimbleby
At $170,200, the Faroe Green 2025 Defender 110 Octa Edition One I beat the living daylights out of is one very expensive toy. If the regular Defender was already the highbrow option for well-off suburban parents, the Octa is surely the money-no-object gift for trophy spouses. Regardless of whether these see any action off the pavement or not, what Land Rover has built here is nothing short of breathtaking, and—I almost can't believe I'm saying this—worth every dollar of its asking price.
It's not enough to look at it, glance at its specs, or even read my words to understand how capable it is, or to know what a joy it is to drive. In an era where production vehicles have to make sense (especially SUVs), the Octa exists simply because it can. Hell, in 2026, it's even going racing in the Dakar and World Rally‑Raid Championship—that's how badass this thing is.
Does it make any financial sense to buy one? Absolutely not. Would I buy one even if it were called the Bug-Out Edition? You betcha.
2025 Defender 110 Octa Base Price (As Tested) $153,625 ($170,200) Powertrain Mild-hybrid 4.4-liter turbocharged V8 | 8-speed automatic transmission| all-wheel drive Horsepower 626 @ 7,000 rpm Torque 590 @ 1,800 rpm Seating Capacity 5 Cargo Volume 34 cubic feet Curb Weight 5,900 pounds Max Towing 8,200 pounds EPA Fuel Economy 15 mpg city | 19 highway | 17 combined Score 9/10
Imagine a Raptor but not made by Ford.
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