After opening order books last year, Land Rover Philippines has finally revealed the price of the toughest, most capable Defender yet: the Defender Octa. The Octa P635 comes in two variants for the Philippine market with the “more affordable” Octa Petra coming in at P 24.59-million, while the Octa Edition One Faroe topping the range out at P 26.59-million.
The name, Octa, is derived from the toughest and most desirable mineral on earth—a diamond—and the octahedral shape that gives their distinctive appearance and durability. The Defender Octa features Goodyear Advanced All-Terrain 33-inch diameter tires—the largest ever fitted in a production Defender. This necessitated the extension of the wheel arches which complement the off-road optimized front bodywork and unique grilles allowing for better airflow into the engine bay. It has tough underbody protection including an aluminum alloy front under shield with graphite finish and exposed Phosphor Bronze‑finished front and rear recovery points.
There are two exclusive new metallic colors, Petra Copper and Faroe Green. This is alongside Carpathian Grey (Octa Edition One) and Charente Gray (Octa). Regardless of color, all have contrasting roofs and tailgates finished in Narvik Black.
The Edition One ups the styling with chopped carbon fiber detailing on the Defender hood script, fender vent surrounds, front seatbacks, and center console trim. It also rides on 20-inch forged wheels.
Inside, the Defender Octa comes with semi-aniline perforated leather seats in Burnt Sienna and Ebony (Octa) or Ultrasuede (Octa Edition One). The front 14-way heated and cooled Performance Seats offer greater support with more aggressive bolstering and integrated headrests. It also has Body and Soul Seat (BASS) technology—a first for the Defender line.
Regardless of variant, the Defender Octa is powered by a 4.4-liter twin-turbo mild-hybrid V8 engine mated to an 8-speed automatic with high and low gears. This makes it the most powerful Defender ever with 635 horsepower and up to 750 Nm of torque. 0 to 100 km/h is done in just 4 seconds.
Accompanying the more powerful motor, the Defender Octa P635 gets a heavily revised chassis with the hydraulically-interlinked 6D Dynamics system. This network of variable semi-active dampers virtually eliminates pitch and body roll on-road, while also enabling greater wheel articulation off-road.
It sits 28 mm higher and has its stance widened by 68 mm for better ground clearance and stability. Longer and tougher wishbones and unique dampers improve wheel articulation off-road and reduces on-road roll. 400 mm front brake discs with Brembo calipers provide better stopping power than ever.
Enhancements to the drive modes include Octa Mode—a first-ever performance off-road drive mode that offers functionalities like Off-Road Launch mode. The familiar Terrain Response continues as does the ClearSight Ground View 3 which effectively makes the hood transparent for improved visibility on trails.
The Defender Octa will officially makes its local debut on May 21 alongside the Range Rover Sport SV Edition Two.
I won't lie, I cannot afford this vehicle. But with the reputation of the Range rover for unreliability and a jacked up price of 189% over USA prices. I just don't see anybody in their right mind buying this except for exclusivity or is really filthy rich.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately for JLR(Jaguar Land Rover) you're correct that Land Rover(aka Range Rover) vehicles are notoriously unreliable, and unreasonably overpriced. Smarter people would go with BMW or MB, and the smartest ones will go with Lexus.
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