The Defender is one of the most popular luxury SUVs in India but this is not your standard Defender as it is something entirely different. Meet the Defender Octa- named after the hardest mineral on earth, the diamond and being called the fastest off-roader around. In short, it is where the Defender is taken as a base and then used to create something on a different level altogether. Everything is nearly all new and underneath it is a tough off-roader with loads of performance being thrown at it.

Even with the car brought down to its most accessible ride height, it is a taller climb than the Defender and inside it feels more purposeful. You sit high- much higher than the standard Defender and the touchscreen is easily reachable although it does not distract you being relatively modest in size. Then you get these chunky buttons and not the touch nonsense all around along with a large steering wheel. Storage is in plenty and you also get a chilled globox to store your drinks in case you go camping at the Sahara. There are new upholstery choices on offer which are lighter including textile and there are proper sport seats. Equipment list is generous as you would expect at this price but our favourite new feature is the Body and Soul seats where it vibrates with the music you play. Else, the feature list includes pretty much everything that you could want including the must have features like a full length panoramic sunroof and a crisp all around camera which comes in handy in parking this huge beast. Space is similar to the regular Defender while the Octa is only available in 110 form which is the 5-seater version.

 

Yet, for the first few kms, the Defender Octa felt surprisingly at ease. Sure, being 28 mm higher and having a stance widened by 68 mm, you need to be careful of not scrapping the roof at airport carparks and also easing out of narrow lanes with a scared traffic approaching you. However, move past that and it is a surprisingly comfortable luxury SUV with superb refinement thanks to those extra layers of sound deadening and not kyc gyre noise despite the size. Sure, the ride at low speeds is a bit choppy but it gets better as the speed increases and of course you can sail across potholes or don't have any idea that you have crossed oen. The 635hp twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 is silent when driven around in the standard mode with only a faint soundtrack. Hence, it is a surprisingly comfortable daily drive despite the extreme measures. However, I ended up using the big Octa button on the steering which brings in a greater off-road focus plus performance. 

 

 

 

The V8 growl is louder and it feels more eager with shocking pace for such a massive SUV. 0-100 km/h is 4 seconds even with these off-road spec tyres and it simply thrills you with this much fun factor. That said, not just in a straight line as off-road it is even more capable with added water wading capability, great articulation and yes, a quicker steering. Standard is an 8-speed automatic and I felt it is also more responsive while being more enthusiastic. In short, the Defender Octa is the most capable SUV off-road that I have ever driven but it also works on it. Sure, at Rs 2.79 cr for the Edition 1 here is quite a lot of money over the standard version but it is also a lot of car while being more exclusive too. It has simply taken the Defender name right up in terms of sheer desirability and for that we like it indeed!