£150,000 Land Rover Defender Octa hits record pre-orders

Despite its price, the twin-turbo V8-powered SUV is already a sales hit.

By: Angel Sergeev

Nov 15, 2024 at 3:38am ET

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JLR’s newest and most potent release, the Defender Octa, has already racked up an impressive 2,900 pre-orders before it even hits the road. This isn’t your average SUV, nor is it merely a status symbol – it’s an off-road monster with the muscle of a sports car, equipped with a twin-turbo V8 and the agility to conquer both rugged trails and winding mountain passes.

Jaguar Land Rover has thrown the kitchen sink into developing the Defender Octa, claiming it’s a “no-compromises” SUV. The numbers speak for themselves: a twin-turbo, 4.4-litre, mild-hybrid V8 engine under the bonnet that churns out 635 PS and 750 Nm of torque. This engine, developed together with (or mainly by) BMW, sends the 3,230-kg Octa from 0 to 62 mph in just 3.8 seconds, up to a top speed of 155 mph.

Gallery: Land Rover Defender Octa

The Octa also has what off-road enthusiasts crave: new approach and departure angles that improve its off-road capabilities. JLR’s Director of Special Vehicle Operations, Jamal Hameedi, put it best, calling it “as fun on the Stelvio Pass as it would be on a Dakar Rally stage” in an interview with AutoExpress. But, for all this fun, drivers will need some serious pocket change – the base model starts at £145,300, while the high-end Edition 1 comes in at £160,800.

For the eco-minded, the company’s Halewood plant in Merseyside has already received £250 million of investment to kickstart JLR’s electric ambitions. And if pre-orders are any indication, the world’s ready for a green Land Rover: the Range Rover Electric, set to launch in 2025, already has 48,000 people signed up worldwide.

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In the meantime, some die-hard fans have opted for exclusivity with special models like the Range Rover Sport SV Celestial, priced at around £215,000, and the Range Rover SV Ranthambore Edition, which saw 12 cars snatched up in India at £455,000 apiece. These special editions add a certain sparkle to JLR’s lineup, proving that luxury can come with a limited-edition twist.

Financially, JLR’s cruising along nicely (or so it seems), marking an eighth profitable quarter despite supply-chain hiccups. A temporary aluminium shortage cut into pre-tax profits, which came in at £398 million – a dip from last year. Still, the first half of 2024 saw a 25 per cent rise in profits compared to 2023, hitting a cool £1.1 billion.

Source: AutoExpress