Kerala's first Land Rover Defender Octa Delivered [Video]
Land Rover launched the much-awaited Defender Octa in India, in March this year. The carmaker has lately been commencing deliveries of the SUV across India. Kerala's first Defender OCTA has now reached its owner. Rajeev Raveendran, Founder and MD of Dubai-based Planet Green Solutions took delivery of the state's first OCTA from Muthoor JLR, the dealer partner in Kerala. A video of the delivery has now been shared on social media.
It shows the entrepreneur walking into the event organized by the dealer, to receieve his new SUV. His family is seen accompanying him. They celebrate the occasion by cutting a cake and then receive the keys of their new OCTA.
What Is So Cool About The Defender OCTA?
To start with, the OCTA is a high-performance and (more) off-road capable SUV, that anyone could choose if they aren't satisfied by the might and ruggedness of the regular Defender, or simply if they want their Defender to stand out in the crowd!
Land Rover sells the Defender OCTA in trims- the OCTA and the limited-run Edition ONE, which will only be sold through the first year of production. While the OCTA itself is quite pricey at 2.59 Cr (ex-showroom), the Edition ONE has an ex-showroom price of Rs 2.79 Cr!
The OCTA comes only in the 110 body style. In terms of design, it is meaner and bolder than the regular Defender. Notable design highlights include flared wheel arches, a larger grille area and a front bumper that has been thoroughly revised.
The vehicle rides on exclusive 22-inch wheels with all-season rubber. It should be noted that the Edition ONE comes with smaller 20-inch wheels and off-road tyres. Another differentiating element is the 'OCTA' badge. You'll find this on the C-pillars. The tailgate and roof are finished in Gloss Black.
Land Rover has also introduced a set of four bespoke colours on the OCTA- Carpathian Grey, Charente Grey, Faroe Green and Petra Copper. These can be had in Matte finishes as well.
On the inside, the OCTA feels much like the regular Defender. The cabin layout, colours, and trims would all look familiar. The OCTA, however, comes with a larger 11.4-inch infotainment touchscreen, Burnt Sienna semi-aniline leather upholstery and a mini-fridge inside the centre console.
The seats get a major upgrade on the OCTA. They are now performance seats with a 3D-knit texture, and feature integrated headrests and better bolstering. Land Rover has even given this SUV their signature 'Body and Soul Seat' audio technology which syncs with the music that's playing inside, and vibrates the seats accordingly.
The mechanical front has more significant changes gone into it. The OCTA is claimed to be the most capable Defender on the planet. It gets a new 6D Dynamics suspension setup, which cancels out the need for a physical anti-roll bar by making wise use of hydraulically interlinked dampers. This is claimed to offer greater wheel articulation and ensure minimal pitch and body roll.
The vehicle also gets longer and tougher wishbones, has heightened underbody protection as well. The ground clearance has gone up by 28mm and now stands at 319mm. The approach, departure and breakover angles have also been improved. The wading depth is now up by 100 mm!
Now, the biggest talking point- the engine! The OCTA is powered by a 4.4-litre BMW-sourced twin-turbo V8 mild-hybrid unit that produces 635hp and 750Nm. In the off-road launch mode, the torque sees a jump to 800Nm. The transmission offered here is an 8-speed automatic unit. The OCTA does the 0-100kph in just 3.8 seconds! The top speed is limited to 250 kph.
With the OCTA and OCTA Edition ONE joining the game, the Defender lineup has grown to 14 variants.