Land Rover kills the supercharged V8 and neuters the Defender Octa to meet emissions regs
Land Rover’s biggest seller is getting a later-than-expected nip and tuck facelift before the end of 2026.
The Defender Octa is perhaps our favourite performance SUV on sale. And while that doesn’t sound like much, the Octa elevates itself as a driver’s car even beyond some hot hatchbacks and sports cars. Indeed it cleared both the Audi RS3 and Mercedes-AMG GT63 Pro in the standings of last year’s evo Car of the Year test. For the 2027 model year however, Land Rover is making one moderately concerning change: It’s dropping the Octa’s power output from 626bhp to 533bhp.
Manufacturers normally celebrate uplifts in power so it should come as no surprise that the opposite is happening with this ‘downgrade’. The only evidence that it’s happening is in the final paragraph of this press release and the spec table at the bottom, where the Octa powertrain is referred to as ‘P540’ rather than ‘P635’. Happily, torque is maintained at a healthy 553lb ft, with the 0-62mph sprint rising only marginally, from 4sec before, to 4.3sec now.
The change is coming for the same reason that BMW has had to recalibrate the powertrain of its M5 to meet Euro 7 emissions regulations. The difference here is that while the M5’s V8 was downgraded to output 536bhp instead of 577bhp, it has a hybrid element that has been tweaked to pick up the slack, maintaining its 717bhp overall output. The Defender being a mild hybrid, doesn’t have that luxury. Then again, the M5 isn’t far off weighing the same as the Defender in Touring form thanks to its big battery.
Happily, Land Rover has revised the Defender Octa’s exhaust system to deliver a ‘more characterful and deeper exhaust noise to give a true V8 sound’, achieving as much with a new exhaust manifold. A hair slower, not as potent in a game of Top Trumps, but sounds better. Doesn’t sound so bad.
Defender range updates
In terms of powertrains, apart from the Defender Octa’s neutering, the supercharged V8 is also leaving the lineup. In its place will be a new 375bhp version of the mild hybrid 3-litre Ingenium straight-six, after a sabbatical from the range. It’s a strange moment of circularity, given the V8 replaced the petrol six in the range in May 2024. The 5-litre V8’s demise has been a long time coming and Euro 7 regulations are the final nail in the coffin. D250 and D350 diesel six-cylinder engines remain, as well as the plug-in hybrid.
Call it a facelift, because that’s sort of what it is. It’s certainly the most comprehensive update to the look and spec of the Defender since its introduction in 2019. New for the 2027 model year is the Vertex, which sits alongside the X in the price list and features significantly revised ‘extended’ front and rear bumpers, with new detailing and a revised grille. There’s also a new more prominent rear spoiler and standard 22-inch wheels, though 20s are an option.
The ‘Extended Exterior Pack’ that represents the most prominent change to the Vertex is also available as an option across X-Dynamic SE and HSE specs. The biggest change to the Defender inside for the 2027 model year is that there is now a six-seat configuration available for the 110, with individual captain chairs for the second row replacing the bench. There are also new paint options across the range, as well as new materials for the interior, including Ebony Forged textile, a 100 per cent polyester knitted material.
The new Defender range will go on sale in the Autumn from £58,655. The Vertex will be priced from £92,635, while the revised Octa will be priced from £147,245, £800 less than before.
