The Land Rover Defender Octa is losing power for 2027, but it's not all bad news
A power cut for the wildest Defender, but a better noise to go with it
Here is a headline that will make Defender Octa fans wince, followed by a bit of consolation. For model year 2027, Land Rover has trimmed the Octa's twin-turbo V8 to 540 hp, a noticeable cut, but it has softened the blow with unchanged torque, a deeper exhaust note and a gorgeous new colour. Not the update anyone was hoping for, but not a disaster either.
The numbers
From MY27, the Octa's 4.4-litre twin-turbo mild-hybrid V8 produces 540 hp, down from around 635 hp, a drop of roughly 95 hp. It is not all downhill, though: peak torque is maintained at a hefty 750 Nm, and Land Rover quotes 0-100 km/h in 4.4 seconds (0-60 mph in 4.2). So while the headline power figure has taken a hit, the Octa is still savagely quick for something this big and rugged, and the all-important pulling power is untouched.
At least it sounds better
Here is the sweetener. Land Rover has revised the exhaust manifold to give the updated V8 a deeper, more characterful sound and a truer V8 soundtrack, promising a more rewarding and dramatic noise for the driver. Notably, this updated engine is specific to the UK, Europe and select overseas markets, which strongly hints that tightening regulations are behind the power revision, even if Land Rover has framed the change around sound rather than compliance. Trading a slice of power for a better V8 bark is a deal plenty of enthusiasts would happily take.
New paint and standard kit
Beyond the engine, the Octa gains the lovely new Woolstone Green, joining a palette that already includes Sargasso Blue, Borasco Grey, Patagonia White Matte Wrap, Charente Grey, Petra Copper and Narvik Black. Both the Octa and the OCTA Black now get a gloss black tail-door spoiler as standard, a subtle nod to performance, and for the first time the Chopped Carbon Fibre Exterior Pack is offered as an option on the OCTA Black. The Octa remains the toughest, most capable Defender, with its 6D Dynamics suspension and OCTA Mode carried over.
AutoNext Take
Losing power is never something to celebrate, and dropping about 95 hp from a car whose whole appeal is excess feels a little sad on paper. But context matters. The Octa still has 540 hp, a full 750 Nm and a sub-4.5-second sprint, so in the real world it will feel every bit as ballistic, and honestly, a deeper, angrier V8 soundtrack might do more for the driving experience than those lost horses ever did. If, as we suspect, this is about meeting stricter emissions rules, then keeping the big petrol V8 alive at all, and making it sound better, is a win worth having. We will take ours in Woolstone Green, please. It caps a busy spell for the Defender family, which just gained the tough-luxury Vertex specification and inspired wild builds like the colour-shifting Classic Defender V8.
