Land Rover has updated its Defender 4x4 with a new trim, a new bodykit, some new paint options… and cut a whopping 93hp out of its all-singing, all-conquering V8 Octa. Wait, what now?
Buried at the bottom of an information dump focusing on the ‘Vertex’—we’ll get back to that shortly—is the news that the 4.4-liter BMW V8 has been ‘updated’…by slashing its previous output down from 626hp to 533hp. Land Rover said the car’s been pegged back in order to comply with Euro 6e EB regulations.
So it’s a little slower to 97kph…by four tenths (was 3.8sec, is now 4.2sec). Still, torque remains the same—749Nm—it's now available in a delightful green (pictured above), and we’re told this ‘updated’ V8 “features a more characterful and deeper exhaust noise to give a truer V8 sound.”
OTHER STORIES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:
Finally: Toyota PH confirms GR GT is coming to the Philippines
Ruf has fitted a CTR3 with a 1,000hp+ eight-cylinder boxer engine
Anyway, there’s also the option of a 380hp petrol straight-six (the ‘P380’) mild-hybrid too, said to feature “new technologies to improve real-world fuel economy.” This P380 is available on all Defender variants—from the 90 right up to the monster 130—including that aforementioned new ‘Vertex’ spec.
This version of the Defender (below) features extended new front and rear bumpers, a bigger grille, some new fog lamps, gloss black detailing, yellow calipers, lower body cladding, 22s, and a choice of body colours that include white, black, green, two greys and a white matt wrap.
Elsewhere in this ‘update,’ there’s an ‘Extended Exterior Pack’ that comes with new bumpers and wheels, too, the ability to paint your Defender ‘Namib orange,’ a six-seat option for the 110 said to improve getting into the back row, loads of accessories and—yay!—more artificial intelligence inside. Can’t get enough of that, really.
Prices kick off from £58,655 (P4.83 million) for the lowliest 90 S, rising to £157,245 (P12.95 million) for the range-topping V8 OCTA Black. Now with less power than before.
NOTE: This story first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
