Defender Octa to debut at Goodwood

JLR has announced it will unveil the new Land Rover Defender Octa on July 3, followed by a dynamic launch at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK on July 11-14.

The Octa will be the fastest Defender yet, powered by a V8 twin turbo petrol engine, and will have new levels of body control enabled by 6D dynamics suspension technology.

Land Rover SA has confirmed that a limited number of Defender Octas will be available locally from later this year, though the price is still to be announced.

The company's stand at the prestigious hill climb event will showcase other brand models including from Range Rover, Discovery and Jaguar. Guests will be able to see other models including the new 110 Sedona Edition and a classic Defender 110. A Defender off-road experience on a purpose-built obstacle course is in the offing, and mini-Defenders are also available for younger guests.

From the Range Rover catalogue, guests will get to see the exclusive Range Rover SV Burford Edition, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Velar and Range Rover Evoque, as well as an example of the original Range Rover launched in 1970. The high-performance flagship Range Rover Sport SV will be in action on the hill. Variants of the Discovery and Discovery Sport on display will include an example of the original Discovery from 1989.

Jaguar will mark its 90th anniversary in 2025 and the brand's space at the Festival of Speed will feature an immersive film highlighting its storied history. Jaguar Classic will show one of 12 restored E-type ZP Editions and the 1988 Le Mans 24 Hours-winning XJR-9 LM, which will also be driven on the hill climb. Jaguar TCS Racing will demonstrate an all-electric Formula E race car on the hill climb on Friday 12 and Saturday 13 July.