2026 Land Rover Defender Octa Black Is a More Sinister 626-HP SUV

Car and Driver

6 hours ago

The 2026 Land Rover Defender Octa Black is the newest variation of the range-topping Defender.
Land Rover says 30 exterior components are finished in either gloss or satin black, with the exterior painted in Narvik Black.
The Octa Black follows the rest of the 2026 Defender lineup with new headlights and taillights as well as a new 13.1-inch center touchscreen.
Along with giving the 2026 Defender its first facelift since the nameplate returned to the United States in 2020, Land Rover is also adding a new visual package for the iconic model. It's called the Defender Octa Black, and Land Rover says it's an even bolder look for the range-topping model.
A Blacked-Out Octa
As the name implies, the Octa Black takes the newest Defender and covers every inch of it in black paint. Land Rover says that 30 exterior elements were given the Rolling Stones treatment. That includes the scuff plates, recovery hooks, exhaust tips, Land Rover badges, wheels, and brake calipers finished in a variation of satin or gloss black. The exterior bodywork is finished in Narvik Black, which the automaker calls the "truest black" in the Defender lineup.
Land Rover
The interior maintains the theme, with carbon-fiber trim throughout. The crossbar spanning the dashboard features satin black, the leather seats are finished in an ebony color, and the armrests and seatbacks use Carpathian Grey.
As it's joining the lineup for 2026, updates to the Octa Black follow the rest of the Defender lineup. For the outside, that means newly standard fog lights, a new LED graphic for the headlights, and taillights that now sit flush with the body. Inside, the Octa Black gets a new 13.1-inch center touchscreen, which replaces the old 10.0-inch unit.
Land Rover
Land Rover
Power is unchanged from the standard Octa. A twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 sits under the hood and pumps out 626 horsepower. Given that a 518-hp V-8-equipped Defender 90 we tested hit 60 mph in 4.4 seconds, we expect the Octa can make the same sprint in fewer than 4.0 seconds.
Official pricing and availability haven't yet been announced, but we don't expect the price to stray too far from the current Octa's $153,625 jumping-off point.
Jack Fitzgerald
Associate News Editor
Jack Fitzgerald's love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1.
After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn't afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf. Read full bio