Sometimes, the universe is telling you something and one particular day, it was blunt. It was a cloudy and humid Friday in Pampanga. I was doom scrolling Reddit while inside one of Alviera’s dining halls when I saw it. The video showed a Chinese SUV that tried to replicate the Range Rover Sport’s feat of climbing Heaven’s Gate in Tianmen Mountain, China. Not only did it fail, it even damaged a part of the walls as it descended out of control. We were not aware of your game, Land Rover. You made it look easy.
That’s how that Friday went, actually. The Land Rover Defender made things look too easy. I was in Pampanga for the Defender OCTA Experience and I gotta say, they’re still the benchmark in plush off-roading experience.
They wet our palate with the Defender 110 and their Dynamic Display Equipment. These are metal structures that test the car’s capabilities at somewhat extreme angles. It’s not our first time to see an Articulation Ramp but the one they had was much taller, demanding more axle articulation from the car.
After that is the “Toblerone” or a tall wedge that you’ll take diagonally. From the left, you’ll climb it towards the right, and there’s a high chance you’ll scrape your chassis if you don’t follow the guide’s directions. This is followed by the “Witch’s Hat” that tests the vehicle’s diagonal stability and tight turning capability.
Capping of the first course is the Terrapod that raises the car high and puts it at more than 30 degrees. They will then let the car descend on its own via Hill Descent Control and do so smoothly.
Next was my own time with the Defender 110. They made us go through the local unpaved paths of Alviera that still had a lot of wet areas because of rain from a couple of days ago. A few were even on uphill sections. They also went with plain highway tires for this activity, not even All-Terrain ones!
Still, the Defender was very composed and made light work of any difficulty. It had no problem getting traction on the muddy areas. Its camera system was very accurate too that allowed me to traverse tight paths correctly. It also has an off-road cruise control that takes over the throttle to crawl the car, letting you focus on steering.
My personal drive was done very carefully since I don’t want to damage a multi-million peso car. That’s where Ian Kitching comes in. He’s a Product Expert from Land Rover Global and he let me ride the Defender OCTA while he’s on the driver’s seat.
The Defender OCTA is simply the most powerful Land Rover Defender ever. It has 635 PS, 750 Nm of torque, and can blast you 0-100 km/h in 4 seconds flat. We’re talking about a hunk of metal here that can also sit you comfortably inside. A 4-seconder without bucket seats is outrageous. More so when Ian steps on the throttle.
The Defender OCTA has a Dynamic Mode that lets the car handle everything you throw at it on the pavement, and it will be unbothered. The car stays pretty much flat no matter how tight you turn or how hard you brake. Also, it opens up the engine for that glorious exhaust note that I’ll certainly miss once this goes full electric someday.
The main spectacle of course is the Defender’s OCTA mode. It’s a high-performance off-roading mode that allows the Defender to traverse rough paths with more tolerance. It also has a unique ABS calibration that’s meant for loose gravel surfaces. The suspension has more cushion, the steering is just as precise, the throttle is more responsive – all that you need when speeding through the dirt. The difference is immediately felt once you turn it on too.
Ian and the Defender OCTA sped through the dirt path like it was some unpaved parking lot. It didn’t matter that there were wet sections with deep ruts, the Defender turned as Ian wanted it too. It was very predictable that you can guess the amount of throttle to make it overshoot a bit for some power slides. All of this happening with the glorious engine roar really makes the Defender OCTA a true metal beast on the dirt.
It’s not all rough play for the Defender OCTA too. Land Rover spent time in the cabin to create a new level of comfort. It has “Body and Soul” seats that lets you experience your music in a different way. Sure, it has the typical massage functions, but what sets it apart is how it sends vibrations to your body depending on the music you’re listening to. That’s a different level of sound-trip right there!
The Land Rover Defender might be camouflaged by the amount of more attainable plush off-roaders in the market today. But this drive, and that video, is a stark reminder that it’s still the benchmark for the niche it has created decades ago. Yes it’s pricey but the Defender makes no apologies for it. It knows that the right person will appreciate what it has to offer and that these people know there’s no beating the real thing.
