- $300k-plus Octa is the new flagship for the Defender lineup
- Beauden Barrett on board as Defender ambassador
- Partnership marked with video shoot in Barrett's hometown
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) New Zealand has announced international rugby player and current All Black Beauden Barratt as a Defender brand ambassador - simultaneously with the launch of the new flagship of the range, the super-off-road Octa.
It's marked the new partnership with a photo and video shoot in several Taranaki locations significant to Barrett’s life, including Taranaki Stadium, Arawhata Road, and farmland along the Tongapōrutu coastline.
The video was showcased at a special event in Auckland on June 17, with Barrett, photographer Chris Sisarich and precision driver Richard Moore (who handled the skiddy stuff for the cameras) on stage for a Q&A.
“It’s a real privilege to bring this partnership to life at home in Taranaki – where I grew up, and where my love for rugby started," said Barrett. "Defender is built for performance and purpose, and those values really resonate with me."
Octa is an extreme off-road version of the Defender that aims to take the 4x4's abilities to the next level - with a next-level price to match. At $309,900 (or $339,900 for the Edition One) it's a whopping $129,900 more than the next-model-down, the 110 425 Edition. In fact, for the price of the Octa you could have the 425 V8 and a 110 D250 S diesel.
What makes Octa so special? Developed over three years, it's the only Defender to have the BMW-sourced 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine (other Defender V8s have the oldie-but-goodie JLR 5.0-litre supercharged unit), which thrusts the super-4x4 to 100km/h in 4.0 seconds.
The chassis has been re-engineered for even more extreme off-tarmac driving (a standard Defender is still a prety serious 4x4), with a 68mm-wider track and 28m extra ride height. There's a completely new "6D" adaptive suspension that virtually links all four corners of the car and massive Brembo brakes.
It features a dedicated Octa drive mode, for "very fast off-road driving" says JLR.
The Octa Edition One is available for the first year of production and has a "curated" specification, with 20-inch forged alloy wheels, an exclusive Faroe Green exterior colour, Khaki and Ebony Ultrafabrics inside and "Chopped Carbon Fibre" detailing.
The Chopped Carbon includes raw recycled materials and is visible on the bonnet script, bonnet/fender vent surrounds, front seatbacks and centre console trim.
JLR NZ currently has 19 Octas on order, with 15 already sold.
