Land Rover parent firm JLR has confirmed that it has taken more than 2,900 orders for its new range-topping Defender Octa, ahead of deliveries kicking off next year. 

Described as a “no compromises” Defender, the 626bhp V8 off-roader has been developed to work equally well as a high-performance SUV on- and off-road. Improved approach and departure angles together with increased wading depths dovetail with the car’s 3.8-second 0-62mph time in what is the most powerful Land Rover Defender to ever make production.

“We want it to be as fun on the Stelvio Pass as it would be on a Dakar Rally stage,” JLR’s Director of Special Vehicle Operations Jamal Hameedi told Auto Express at the car’s unveiling earlier this year. Pricing kicks off at £145,300 for the regular model, while the Edition 1 costs £160,800. 

JLR also said that it has a waiting list of over 48,000 clients signed up worldwide for the Range Rover Electric, which will come to market in 2025. In the brand’s 2025 Q2 financial results, it revealed that it has sold five Range Rover Sport SV Celestial models at around £215,000 each, and in India 12 special Range Rover SV Ranthambore Edition cars found homes at £455,000 each. 

JLR has announced an eighth successive profitable quarter, although pre-tax profit was down 10 per cent on the same period in 2023, to £398m, due to temporary supply constraints on aluminium. But profits for the first half of 2024 were up 25 per cent on H1 2023 to £1.1bn. 

The brand has also invested more than £250m so far, half of the expected total, in its Halewood plant in Merseyside to ready the facility for electric car production.