New Land Rover Defender OCTA Loses 93 Horsepower in Europe

Land Rover has made a major change to one of its most exciting performance SUVs. The Defender OCTA is no longer as powerful in Europe, with its BMW-built twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 receiving a significant reduction in horsepower to meet stricter emissions requirements.

The engine previously produced 626 horsepower, but it now delivers 533 horsepower in markets that must comply with the latest Euro 6e-bis regulations. While that is a noticeable loss of power, torque remains unchanged at 750 Newton meters, helping the Defender OCTA retain much of its strong pulling power. The sprint from 0 to 62 miles per hour now takes 4.4 seconds instead of 4.0 seconds.

Land Rover also made changes to the exhaust system. Although the engine produces less power, the updated exhaust gives the V8 a deeper and more aggressive sound, helping preserve some of the excitement that buyers expect from the flagship Defender.

This is not the first time the BMW-sourced V8 has been adjusted. BMW recently reduced the output of the same engine in the European M5 to satisfy emissions rules, although that model relied on electric assistance to maintain its overall performance. Since the Defender OCTA does not use a plug-in hybrid system, it cannot rely on electric power to make up for the lost horsepower.

Despite tougher regulations, this V8 is not disappearing anytime soon. The engine has already been updated to meet future Euro 7 standards and will continue powering several BMW and Land Rover models for years to come. While performance engines are facing increasing pressure across Europe, manufacturers are still finding ways to keep them alive as long as possible.