2026 is going to be a busy year for the Land Rover Defender OCTA because the British carmaker has just confirmed its entry into the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC), beginning with the Dakar Rally in January. Talk about tough initiations.

Jaguar Land Rover has been building the current L663 generation Defender since 2019 offered with several different petrol and diesel engines, including a four-cylinder plug-in hyb

The Defender is the best-selling member of the JLR family, and the one that has been steadily gaining in popularity for the past five years—a rare occurrence in the auto industry, where models normally lose ground as they age.

I knew that the new Land Rover Defender was pretty capable off-road, and now I have to recognize that it's also a lot more comfortable than most 4x4s.

This remains largely familiar from the core Defender, and that’s a very good thing. This is still a fantastic SUV interior; chunky and industrial in its design but rendered luxurious by the hushed refinement, strong fit and finish and high-quality materials.

The twin-turbocharged off-roader is headed for Dakar and the FIA World Rally Raid Championship starting in 2026.

Land Rover is proudly stating that the Defender Octa is “the fastest and most capable Defender ever made,” so it makes sense it will serve as the base for the racer. Not only

Land Rover Defender 110 is positioned between the more compact Defender 90 (which offers urban agility thanks to a smaller wheelbase), and the more spacious Defender 130, designed for those who need more space for people and cargo.