Land Rover has no choice but to tame the Defender OCTA’s engine to comply with tougher emissions regulations. In Europe and a few other markets, the BMW-sourced engine is losing significant power. Previously, the twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 produced a stout 626 hp, but that’s sadly no longer the case. Engineers have dialed back the Bavarian eight-cylinder by 93 hp, reducing output to 533 hp.
Predictably, performance has suffered. The sprint to 62 mph (100 km/h) now takes 4.4 seconds, making it 0.4 seconds slower than before. There is a silver lining, however. The Defender OCTA continues to produce 750 Nm (553 lb-ft) of torque, so only horsepower has taken a hit to meet the Euro 6e-bis emissions standard. Although it has less punch than before, the mild-hybrid V8 now delivers a deeper note after Land Rover’s engineers reworked the exhaust for a meaner soundtrack.
