The Land Rover has been hugely successful with its Defender but this is the Defender with the imaginations being uncorked fully, while Aston Martin has made its DBX707 even better. Let’s explore more…

Defender Octa

The Defender is a behemoth and has been capturing the luxury SUV segment with its brutal presence and performance, while now the SUV has been completely changed for the exclusive Defender Octa variant.

It is not merely a Defender with a more powerful engine but a completely new recipe backed by a stance that no other car has. The Defender Octa is huge and rides on 33-inch tyres with a presence to dwarf other cars. It is simply massive and is taller, wider, and meaner than the standard Defender if there ever was a possibility for that. However, the changes dig deeper than that, and there is firepower to match that exuberant show. The engine is all new and it is a 4.4-litre V8 twin turbo, which develops 635PS, and that means this beast can rocket to 100 km/h in under 4 seconds, while the Edition 1 with these monster truck tyres will do it in 4 seconds.

For such a heavy SUV and being so tall, that is simply surreal. hence, while it may be handful to drive in the city or to negotiate airport carparks for its sheer size and height, it is a unique driving experience due to the sheer presence along with the growling engine. Speaking of which, the engine remains quiet at low speeds, giving the SUV a luxurious feel, although the Edition 1 variant with 33-inch tyres does produce some noticeable tyre noise. To drive, the Defender Octa has a more aggressive gearbox tuning and feels more alert with its sharper steering, while on the run, it feels faster and more agile. It also feels more exotic, and the extra money spent here does seem justified with the chopped carbon being sprinkled all over, plus cool features like the body and soul, where the seats have in-built speakers which make you feel like you are in a concert. While being considerably more expensive than the standard Defender, the Octa is in a different league in terms of raw performance, capability, and sheer emotions with its looks, or even what the car is all about. Off-road, it can go pretty much anywhere and do anything, while on-road it slaps a big grin on your facewhat more do you want?

Aston Martin DBX707

With the DBX, you forget what your physics teacher taught you in school and simply shake your head in disbelief at how this massive SUV can hurl itself with such precision. The DBX707 is an Aston Martin that you can drive on Indian roads without stopping at every pothole or worrying about scraping the precious fender at some steep parking. The DBX is an SUV, but it emphasises ‘Sport’ more here. The 707 version is faster and completely bonkers in terms of its unreal performance, courtesy V8 with 700-plus horsepower. The engine sounds soulful and angry with a loud exhaust note while the gearbox is sharp in its flexes. It also feels hard, fast, and eager to get on with the things of covering the ground as quickly as possible. Despite all wheel drive, it feels fun with a penchant to occasionally let the driver have a bit more involvement, the difference being that it is just taller. It also looks like a proper Aston Martin with a gaping grille and the same sensuous character lines. The 707 gets further aggressive styling, and those wheels are simply humongous in size, along with the width, since it has the job of stopping this car with so much power, and most importantly, its weight. Happily, the new DBX707 is also more luxurious but also plays the part of a bona fide luxury SUV very well, with the new infotainment system from the other Aston Martin cars, which is a slick touchscreen, along with being easy to use. The digital instruments and the cabin are also new, while being usable. The same can be said for the rear seat space, which is ample, and it is an SUV after all. Where the DBX707 scores is its appeal of performance mixed with a proper supercar-like personality, which does not erode with an SUV body style. Yes, it is hardcore and stiff, but that is what a supercar should be about, and here you do not have to worry about space or ground clearance.