Land Rover Defender vs Cadillac Optiq

What's the difference?

The Land Rover Defender Octa Black could well be the ultimate form of the Defender. There's also the combination of Land Rover style and utility, but with one of the best V8 powerplants gifted to it from BMW. The Black edition adds extra appeal and highlights how stealthily something this good can fly under the radar against rivals like the Mercedes-AMG G63.

A taste test, but so far so good for the Cadillac Optiq, which is already my favourite model in the Caddy range. More space than you think meets a lovely cabin experience and a punchy powertrain.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.

Note: The author, Andrew Chesterton, is a co-owner of Smart As Media, a content agency and media distribution service with a number of automotive brands among its clients. When producing content for CarsGuide, he does so in accordance with the CarsGuide Editorial Guidelines and Code of Ethics, and the views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.

Oh gosh yes, there’s a lot that’s interesting about the design of the Defender Octa Black. 

Land Rover absolutely nailed the look of the new Defender when it launched in 2020 and it's barely aged in the years since. 

I love its modern take on the original Defender design with its boxy styling that looks both prestigious enough to be waiting in the driveway of a castle, but also purposeful and practical enough to be sitting in a paddock on a farm.

The Octa is based on the 110 Defender four-door body style with five seats, but its muscular enhancements make it longer, wider and taller than a regular 110 Defender. 

The Octa Black has exactly the same dimensions as the Octa at 5003mm long including the tailgate-mounted spare wheel, 2105mm wide with the mirrors out, and 1995mm tall on the low suspension setting (air suspension can raise the vehicle much higher).

The Octa Black adds about 30 gloss black or satin black elements to the Octa and I’ve listed many of them in the features section above.

For me the highlights of the Black include the 20-inch forged wheels which look stylish and army tough, there’s also the black coating on the quad exhaust tips, while the blacked-out badging and lettering also gives this variant a carefully modified, stealthy look.

Inside I love the exposed screws in the door trim, and black dashboard hand rail. When the vehicle is switched off all of the black buttons lose their glowing icons, turning the cabin into an inky, luxurious, minimalist space.

I could go on about the safari windows overhead in the boot area, the thick carpet, and how the optional chopped carbon fibre looks like solid marble, but we need to move on. 

I really like the exterior of this Optiq, and especially the front-on view, with its vertical DRLs and that bold Cadillac grille delivering real medium SUV street presence. 

You could argue the side profile is a little more vanilla (discounting the big wheels, of course), but it looks swept-back and sporty, and not as though it has been designed exclusively for aerodynamics above all else. That's a compliment, not an insult. Cadillac's engineers say every line and crease has been developed to help it slip through the air, but it does it without looking like a science experiment. 

The material choices inside are lovely, too. The brand says it has focused on sustainable and recycled materials (the centre console is made from tulip wood and recycled newspaper, for example), but the highlight in my test car was the fabric derived from recycled polyester fabric that lined the door panels and much of the dash. It's a refreshing (and comfy) departure from the norm.

Less positive is the level of Mar-a-Lago bling dotted elsewhere in the cabin, like the chrome ringed centre console and silver-tipped vent controllers. They jar with the otherwise dark, calming and modern-feeling space.

There are physical buttons galore, controlling all your climate settings along with steering-wheel controls as shortcuts for key functions, but there is also still a bit of on-screen action for things like quick access to your driving modes.

The tech looks fab, though, with the curve through the screen looking intentional and elegant and way nicer than the tablets plonked in a lot of EVs these days.

The Defender Octa Black is practical by its design and intention. This is a large off-road SUV with boxy proportions and utility is as much a priority as luxury.

A five seater with no third row, the Defender Octa Black has an enormous boot at 972 litres and outstanding cabin storage throughout from large door pockets to stowaway areas, trays and hidey holes. There’s also a small fridge under the centre armrest between the front seats.

Space for passengers is excellent with ample headroom and rear legroom. I’m tall at 188cm and can easily sit behind my driving position. Upfront and sitting in the driver’s seat I have acres of room in the footwell, plenty of space for my legs to clear the steering wheel and lots of elbow room.

There are power outlets throughout including a 230V powerpoint in the boot, USB-C ports in the second and front rows, plus wireless phone charging up front.

How great it is to see big chunky physical dials for climate control and volume as opposed to just a media screen, which is the case with so many new vehicles.

Possibly the only impracticality of the Defender Octa Black is the drop down out of the cabin. Even on the lowest air suspension setting the step up and out of the cabin will be too big for some older people and younger children. 

The Cadillac Optiq is around 4.8m long, 1.9m wide and 1.6m high, which is slightly longer than your average mid-size SUV. And I would argue most of that extra space is located in the back seat, where – at 175cm – I had no problem stretching out behind my own driving position. There was plenty of knee room and, thanks to a virtually flat floor, no bulky tunnel getting in the way for the middle-back rider, either.

Headroom could be a touch more challenging. It was no issue for me, but there wasn't a ton of clear air between the top of my head and the raked roofline, so six-foot-plus passengers might be stooping. Still, if your kids are six-foot-plus, get them into the NBA and have them buy you a car instead.

Elsewhere in the back there are cupholders in the pull-down seat dividers, ISOFIX attachment points in each window seat and twin USB-C ports. There are air vents but no temp controls for backseaters.

The boot is sizable, too, with Cadillac promising 744 litres of cargo space with the rear seats in place and 1603 litres with the rear seats stowed flat. And kudos for not just providing a neat charging cable space under the boot floor, but also giving you a little zip-up suitcase to store it in.

The Cadillac range has undergone a pretty epic price repositioning recently. The Lyriq launched in Australia at around $117,000, before on-road costs, but it has been chopped back to $90,000, making room for the flagship Vistiq, which is $116,00, BOC. The Optiq then slots in beneath both, starting at $80K.

Depending on where you see the Cadillac, that can be pretty good value. The BMW iX3 will start at $89,900, the Genesis GV60 is $88,300 and the Lexus RZ – itself the recent recipient of a significant price adjustment – is $84,500.

So, cheaper than those. But the big dog in the fight is still the Tesla Model Y, and you can have an all-wheel drive version of that for less than $70K. Is the Tesla a bona fide premium car? Is the Cadillac? These are questions best left to the buyers of each.

Anyway, the Optiq ditches any single-motor powertrains to launch exclusively in dual-motor, all-wheel drive guise, called the Sport, and you want for little on the equipment list.

That starts outside with cool-looking LED lighting and DRLs, what the brand calls its '3D etched crystal shield' grille, significant 21-inch alloys and a sizeable glass roof with a powered sun shade.

Inside, there's a lovely mix of premium-feeling cabin materials, with seats that offer heating, cooling and a massage function up front, and heating for backseat riders.

There's also dual-zone climate control, ambient interior lighting, a heated steering wheel and wireless device charging.

Tech is a strong point here, with the Optiq's cabin dominated by a massive and curved 33-inch display that stretches from the centre of the cabin to the driver's door and does double duties as your multimedia and driving info screens.

There's wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, too, but the brand is making the biggest deal of the Optiq's stereo, which Cadillac says is unrivalled, and is the result of a five-year partnership with Dolby.

The Optiq gets 19 AKG speakers with Dolby Atmos, effectively the same surround sound developed for theatres, and the brand says listening to Atmos-mastered music (which is most tracks on paid streaming services, apparently) gives you music studio-level audio. So much so, Cadillac says, that producers for Mariah Carey and Fleetwood Mac have purchased models in the Cadillac electric family.

One of the Defender Octa’s biggest drawcards is its engine, a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 courtesy of BMW.

Yes this is a BMW-sourced V8 making 467kW and 750Nm. The same engine is found in BMW’s M5 super saloon and X5 M and it suits the Defender Octa Black so well you’d swear it was purpose built for the big SUV.

You might not know that there is also a mild hybrid system on board too, but it doesn’t drive the wheels and isn't really there to save fuel. Its function is to add even more grunt to the engine. 

Unlike Mercedes-AMG's G63’s V8, the Defender Octa’s V8 won’t traumatise the neighbourhood on start up or idle or even just cruising along. But push it hard and it changes its attitude from a powerful limousine growl to a wild NASCAR roar.

There are drive modes including a dynamic setting but it’s ‘Octa’ mode that makes the car special. It's is a high-performance off-road setting that does exactly what you’d think.

Of course the Defender is one capable off-road vehicle with low- and high-range four-wheel drive.

An eight-speed automatic transmission sends the drive to all four wheels smoothly and the paddle shifters allow quick changes up and down.

There is only one trim level and powertrain on offer in the Optiq, called the Sport AWD, and with it comes dual electric motors – one on each axle – delivering a total 224kW and 480Nm. 

That's enough, says Cadillac, to push the Optiq to 100km/h in a hot-hatch-feeling 6.3 seconds and on to a top speed of 210km/h.

Nobody buys a large off-road SUV powered by a petrol V8 thinking it’s going to be super fuel efficient, right? Just checking, because the 4.4-litre petrol V8 in the Defender Octa Black needs feeding constantly, like some kind of huge, hungry animal.

My average fuel economy of 18.5L/100km (according to the trip computer) over nearly 500km of driving actually wasn't as high as I expected considering all the countryside I ran through combined with the urban warfare of heavy traffic. Still that’s much higher than the 13.1L/100km Land Rover says the Octa should do in combined driving conditions. 

Fortunately the Octa has a 90L fuel tank so you won’t have to fill up at every petrol station you see.

The downside of the Cadillac EV experience arrives here, with surprisingly slow charging speeds for a vehicle in this class. Remember, Australia's fastest DC chargers are rated to 400kW, and a vehicle like the BMW iX3 will accept it, taking you from 10 to 80 per cent charged in 21 minutes.

The Optiq, though, is rated to just 110kW, which feels a bit odd. The brand doesn't quote a 10 to 80 per cent time and instead says you'll accrue "up to 94 kilometres of range in 10 minutes".

Still, most people charge at home, and there the Optiq can be plugged into anything from a regular wall socket to a super-fast 22.1kW three-phase AC wallbox. 

The brand is promising a total 425km WLTP driving range with a fully charged battery.

The Defender Octa Black is big but it only takes a week of driving before it feels like an extension of your body and becomes an easy and obedient thing to pilot.

The acceleration is strong with 0-100km/h coming in four seconds but it's how it handles that's really impressive.

Smart so-called '6D suspension' uses adaptive tech to keep the vehicle level, damping its desire to pitch forward under braking and preventing body roll in the corners. I tested this on my remote winding, bumpy test road and was amazed by this big monster’s ability to keep itself composed and flat despite the sudden changes in direction.

There was no off-road test for the Octa Black this time but we've been impressed with the capability of Defenders in our tough terrain tests in the past. The Octa Black’s air suspension can rise high enough to offer a maximum 323mm of ground clearance. Angle of approach is 40.2 degrees and departure is 42.8 degrees, while the ramp over angle is 29 degrees. Wading depth is 1000mm.

And if you’re towing, braked towing capacity is 3500kg.

We tested the Octa Black for its handling of both engaging roads but also its handling of suburban duties where it proved easy to pilot, towering over the traffic but still able to slip up tight streets and in and out of car parks (check the maximum headroom and keep the suspension low), along with the school run each day.

Built for off roading means visibility is excellent, from being able to see clearly where the vehicle begins and ends to the huge windows that means there’s hardly a blind spot.

That made parking easy as long as there’s a space large enough and trust me, even if you take your time to park, nobody will honk at you in this military-grade looking rig.

All the while the air suspension kept the ride comfortable and serene.

First things first, this was a limited test of the Optiq, mostly stop-start Sydney traffic, so you’ll have to wait 'til we get the Caddy through the CarsGuide garage for a full and thorough test for a detailed driving review. But on first impressions, the signs are good for the Optiq.

The power delivery is rich and plentiful, and while it’s not aggressively fast, there’s more than enough punch from the line to get you up and moving in traffic.

It rides well, only feeling a bit brittle over properly rubbish road surfaces, and it offers a refreshing sense of connection to what’s going on beneath the tyres.

The steering can feel a little vague on-centre, however beyond that it feels direct but not darty, with a nice weight to the movement. 

The active noise cancellation and sound deadening appear to be doing their roles well, too. I drove past a roadworks site, and most of the drilling occurring outside was banished from entering the cabin. Impressive stuff.

Again, I want to spend more time with the Optiq before passing full judgement, but so far so good – it's my favourite of the Cadillac products to date.

The Cadillac Optiq wears a maximum five-star Euro NCAP safety rating, which will likely translate to an Australian ANCAP five-star score.

The standard inclusions list is long, and probably too laborious to go into in detail here, but things like seven airbags, autonomous emergency braking (forward and reverse), lane centering and pedestrian and cyclist detection are all present and accounted for. The Optiq also has rumblers in the driver’s seat pad, rather than an annoying chime or alarm, which is a far more peaceful way of delivering a safety message.

Land Rover covers the Octa Black with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty which is short compared to most mainstream brands but fairly common among the high-end makes.

Roadside assistance is included for five years, too.

A service plan is available with five years costing $4800. Again, quite common for prestige brands but expensive compared to the more mainstream makers.

The Cadillac Optiq is covered by the brand's five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, which lags the similarly sized and priced Hyundai Ioniq 9 and Kia EV9, but is on par with the Germans. There's also five years of roadside assistance, while the battery is co vered for eight years or 160,000km. 

Service intervals are 12,000km or 12 months, and the brand says it is still finalising service pricing, so that’s something to ask about before you commit.

Rather than conventional dealers, Cadillacs are typically sold online with hands-on inspection at 'Experience Centres' - currently one in Sydney and one Melbourne. Service and test drive sites are also in place in Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide, Perth and Hobart.