Land Rover Defender vs Holden Captiva

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.

The Captiva is very, very long in the tooth and is heading towards retirement some time in the next twelve months. Before then, it's a lot of car for the money, particularly the seven seat LS. It's not fast, flash or futuristic but it will do the job and with all of the early problems sorted, will probably do it for quite some time.

The Captiva's low scores are mostly to do with the car just being old and feeling it, with dodgier plastics, slightly undercooked ride and handling and a lack of engine and safety tech. It doesn't mean it's a terrible car, because it isn't and Holden papers up the cracks with a low starting price and good after-sales.

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. 

Formerly known as the Captiva 7, the seven seat body has remained mostly the same for its 11 years on sale. The only real changes have been around the front end, with Holden several times fiddling with the grille, lights and bumpers. There's nothing flash about the Captiva, but you know exactly what it is coming at you, with the double grille and big Holden badge.

In profile there's a lot of the original BMW X5 if you squint, right down to the copyright lawyer-dodging shape of the rear quarter window. It also has that X5's big gaps between wheelarch and tyres and a good view of the wheelarch itself. If that's your thing.

Little has changed at the back apart from bumpers and the LED effect lights added in the last update in 2014. It's unlikely you're buying the Captiva as auto haute couture, though.

Inside is basic, and you can place the Captiva's genesis in the mid-2000s, there's a certain generic GM feel to it. The switchgear feels old and clacky, the plastics are hard but do fit well enough. An Audi interior it isn't. The update in 2014 to make the 7.0-inch screen fit in the dashboard is fairly obvious and it's a shame the whole dash couldn't have been replaced. The huge steering wheel surrounds a tightly packed instrument cluster with small dials and a very old-looking LCD panel for trip computer duties.

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 Captiva's interior dimensions are impressive. In seven seat versions, the boot space starts at 87 litres, expanding to a handy 465 litres with the 50/50 split fold rear row stowed. Flop the middle row forward and you're up at 930 litres, a good size cargo area that could swallow a flat-pack wardrobe. If you snaffle a five-seat version, you can remove the boot floor panels to reveal another couple of hundred litres of hidey holes.

There are cup holders up front (two), in the middle row (two) and in the boot (one, strangely) for a total of five. In the seven seater, two will go thirsty.

The Captiva's value is heavily dependent on the model you choose. Standard features across the range (starting with the LS) include a 7.0-inch touchscreen running MyLink, a six-speaker stereo with AM/FM radio, Bluetooth, cruise control, rear parking sensors, reversing camera, auto headlights, leather steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, three 12 volt power outlets, keyless entry and start and a tyre inflation kit in place of an (optional) spare tyre.

No Captiva comes standard with sat nav as they all feature Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, which both use your phone's GPS apps.

There are four models, three 'standard' specifications - LS, LT, and the top of the range LTZ, with a fourth version in the form of the five seat only Active 'special' edition, that isn't. 

Pricing starts at $26,490 for the 2.4-litre LS (with five seats and five-speed manual gearbox), $28,690 for the auto, and the diesel comes in at $31,690. Seven-seat LS pricing ranges from $30,490 for the petrol and $33,490 for the diesel, both six-speed automatics. 

The Active enters the price list at $31,990 drive away. Based on the five-seat petrol LS (to be discontinued in May 2017), the auto-only Active adds 18-inch alloys, textile leather seats and a cargo cover. There's also a similarly specified seven seat version at $33,490.

On to the LT, and the price rises to $37,490 for the petrol and $38,490 for the diesel, both of them seven seaters. Part of the big jump for the LT is explained by the petrol engine switching to Holden's 190kW 3.0-litre V6 and the addition of all-wheel drive (AWD). The LT picks up a sunroof, bigger alloys, side steps, cloth trim with "Sportec" bolsters on the front seats and powered heated mirrors.

The LTZ's pricing is a mixed bag. Ordinarily, the V6-powered version would attract an rrp (carmakers insist we call it MLP, manufacturer's list price) of $40,490, with the diesel adding a thousand dollars to weigh in at $41,490. However, Holden is running a long promotion offering the LTZ V6 at $35,990 drive away with three years of free servicing.

The LTZ has 19-inch wheels, leather-look trim, electric driver's seat and front parking sensors.

You can choose one of seven colours - black, white, red, silver, blue, brown and grey and all but white will cost you $550. Orange is no longer on the menu, no matter how much you want it to be 2007 again.

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.

If you like a choice of engine size, you've come to the right place. The Captiva has three engine specs in the range - two petrols and a diesel.

The smaller petrol, a 2.4-litre four-cylinder, produces 123kW at 5600rpm and 230Nm at 4600rpm. Driving the front wheels, this motor is available with choice of gearbox, either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic. This 2.4 is only available on the LS and Active.

The 24-valve 3.0 SIDI V6 is available on LT and LTZ and produces 190kW at 6900rpm and 288Nm at 5800rpm.

The single diesel is a 2.2-litre iron block with common rail direct-injection and makes 135kW at 3800rpm and a stout 400Nm within a very usable range of 1750-2750rpm. You can have the oil burner in all three trim levels, driving the front wheels in the LS and four-wheel drive in the LT and LTZ.

Both the V6 and diesel are available only with the six-speed automatic transmission. 

Unlike earlier Captiva models, none of these engines feature a timing belt. Those early engines suffered from issues related to the fabric belt while problems with the later timing chain driven engines are less common. Reliability of the V6 is well-proven in the Commodore while later four cylinders also perform well.

Zero to 100km/h performance varies between the engines. The 2.4 will reach 100km/h in around 10.5 seconds while the V6 is rather quicker at 8.6. The diesel falls right in the middle at 9.6 seconds.

We've not yet carried out a towing review, but according to Holden, towing capacity is rated at 750kg for unbraked trailers and 2000kg braked.

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.

If you're after good fuel economy, the Captiva probably isn't the car for you. 

The 2.4-litre petrol is quoted at 9.7L/100km on the combined cycle but, as we recently discovered, is more likely to return closer to 12.5L/100km.

Diesel fuel consumption on the official combined cycle is listed at 8.5L/100km but our most recent test yielded a slightly startling figure of 12.9L/100km. The diesel's performance, particularly in the gears, is better than either petrol but it appears you'll pay for it.

The big banger V6's official fuel consumption figure is listed at 10.7L/100km, but past CarsGuide reviews suggest 14.0L/100km is a more likely real world figure. As far as fuel economy goes, diesel vs petrol usually falls to the diesel, but not in this case.

Fuel tank capacity is identical across the range at 65 litres.

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.

You sit on the Captiva rather than in it, a feeling encouraged by the flat, shapeless seats. It doesn't matter which Captiva you choose, the front seats are not exactly huggy but they'll certainly take people of all shapes and sizes. 

You twist a funny knob where the key barrel used to be to start the engine. The view out front and out the sides is commanding as there is a fair bit of glass all around, with just the view out the rear window restricted as it's quite small. If you've got passengers, forget it, but the reversing camera will save the day there.

The ride is, for the most part, reasonable, but will deteriorate along with the road surface. The suspension isn't very quiet and the overall firm feeling delivers passable handling, which you'd expect from a big heavy machine like this. It doesn't have anything like the finesse of much younger metal from Hyundai, Kia and Mazda.

The diesel specs suggest strong performance and that's exactly what you get. It's by far the torquiest of the three engines and shifts the Captiva's two tonnes with reasonable verve. It's a noisy, grumbly unit but works well with the six-speed auto.

The engine specs of the two petrols don't really tell the story. While the V6 is quicker in a straight line, its extra weight knocks the shine off the torque increase and the engine itself isn't a shining example of modern engine tech. Actually, neither of them are, missing out on stop-start and other goodies.

This isn't an off-road review, but moderately ambitious mud-plugging is doable in the AWD models, with a ground clearance of 200mm but no low range or off-road mode. We even checked the manual to make doubly sure there wasn't a diff lock button hidden somewhere.

As ever, the idea here is that when you're buying a Captiva you're buying a lot of space and a cheap ownership experience.

The Captiva carries six airbags, ABS, traction and stability controls, hill descent control, brake force distribution, active rollover protection, brake assist and three ISOFIX points, in addition to the reversing camera and rear parking sensors. 

The Captiva's maximum five star ANCAP safety rating was awarded in November 2011.

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.

As with all new Holdens, the Captiva owner benefits from a three year/100,00km warranty and lifetime capped price servicing. All prices are available on Holden's website.

Service costs for the diesel are significantly higher than the either of petrols, but do include oil changes.

The standard package also includes a year of roadside assist.

For common faults and complaints, check out our Holden Captiva problems page, which covers known automatic transmission problems, engine problems and diesel problems. There aren't any widespread diesel engine problems with the later version.

Resale value is often a consideration and we've looked at the last major update, released in 2014. 

A seven seat Series II LS from 2014 - the second major update for the Captiva after the 2011 update addressed lingering problems - cost $30,490 when new and will trade at around $13000-$15000, below fifty per cent of the purchase price, with private sales a little higher. 

An LTZ diesel from the same period sold for $41,490 and trades in the 45 to 50 per cent of purchase price and a little over 50 per cent in private sales.