Hi, I'm John Davis and this is MotorWeek !

Climb aboard for an off-road rundown of the Land Rover Defender 110 OCTA... Next, it's a fuel of the future setting a speed record today... Join us for a preview of a shocking shakeup for the Mitsubishi Eclipse... Ending with a countdown of America's favorite subcompact Ute's... So, come drive with us, next!

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JOHN: If you're at all familiar with the Land Rover Defender, you're well aware of its legendary status in the global off-roading scene.

Well, this upfitted Defender OCTA is truly a diamond for the rough, with increased capability, more power and greater sophistication than any Defender yet.

Time to get dirty and dig into the details!

♪ ♪ GREG CARLOSS: Here at MotorWeek, we love performance of all kinds.

More and more, we've been seeing vehicles like this 2026 Land Rover Defender 110 OCTA built to be fast and rugged.

But, before we tap into all that performance, let's figure out what makes the OCTA an OCTA.

The OCTA gets its name from the octahedral shape of diamonds, which, as we all know, are highly desirable for their beauty.

Diamonds are also the toughest mineral on earth.

So, I guess you could say, this Defender has a lot to live up to.

Ride height is raised and the track has been widened, requiring fender flare extensions to cover the all-terrain tires.

This is the OCTA Black, which carries those tires on, get this, diamond-turned 20 inch satin finish wheels and has this unique Narvik Black paint job.

Inside, All OCTAS feature a sliding panoramic roof, Meridian sound system, and unique upholstery.

These upgraded performance seats are heated and cooled, and they include Land Rover's Body and Soul technology, which uses haptics to vibrate the seats to enhance your audio experience or provide a calming wellness experience, if that's what you're into.

But truth-be-told, we prefer the sensory experience from the 4.4 liter twin-turbo V8 under the hood.

ALEXANDER KELLUM: Oh, yeah, the OCTA is most definitely bringing the beef with this V8.

It cranks out 626 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque.

This twin-turbo 4.4 liter actually comes from BMW and works with a 48 volt mild-hybrid system to deliver over 100 more horsepower than the Defender's supercharged 5.0 liter V8, sending power through an 8-speed automatic to standard 4-wheel-drive, and exhaust gases through a raucous active system with quad exhaust tips.

But the real secret sauce is the new 6D Dynamics hydraulically-interlinked air suspension system.

All right, it's a little bit of a mouthful, but simply put, we feel like it gives the OCTA a wide range of versatility for both on- and off-road applications.

So, for example, I have it in the Auto Terrain response setting, which is basically the normal mode, balancing agility with comfort, leaning a little bit more into the latter.

But with one press of this button here, I enter dynamic mode.

Among many things, it's actually going to firm up the suspension, so you do lose a little bit of comfort, but what you gain is a noticeable amount of agility in the corners.

The gear shifts are also more aggressive, the steering is firmer and, my favorite part, you get a little bit more noise out of that V8.

Here in our neck of the woods, about the only place to get a sense of what the OCTA is capable of off-road is Pennsylvania's Rausch Creek Off Road Park.

Its 80 miles of trails among 3,000 acres offered plenty of opportunity to test out the new suspension which features strengthened and lengthened wishbones along with upgraded dampers.

The goal was to create the most capable Defender ever, with the ability to conquer the most extreme off-road obstacles and happily drive through 3.0 feet of water.

Pressing and holding this button here on the steering wheel unlocks OCTA Mode, which is the brand's first true high performance off-road drive mode, and it does more than just turn the paddle shifters red.

It primes the OCTA to operate in its peak off-road potential.

That includes a special off-road launch control, which I'm going to demo right now.

Oh, yeah.

Oh, yeah.

Alright, already running out of runway, but yeah, it works.

As for launching on pavement, the OCTA was hella good there too, ripping to 60 in just 3.8 seconds.

Even with all this weight, even with these tires, launch control makes getting traction a breeze.

The 8-speed automatic is quick draw in action; aggressive shifts, but it's just ready to rock and roll right into the next one.

It's an odd feeling, being this high off the ground and going this fast, and whether it was the off-road spec tires, or just the sheer amount of power they were tasked with handling, minor amounts of traction control seemed to be triggering the whole way down the track to keep us from wandering as we finished the quarter-mile in 12.3 seconds, travelling 111 miles per hour, though the OCTA itself felt like it was just getting going.

Hitting the brakes at 60 resulted in stops that averaged 120 feet.

The vehicle definitely pitches forward, and there was some fade after a few runs, but as the driver, you're mostly isolated from any noise or harshness that comes with stopping a vehicle this heavy in that short of a distance.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 15 city, 19 highway, and 17 combined; we averaged 17.4 miles per gallon of Premium.

Defender 110s have a starting price of $66,950, but the OCTA treatment requires a significant investment on top of that, starting at $160,750; tack on another $10,400 to step up to the OCTA Black.

But, precious jewels are more than just an accessory, they're an investment.

And anyone who chooses to invest in this 2026 Land Rover Defender 110 OCTA, will get rewarded with some serious driving fun both on and off road, as well as something exclusive to cherish for years to come.

♪ ♪ JOHN: While, hydrogen fuel is on a path to become widely available nationwide, hydrogen fans continue to explore all the potential of this clean burning alternative fuel, like setting the world land speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats.

Well, that's just what the JCB Hydromax did this summer, and our Stephanie Hart was there to witness the historic run first hand.

♪ ♪ STEPHANIE HART: A lot of excitement here at the start line at the Bonneville Salt Flats.

The JCB Hydromax looks incredible, and it's extremely powerful, producing 1,600 horsepower.

So, the goal here is to break the world land speed record set by Dieselmax 20 years ago.

In order to do that, the Hydromax must hit 351 miles per hour.

There's so much anticipation and excitement, you can taste it, and it tastes a little bit like salt, and that's why it's so special.

The Bonneville Salt Flats are iconic.

Located in northwestern Utah, this white plain is hard-packed with salt.

It used to be an enormous lake, but dried up thousands of years ago.

Ever since, it's been the perfect spot for land speed record attempts.

This is my first time at Bonneville Speedweek and I'm really excited to watch history in the making, as JCB Hydromax attempts to set world land speed records, including the one for hydrogen.

If anyone can do it, it's the fastest man on earth: British-born Andy Green, who's driving this 32 foot car that looks more like a rocket ship.

Green also drove Dieselmax to its victory in 2006.

He's the only person to break the sound barrier on land at 763 miles per hour in a jet powered car.

He's a huge celebrity around here and I couldn't wait to chat with him.

ANDY GREEN: We're up here at altitude, in the heat.

We built a race car in the space of a few weeks.

We are now in the harshest most demanding straight-line racing environment in the world.

STEPHANIE: But the JCB team is confident they can achieve the seemingly impossible.

Afterall, JCB has over 80 years of experience as a global innovator of construction heavy equipment.

Building on its pioneering spirit, they built Hydromax to show the world how hydrogen works at its fullest potential with zero emissions.

It's crazy to think that the engine that powers this JCB backhoe behind me is the same engine that powers the Hydromax.

However, it does have two engines in it and they have been tuned for motorsports racing on the salt flats.

LEE TICE: They're about 4.8-, 5.0 liter engines, uh, one forward, one aft.

Um, they are sideways in the car.

STEPHANIE: And lessons learned from their experience with Dieselmax helped them get where they are today.

LEE TICE: It took us a lot to get it to actually combust.

So, people talk about its... it's kind of-- "flammability of hydrogen" and all this.

Well, if you know what it took to make it combust inside a combustion chamber, it's really, uh, it's really safe.

ANDY: This is a technology you can use anywhere in the world whether or not you've got your own oil or gas.

There are a lot of places in the world that can't dig the black stuff out of the ground simply because they don't have any.

If you've got sunshine and you've got water, you can make the fuel for this car.

That's a good place to be.

STEPHANIE: This engineering marvel commanded big crowds as it made as many runs as it could daily, attempting to set records.

SpeedWeek has been taking place for more than 75 years, inspiring and encouraging all sorts of drivers, engineers, and car enthusiasts to make their dreams come true on the salt.

The energy is contagious.

As I discovered, there's so many unique cars and even better people.

You forget it's 102 degrees and sweat is running down your back.

You're abruptly reminded when your eyes start to burn from the sweltering sun, despite wearing sunglasses.

The environment is harsh, which only makes the racing challenge more thrilling.

ANDY: It's all about the classic Bonneville mantra of "go fast, stay safe, have fun."

STEPHANIE: Green is the personification of that mantra behind the wheel.

I was there when he hit over 368 miles per hour, not only beating the world land speed record he set in the Dieselmax 20 years ago, but also setting a new Southern California Timing Association's record.

JCB's motto is "never content."

So, why stop here?

A few days later, Hydromax did it again, setting an astonishing world land speed record of over 406 miles per hour.

Congratulations!

It's definitely cool to witness history in the making.

Setting a new land speed record gives JCB huge bragging rights.

It also demonstrates the role motorsports like this one is playing in the future of mobility.

LEE: We're not, uh, not coming out here saying, we'll all be racing hydrogen cars, uh, next year.

It's just another fuel, and we're proving that it can go fast and be reliable.

STEPHANIE: A powerful and emotional ending in every way, especially for Green, his wife, and the entire JCB team.

ANDY: I'm immensely proud to be part of this world-class racing team who have brought this-- the first of a new breed, hydrogen-powered internal-combustion engine.

STEPHANIE: The victory tastes sweet, and in this case, a little salty.

JOHN: No matter the fuel, we're always eager to get rolling for a new QuickSpin.

♪ ♪ GREG: The Mitsubishi Eclipse has certainly come a long way since starring in 2001's, "The Fast and the Furious."

Unless, you've inhaled too much NOS, most know by now the name was revived as a crossover some years ago.

And in another twist of "fate" for this "furious" import, it's back again as a subcompact battery-electric vehicle.

Leveraging their partnership with Nissan, Mitsubishi has based this new Eclipse Sportback EV on the latest Leaf.

A 75 kilowatt hour battery feeds a single front-mounted motor, rated at 214 horsepower and 261 pound-feet of torque.

We know this is a major departure for the Eclipse, but our drive time around Seattle focused our automotive telescope towards this cosmic shakeup... ...shades on, of course.

STEPHANIE: Its maximum EV range is 282 miles, acceleration is good, and it's fun to drive, especially on these mountain roads because they're so curvy and this vehicle is so lightweight.

GREG: Four drive modes cater to your desired experience; and an "e-pedal" mode ramps up the regenerative braking, though it's not quite a one-pedal driving system.

As for plug-in recharging, a built in NACS port allows up to 150 kilowatt fast charging; and there is also a J-1772 port for at-home level-2 charging or even level-1 charging through a standard wall outlet; the fastest NACS charge seeing 10 - 80 percent in about 35 minutes.

The bodywork shows its Leaf roots, but is thankfully stylized with just enough Mitsubishi flair.

Inside, a pair of 14.3 inch screens handle infotainment and instrumentation; overall vibes in the cabin are a mix of minimal, yet, cool and edgy.

While, the panoramic glass roof, able to frost over at the touch of the button, adds a little swagger.

Final pricing is yet to be confirmed, but we expect it to hover around the low-to-mid-thirties, with the first examples arriving by the end of the year.

We'll have more on the 2027 Mitsubishi Eclipse Sportback EV, and more QuickSpins, soon!

♪ ♪ JESSICA RAY: Used car values these days are through the roof and it might have you considering buying a vehicle with a rebuilt or salvage title.

But did you know, getting insurance for a vehicle with a branded title might not be so easy?

Some insurance companies might outright deny you coverage but most will require proof that the vehicle is in good working condition.

That typically includes taking photos of the vehicle and/or an official safety inspection.

Insurance companies may offer liability-only policies rather than full coverage with a branded title, and you could potentially see higher insurance premiums than if you had a clean title.

So, if you're looking to buy a car, whether branded title or not, it's a good rule of thumb to get insurance quotes beforehand, so you can decide whether the math works out.

JOHN: Let's head inside and catch up on this week's MotorNews!

♪ ♪ STEPHANIE: First up, big changes for a big truck: The Ford F-150 is being updated for 2027.

That includes a new standard engine, a 3.0 liter EcoBoost V6, replacing the previous 2.7 liter V6.

Additionally, a 5.0 liter V8 has returned to the King Ranch and Platinum trims.

Trucks equipped with Ford's BlueCruise hands-free system will now be capable of hands-free towing.

Along with minor style updates, Ford teased more affordable versions of the Tremor and Raptor off-road grades, featuring more streamlined, performance-focused equipment.

And lastly, a new Carhartt collaboration for the XLT Crew Cab adds special design elements inside and out, paired with off-road hardware.

It mirrors a similar special edition treatment given to this year's Super Duty.

There's no doubt off-road ruggedness is still in vogue, and Honda's latest Passport is a clear indication of that, and they're doubling down with some updates for 2027.

The Passport TrailSport will come with a reworked suspension system, along with upgraded hardware.

The TrailSport boasts over an inch of extra ground clearance, now over 9.5 inches total.

Approach, departure and breakover angles have also improved.

Certain features, like the TrailWatch camera system and heated steering wheel, have been made standard on all TrailSports.

Exterior changes are minor, the most obvious being this new "Smoke Blue Pearl" paint.

We expect to see the first updated TrailSports on dealer lots soon.

Also arriving for 2027 is the all-electric version of the Land Rover Range Rover.

Standard dual-motor all-wheel- drive is currently estimated at 550 horsepower.

A large 118 kilowatt hour battery is currently estimated at over 330 miles of range.

Land Rover made a point to highlight the Range Rover Electric's off-road capabilities, appearing just as capable as the internal-combustion model, including up to 35 inches of water fording.

Orders are open, starting around $140,000.

For more news, make sure to check out the MotorWeek website and follow us on social media.

And that's it for this week's MotorNews.

JOHN: While, 2026 U.S.

vehicle sales are trending slightly lower than last year, what hasn't slowed down is the market dominance by small crossovers.

They now account for about 30 percent of total vehicle sales here.

So, let's dive into the most affordable of the small, the subcompact SUV, and see who's making the most of this trend and why.

♪ ♪ The number-one selling subcompact SUV in the U.S.

currently is the Chevrolet Trax; and it's not even close, outselling the runner up by more than 10,000 units last quarter alone.

This little Ute may come with a tiny 137 horsepower 3-cylinder engine, but it shows up big when it comes to standard content and space inside.

A low starting price, $23,495, is no doubt another plus for Trax popularity, but LT trim is just one step up offering the best bang for your 24,995 bucks.

No all-wheel-drive is available in the Trax, but it does come with a 30 mpg combined rating.

Like all the top-five, it comes with a 3-years/36,000 miles bumper-to-bumper warranty with 5-years/60,000 miles for the powertrain, though Chevrolet will cover your first scheduled maintenance visit.

The second-best seller is a longtime favorite of ours, the Subaru Crosstrek.

This Impreza-based utility is more wagon than SUV, but that's fine by us.

Standard all-wheel-drive with legit off-road abilities, durable materials and rugged style are the attractors here.

Pricing starts at $26,995, but for the best value, go with Premium trim which includes roof rails, upgraded audio and 11.6 inch touchscreen infotainment for just a grand more.

The standard engine is a 180 horsepower 2.5 liter boxer-4.

A Hybrid version is also available; it not only improves the combined fuel economy rating from 29 to 36, but stretches time between fuel stops to almost 600 miles, though it comes with a significant price hike to $35,415.

Now, if people and cargo room flexibility are your priorities, the Honda HR-V, sitting in the third spot, is a smart choice.

It's 24.4 cubic-feet of cargo space is among class best, and there's a very spacious feel both up front and even in the rear seat.

A good amount of physical switchgear keeps things simple and straightforward to operate, yet, its starting price of $28,050 also includes 9.0 inch touchscreen infotainment and wireless phone charging.

Just one step up from there is Sport trim which comes with heated seats, blind spot warning and even remote start for $29,850.

All-wheel-drive is available with all trims, and all are powered by a 158 horsepower 1.5 liter 4-cylinder with a combined rating of 28 miles per gallon.

Number four on our list is the Chevrolet Trailblazer.

Yes, two bowties are in the top five as both are big sellers.

Compared to the Trax, the Trailblazer looks a lot sportier and comes with the option to upgrade to a more powerful 155 horsepower 1.3 liter engine; fuel Economy is as high as 31 combined.

Buyers also have the ability to add all-wheel-drive, though that pushes pricing closer to $30,000, up from the base of $25,095.

Some de-contenting has taken place to keep that entry price low, but the Trailblazer still comes with a standard 11 inch touchscreen, 8.0 inch digital instrument panel, and automatic headlights.

Stepping up to LT for just $1,200 more will get you roof rails, tinted rear windows, and keyless entry with remote start.

And finishing things off for our top five is the Toyota Corolla Cross.

It doesn't dominate its segment like the RAV4 one class up, but it has only been around since 2022 when it took over for the C-HR.

For $26,930 you get an 8.0 inch touchscreen, digital driver display, a lot of active safety features and one of the smoothest rides you'll find in this class.

But we'd splurge for top XLE trim here as it comes with bigger screens, ambient lighting, upgraded headlights and synthetic leather upholstery that looks and feels quite luxurious.

The standard engine is a naturally-aspirated 169 horsepower 2.0 liter I4, but, like the Crosstrek, there is a hybrid all-wheel- drive version too.

It bumps the combined fuel economy rating from 32 to 42, but also pushes the price up to $31,390.

That's the top of the charts for recent sales in the subcompact crossover segment.

We'll be back in a few weeks with another round of chart toppers, and a look at entry-level sedans.

Well, that's our show, I hope you enjoyed it.

Now, for more MotorWeek , including daily news updates, podcasts, and even complete episodes, cruise on over to PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

And I hope you'll join us next time for an adventure-minded Toyota EV, the bZ Woodland, and an old school-inspired rig, the INEOS Grenadier.

Until then, I'm John Davis.

We'll see you right here on MotorWeek !

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We test tires, then share our results.

We stock over a million tires.

We offer multiple installation options.

We do this because we believe tires matter.

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