Gaydon, Warwickshire, 15 January 2010 – The Land Rover Discovery 4, the new generation of the celebrated model, has been crowned 'Best 4x4' at the prestigious What Car? Awards 2010.
Against tough competition, including the Mercedes ML, BMW X5, and the Lexus RX450h, the Solihull-built Discovery 4 emerged victorious with What Car? citing that the Land Rover Discovery’s ‘brilliance remains undimmed’.
With a refined and highly efficient new LR-TDV6 3.0 twin-turbo diesel engine, the Discovery 4 XS is priced from £41,395 on the road and has a class-leading 600Nm of torque and a combined fuel economy of 30.4mpg.
Steve Fowler, editor of What Car? said: "Thanks to a recent comprehensive update, the Discovery is shining brighter than ever…..It is its ability to excel at so many different roles that makes it so appealing. As well as offering executive car comfort and MPV practicality, it's still a real go-anywhere off-roader…. When you consider that the Discovery is so many great cars in one, it’s a bargain."
Phil Popham, managing director, Land Rover added: "We are enormously proud to be taking home this accolade for the Discovery 4. The outgoing Discovery 3 won well over 100 awards globally, including the coveted What Car? Car of the Year in 2005. We've found ways, however, to improve almost every aspect of the Discovery 4, resulting in a new supremely capable and premium vehicle."
The Range Rover TDV8 Vogue also received recognition as the ‘Best Buy between £60,000- £100,000’. Steve Fowler commented: “The Range Rover is perfectly at home in terrain that would make a tank commander think twice, but it’s also a genuine alternative to luxury saloons, both in the way it drives and the quality it exudes.”
This award and others in 2009 means that Land Rover moves into the New Year poised for continued success. From the dependable Defender, to the desirable Range Rover, Land Rover has driven through the difficult market conditions of 2009 to achieve 12 months filled with global awards.
The introduction of an updated model line up, featuring numerous new technologies and combined with cleaner yet more powerful engine options, has provided a cross-continental boost for Britain's world-renowned 4x4 brand.
The Discovery 4 continues to lead the field. As well as the What Car? best 4x4 award for 2010, it has scooped a variety of prestigious accolades within a few months of going on sale. These include, in the UK, two awards from the Caravan Club, 4x4 Magazine's Car of the Year and the Scottish Car of the Year. Further afield international recognition has been achieved from Spain's Car and Driver – Best 4x4, Autocar China – Best Annual SUV as well as Bloomberg's USA – All-Round SUV of the Year.
Meanwhile Defender's perennial appeal was proven when it won the What Car? 2009 Reader Award as top choice from more than 250 vehicles and significantly, the Range Rover has just been voted the Car of the Decade by http://www.autocar.co.uk readers. The Range Rover Sport won Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport Readers’ award for the Most Beautiful Car, as did the Range Rover in Car & Driver China. The Freelander 2 did not go without – winning Best Compact SUV from Auto Express and an environmental award from Germany’s Off Road magazine for the new intelligent stop/start technology introduced as standard to the Freelander manual line-up early in 2009.
“Land Rover's position as a global brand has never been stronger. Our products lead many of the segments in which they are represented, and to win so many awards in not just the UK but as far afield as – Australia, South Africa, China, Iceland, Russia and the USA – is testament to the talents of every vehicle in our range,” continued Phil Popham. “And it is these talents that have proved themselves invaluable in the winter snow chaos faced in the UK and across the globe over the last few weeks.”
With all the 2010 model year vehicles now in showrooms, and many more exciting developments planned for the future, the year ahead promises to be an equally exciting time for Land Rover, its customers and its dealer network.
To arrange a test drive or to locate your nearest dealer log onto http://www.landrover.co.uk
