What Deisel? Magazine has voted the Freelander 2 as the Best 4×4 at their 2008 Car Of The Year Awards.

The 2.2 litre engine drew favour with the judges, beating both the Nissan X-Trail and Land Rover’s own Discover 3. Ian Robertson, editor of the magazine, commented, “Not only does the Freelander 2 now take compact SUVs to a new level of competence in off-roading, it ups the ante to such an extent that most manufacturers will find it intimidating to share the same road space with it.”

Land Rover were happy to accept the award, “It’s outstanding news for the Freelander 2 to have received this recognition in such a competitive sector. It is testament not only to its refined diesel engine but also to its all round capability.”

The Land Rover Discovery 3 V8 HSE won the first place in the Moroccan Desert Storm Rally, and was driven by the Duckworth Dealership.

The rally was a 5-day event headed to the Sahara desert through the Rift and Atlas mountains. The Discovery’s sponsor was Texaco/Haveline, with 24 competitors taking part in the event. The director of Duckworth, Ben Duckworth, was the driver. He was supported by his sales executive, Howard Belt.

Good quality oil has been used in the vehicle and even though it was subjected to excessive heat and pressure during the rally, it hardly used any oil at all.

Land Rover, being in relationship with Chevron, uses their fluids and lubricants. The company also sells Havoline engine oil. In order to keep the car’s fuel system clean, the programme of Havoline Performance Plus is being used in Land Rover vehicles. The company also distributes Levanto AirCon Treatment.

The Range Rover Sport TDV8 has won 4×4 Australia Magazine’s prestigious 4WD of the Year Award for 2008. Land Rover dominated this year’s awards with 3 vehicles in the top 4 positions.

Land Rover has now won the 4WD of the Year award three out of the last four years, further cementing Land Rover’s reputation as the world’s leading manufacturer of 4WDs.

Dean Mellor, editor of 4×4 Australia Magazine, praised the Range Rover Sport for its breadth of capability and technology, “It’s the whole package this vehicle, it’s absolutely amazing both on road and off road. The technology in this vehicle is like nothing else…it drives like a car on the road but it’s still very economical”.

The big surprise was the Land Rover Defender, a highly specialised 4WD, finishing a close second. The Range Rover Vogue TDV8 completed Land Rover’s dominance in the awards with 4th place.

2007 really has been a busy and exciting year for the Land Rover brand, with record sales globally. The Range Rover Sport, and in particular the new TDV8 diesel engine, has been a major part of this success. (more…)

Land Rover again beat tough competition to win the Best Compact 4×4 and the Best Large 4×4 categories at the 2008 What Car? Car of the Year Awards ceremony in London.

The all-new Land Rover Freelander 2 TD4 2.2-litre GS fought off opposition in what is one of the most hotly contested sectors to win Best Compact 4×4, while the Discovery 3 TDV6 SE auto beat its rivals yet again to be named Best Large 4×4 for an impressive fourth year running. They were also both awarded ‘best buys’ in their respective price categories of over £20,000 for Freelander 2 and £30-40,000 for Discovery 3, as was the Range Rover TDV8 Vogue at over £40,000. (more…)

The Discovery beat competition from 36 other vehicles, scoring 819.4 out of 1000, leaving the Range Rover as overall runner up.

UK MD John Edwards was understandably pleased with the result in a competition which valued practicality and cost on the same level with off-roading performance and durability.

“We are immensely proud to have fared so well in this year’s awards, against ever-increasing competition in the 4×4 sector. The Discovery 3 is an out-and-out winner which proves that the British still make the best.”

Land Rover won top-three positions in 2006, and have swept the board in 2007.