Double win for LAND ROVER in the auto express new car honours 2007

Gaydon, Warwickshire,– Land Rover has won two prestigious awards in the Auto Express New Car Honours 2007, beating tough competition to win Best 4x4 Recreational and Best 4x4 Off Roader.

The all-new Land Rover Freelander 2 fought off competition from the new Honda CR-V and Hyundai Santa Fe in what is one of the most hotly contested sectors to win Best 4x4 Recreational, while the Discovery 3 beat the Mercedes M-class and BMW X5 to the accolade of Best 4x4 Off Roader.

Auto Express road test editor, Ollie Marriage, said: “The off-road king is back. The Freelander 2 has returned to the top of its class with a neatly designed and beautifully executed second-generation car.”

Land Rover’s managing director, Phil Popham, said: “We are absolutely delighted to win these awards from Auto Express for both the Freelander 2 and the Discovery 3, in a year where we will have a third successive sales record.”

“Achieving the Best 4x4 Off Roader award for the Discovery 3 - a car that continues to be an outstanding success, consistently beating new entrants from other manufacturers - is a testament to its class-leading diesel engine, its versatility and its all-round package.”

The Freelander 2 is on-sale at Land Rover dealerships throughout the UK, priced from £20,935, including the contribution to offset carbon dioxide emissions. It has already sold over 8,000 units in the UK since going on sale.

The biggest selling model in the UK is the TD4 manual with a combined fuel economy figure of 37.7mpg and CO2 emissions of 194g/km.

The Discovery 3 has sold over 34,000 units in the UK since launch in 2004, and continues to collect critical accolades the world over, with nearly 100 international awards to date.