Land Rover did very well at the 2011 What Car? Awards. It walked away with two special accolades. Firstly, the Land Rover Discovery 4 scooped the model’s seventh consecutive What Car? win when it was once more named 4x4 of the Year.
But the celebrations did not end there, as Land Rover’s newest and most anticipated model, the Range Rover Evoque, won its first major title with the Reader Award for the most exciting car of 2011.
The Discovery 4 was pitched against tough competition, but again emerged victorious with What Car? describing it as “an iconic car”. This is the latest in a long list of accolades for Land Rover’s most capable all round vehicle and brings the total medal haul to almost 150 awards since the Discovery 2 was launched in 2004.
“We’ve loved the Land Rover Discovery ever since we made it Car of the Year in 2005 and this is its seventh What Car? award – an amazing feat,” said What Car? editor-in-chief Steve Fowler. “Nothing can beat its 4x4 abilities combined with executive car quality and family friendly features — it’s a real iconic car.”
2011 sees the Discovery 4 benefit from a host of new features including a new version of the super-efficient 3.0 LR-TDV6 as the new entry level engine choice for Irish customers. The acclaimed parallel sequential turbocharged diesel engine replaces the 2.7 LR-TDV6 and matches the low C02 emissions and impressive fuel economy of its more powerful 3.0-litre stable mate.
Further new 2011 model year enhancements include improvements to Land Rover’s award winning terrain response system with the introduction of hill start assist and gradient acceleration control.
Range Rover Evoque — one for the future
The Reader Award for the most exciting car of 2011 is the first major award for Range Rover Evoque and is a sign of the momentum that is building around the ground breaking new Range Rover.
The Evoque goes on sale later this year and brings the acclaimed Land Rover LRX concept car into production reality, faithfully capturing the original design of the landmark cross coupe concept. It was the hands down winner of the coveted Reader Award.
The new Range Rover Evoque will be available in coupe and five-door body styles, with both versions offering bold design coupled with premium levels of craftsmanship, luxury, and performance. The Evoque is the lightest, most fuel efficient, Range Rover ever, delivering fuel economy of 58mpg and CO2 emissions sub 130g/km in a strong demonstration of the brand’s commitment to environmental sustainability.
The award was collected by Land Rover design director Gerry McGovern, whose father hails from Co Leitrim.
