Land Rover dominates at 4x4 Magazine awards ceremony

• Land Rover dominates 4x4 Magazine’s 2014 awards
• Range Rover Sport is winner of the Premium category and overall 4x4 of the Year
• Range Rover Evoque winner of the Top Range SUV class, Defender “highly recommended” in the Hardcore category
• Results reaffirm Land Rover’s leadership in modern SUV design and engineering

Land Rover is the most successful manufacturer in 4x4 Magazine’s 2014 awards, securing two class wins and the ultimate 4x4 of the Year title.

The new Range Rover Sport saw off competition from 24 of the market’s finest all-wheel drive models to take both the Premium class and the overall 2014 honour, while the Range Rover Evoque proved its mettle by claiming honours in the Top Range SUV class. The Land Rover Defender was “highly recommended” in the Hardcore class and the new Range Rover was second only to its Range Rover Sport sibling in the Premium category.

Presenting the results in the winter issue of 4x4 Magazine, Editor Nigel Fryatt said: “The Range Rover Sport is a worthy winner of the prestigious 2014 4x4 of the Year award. Indeed it is such a significant vehicle that you wonder if it is the best product ever to come from the Land Rover stable, of any era.”

After putting the Range Rover Sport through its paces, the judges gave it an unmatched 90 per cent score, highlighting the 3.0-litre SDV6 engine, on-road handling, off-road prowess, towing ability, comfort and design as its stand-out features.

Their report hailed the model as the “revelation of the premium group, if not the whole test” and made special reference to the quality of the Terrain Response 2 system for tackling all kinds of off-road scenarios. Where on-road performance is concerned, they declared the Range Rover Sport is “a pure pleasure to drive” and referenced the contribution made by its independent air suspension on ride quality.

The Range Rover Evoque once again demonstrated that Land Rover’s advanced styling and premium quality are not at the expense of true all-terrain performance. Evoque was the class of the “Top Range” field in the awards test, netting an 88 per cent score from the judges. They appreciated its “boldly styled and superbly crafted interior” and the fact it has “the handling feel of a sport car half its size”. Design, on-road handling and off-road competence were singled out as the qualities defining its success.

Jaguar Land Rover UK Managing Director, Jeremy Hicks, said: “These awards are very much appreciated, not least because 4x4 Magazine subjects its awards contenders to such rigorous, expert scrutiny.

“The results help demonstrate that we are successfully pushing the boundaries of all-terrain vehicle engineering and design to address the changing requirements of today’s customers. We have a great heritage, but it is vital that we continue to build on that foundation with models like Evoque, Range Rover and Range Rover Sport that deliver in terms of style, premium quality and on-road handling as well as fundamental all-terrain capabilities.”