WHAT CAR AWARDS - Land Rover takes a triple at this years awards ceremony, and well deserved it is too.

• Big prize for Land Rover’s versatile and compact new SUV
• Third year in succession that Land Rover has taken What Car? Best Large SUV title
• ‘Best Buy’ commendations for Range Rover Vogue SE and Discovery Sport

Land Rover has claimed a hat-trick of accolades in the coveted What Car? Awards, with new Discovery Sport winning the Best Large SUV title in one of the most keenly contested divisions of the competition and the Range Rover Vogue SE proclaimed Best Buy in the Luxury class.

It is the third year running that Land Rover has driven off with the top SUV award from What Car? – Range Rover Sport was proclaimed Best Large SUV in 2014 and 2015. Citing the Discovery Sport’s “superb blend of body control, brilliant practicality and high quality”, What Car?’s judges also voted it Best Buy in the £25,000-£40,000 price band.

The Discovery Sport was enhanced last autumn by the fitment of Land Rover’s new 2.0-litre four-cylinder Ingenium diesel engine, designed to deliver class-leading torque and power outputs as well as excellent refinement and reduced CO₂ emissions and fuel consumption. Built at Land Rover’s new state-of-the-art £500m Engine Manufacturing Centre in the West Midlands, the EU6 compliant Ingenium engine is available in 150PS and 180PS variants, the former offering up to 57.7mpg and CO₂ emissions from 129g/km.

Being equipped with a range of class-leading driver assistance and safety features, such as a pedestrian airbag and Autonomous Emergency Braking, has helped earn the Discovery Sport a Five Star Euro NCAP rating. On the road prices start at £30,695 for the manual gearbox model with five-seat SE specification.

Accepting the award, Jeremy Hicks, Managing Director, Jaguar Land Rover UK, said: “This is the second major What Car? award for Discovery Sport following on from last year’s Safety Award, and with UK sales totalling 16,500 by the end of 2016, the combination of versatility and family practicality has won over new and existing customers alike.

“In addition, the introduction of the new Ingenium engine in September 2015 has lowered running and depreciation costs making the Discovery Sport the premium all-rounder of choice for not just retail but fleet and business customers too.”

Discovery Sport – Best Large SUV and Best Buy £25,000-£40,000

What Car?: said: “It fully deserves to win. Jaguar Land Rover’s new diesel engine, together with its standard seven seats, good space and impressive interior build quality, enabled it to see off all its rivals. Families will love the Discovery Sport’s superb blend of body control, brilliant practicality and high quality, and subsequently, it is extremely good value.

“The 2.0 TD4 is a far more refined unit than the previous 2.2, and it’s also cheaper to run because it emits less CO₂ and uses less fuel. The Discovery Sport remains good to drive, too, with nicely weighted steering and a comfortable ride. At high speed its decent suppression of wind and tyre noise complements the hushed engine. Its talents include space and practicality, too, because this model comes with seven seats as standard, which will be good news for those with large families and small children.”

Range Rover Vogue SE – Best Buy £70,000-£100,000

What Car? fell for the comfort, luxury and performance of the Range Rover Vogue SE, which in 3.0-litre TDV6 specification retails from £74,950. “It is widely accepted as one of the best top-end cars out there, and it’s easy to see why,” said the judges. “The high-set driving position gives outstanding visibility, while the blend of comfortable ride and poised handling, matched to top-end off-road ability, makes the Range Rover perfect for many buyers. It’s a strikingly desirable car, and it balances a rewarding and refined on-road experience with better practicality than any saloon alternative.

“The entry-level diesel-powered model is one of the most enjoyable in the range to drive. It still feels fast, power delivery is smooth and predictable, and the eight-speed automatic gearbox does what you want it to when you want it to, leaving you to enjoy the beautifully appointed interior and punchy sound system. This really is about as versatile as a luxury car gets.”