“Mate, I never hit nuthin’.”

Yeah, right. Hot oil is gushing on the red earth. There’s a sizeable hole in the sump. Down the track, a boulder bears a glistening smudge of black. Case proven and closed, I’d say.

Five Land Rover Defenders started this two-day hike through Wolemi, the largest wilderness area in New South Wales. Now, just a couple of slow-paced hours in, we’re down to four drivable cars. And one chastened Aussie journo who’ll be a passenger for the remainder of the day.

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.

Land Rover has unveiled a compact 4×4 concept called the LRX, which showcases a bolder new look for Land Rover design. Land Rover says the three-door LRX offers the benefits of a 4×4 in a smaller, more agile package. Gerry McGovern, Land Rover’s design director, said “LRX is a design born out of passion for the brand, but it is different, relevant, engaging and exciting - because Land Rover has never built ordinary cars…it’s a Land Rover that would be comfortable on Bond Street or Fifth Avenue, but wouldn’t flinch at getting its wheels dirty.”

No one doubts Land Rover when it comes to building off-roaders but how does the Freelander feel on public roads?

A tank? A tortoise? Or a sophisticated compact premium 4×4? Land Rover is the undisputed king of rough terrain and the Freelander 2 is no exception; so we decided to forego the swamp and take a tour on hilly B-roads to discover whether it could also be an everyday, on-road car. It certainly looks the part. It might have chiselled features and the short overhangs of a purpose-built off-road tough guy, but the distinctive clamshell bonnet is softened by smoother, curvier more car-like lines. Not exactly Kensington but not Rambo, either.

Sales for this product have remained strong year after year and to date 1.9 million vehicles have been produced and sold in 130 countries worldwide. North Africa continues to be major contributor to this success, where the product is seen as symbol of extraordinary strength, robust spirit and exceptional capability.

Adding to this product’s functional appeal, Land Rover has recently introduced the new 2007 model that comes equipped with a series of evolutionary upgrades reinforcing this model’s unique positioning and increased desirability.

Land Rover celebrated the recent arrival of this new model upgrade in the North African markets by inviting its valued dealers and customers to an exciting launch event. Participating markets included Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and Morocco.