Land Rover picks up two awards from Auto Express; Freelander wins Best Compact SUV, Discovery wins Best Premium SUV

The Freelander 2 was up against the VW Tiguan, Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 and Ford Kuga in the highly regarded, and probably most important for sales, Best Compact SUV class. The Discovery 3 trounced the BMW X5, Audi Q7 and Mercedes M-Class for Best Premium SUV.

Auto Express road test editor, Chris Thorp, said: “Here is the proof that when it comes to building compact sports utility vehicles, Land Rover cannot be matched. Not only is the Freelander 2 as capable on the road as it is off it, the upmarket 4×4 is as refined as some of the best limousines. Generously equipped and tastefully appointed, the car offers an unrivalled blend of versatility and drivability.”

Land Rover is putting direct and digital marketing at the heart of a campaign to promote the Range Rover Sport.

The work, created by Wunderman, focuses on the exhilaration of driving a sports vehicle and ties up with an ongoing TV campaign for the range, in which the brand compares the anticipation felt before a thrilling experience to that experienced before taking the wheel of the Range Rover Sport.

Using both direct and digital media, the campaign seeks to target male drivers with significant disposable income. The direct element involves the use of heat-sensitive paper to demonstrate the effect of the Range Rover Sport on the ‘red-blooded’ recipient.

Land Rover celebrates six decades of SUVs.

The first Land Rover was not simply inspired by a Jeep, it was a Jeep, underneath.

This was in 1947, and there were plenty of old Army Jeeps in England. At that time, Maurice Wilks, whose day job was engineering director of Rover, had a farm in Wales. On his farm he had a Jeep (e-i-e-i-o). But his Jeep eventually wore out to the point that he needed a replacement. He was surprised to find there was no replacement other than another surplus Army Jeep. Being a Rover man, he felt there should be something made right there in good old Britain.

Land Rover is currently testing diesel-electric hybrids known as ERAD (Electric Rear Axle Drive). These prototypes based on the Freelander use technology as previewed in the LRX concept car, also on show at the British Motor Show this week.

The ERAD system can cut fuel consumption by up to 30% in real-life driving environments, without compromising off-road four-wheel-drive abilities.

It allows for operation in both fully-electric and diesel-powered modes, or a combination of both. The rear-axle drive can also divert electric power to the front wheels via a propshaft; a Haldex unit connects and de-couples the rear axle.