Land Rover Discovery 3
Why it won...
The Discovery completes a clean sweep of off-road awards for Land Rover for the second year running – and helps to confirm the Solihull-based manufacturer’s status as the producer of the best 4x4s in the world.
A measure of its dominance is the fact that the car reigns in the Large SUV class, even though it’s set to make way for a revised model later this year. It’s not hard to see why it took our top award, because its versatile design fulfils many roles – from seven-seater MPV to off-tarmac workhorse.
And it’s the ease with which it accomplishes these jobs that really impresses. For example, its flexible cabin has more comfortable seating than all but the biggest people carriers. Of course, the Disco is designed to excel off-road, and that’s where a host of electronic gadgets comes into play. The clever Terrain Response system makes choosing the right set-up child’s play and the four-wheel drive, air-suspension and torquey diesel mean the model is virtually unstoppable in the rough.
It’s good on the road, too. Refinement is great for a 4x4 and ride comfort is a match for some executive saloons. What’s more, Land Rover’s premium status makes the Discovery a car you can take anywhere – so it is equally at home pulling up in a luxury hotel car park as it is hauling animal feed on a rutted farm track.
Commended
BMW X6
It couldn’t be more different to the Land Rover, but the BMW is massively impressive all the same. Although it offers only four seats to the Discovery’s seven, and isn’t designed to head over rough terrain, its performance on the tarmac is good enough to rival that of some ‘proper’ sports cars. Incredible body control and dynamic agility ensure the striking X6 is both a distinctive and capable SUV choice.
