4×4 Australia Magazine has honored a Land Rover model – the Range Rover Sport TDV8 – with the prestigious 4WD of the Year Award for 2008. The Range Rover Sport TDV8 model actually isn’t the only Land Rover model to receive recognition as three other models of the automaker took the top 4 positions.

This actually the third time out of four years of Land Rover to win the prestigious 4WD of the Year award. This just proves that Land Rover is definitely the world’s leading manufacturer of four-wheel drive vehicles.

It was during the Today Show that Dean Mellor, the editor of 4×4 Australia Magazine, announced the award for Range Rover Sport. He also praised the model for its capability and technology saying, “It’s the whole package this vehicle, it’s absolutely amazing both on road and off road. “The technology is this vehicle is like nothing else…it drives like a car on the road but it’s still very economical.”

Surprisingly, the Land Rover Defender also made it to the top 4 as it finished a close second. This model is actually a specialized four-wheel drive so its recognition came as a surprise. The other Land Rover model which won an award is the Range Rover Vogue TDV8. This model landed the top 4^th spot, completing the top 4 positions dominated by the renowned 4WD automaker.

“Not only are we delighted to win this prestigious award, but to finish first, second and fourth is a true testament to Land Rover’s committed to building the best 4WDs in world. For 60 years now Land Rover has set the benchmark for all other manufacturers to follow, “ said Jon Harris, the Marketing and Public Affairs Manager for Land Rover Australia.

He added, “2007 really has been a busy and exciting year for the Land Rover brand, with record sales globally. The Range Rover Sport, and in particular the new TDV8 diesel engine, has been a major part of this remarkable success.”

The Range Rover Sport was introduced only three years ago, in 2005, and since then, it brought nothing but success and praises for the automaker behind its incredible road performance. In fact, in 2007, it was the highest selling Land Rover model in the world, thus, beating the Discovery 3, also one fo the most awarded 4WD of Land Rover.

Its secret? It merges invigorating dynamic ability with excellent comfort and refinement. This combination makes the Range Rover Sport cover long journeys quickly and provide comfortable journey for the passengers. It also is able to provide great handling and thrilling performance. No doubt it has been warmly welcomed and well-treated with great sales.

Off-road vehicle maker Land Rover promises to provide great overall vehicle performance on rough terrains and so designs its vehicles for off-road applications. Its Freelander 2 model is one of its models it is proud to offer off-road enthusiasts. But what’s surprising about this Land Rover off-roader is that it’s not just great on off0road terrains, it performs well on on-road surfaces as well. Sure, it does appear to have rugged features but it also has smooth curves that make it adaptive to both on-road and off-road surfaces.

Those who had it test-driven on on-road surfaces were amazed as the Land Rover Freelander 2 proved to be more satisfying to drive than the typical sports utility vehicle. Its height doesn’t appear to be an obstruction against smooth driving as it doesn’t roll and if anything, it even bends surefootedy. And because the Freelander 2 has large areas of glass, drivers can enjoy the fantastic views outside. The Freelander 2 also has agility which will make drivers want to step on the gas a little for more speed. But thanks to the model’s firm suspension system, passengers don’t have to worry about a bumpy ride, even on rough terrains.

Once inside, one will get the feeling that it’s not made and designed entirely for the use of those who love the off-road experience. Its interior is luxuriously roomy and well-equipped, something one wouldn’t expect of an off-roader to be.

Price, of course, for the Freelander 2 differs according to the engine installed under its bonnet. The 2.2 TD4 S Freelander 2 costs about £20,960, and the 3.2-liter i6 HSE costs about £34,095. There’s also the 2.2-liter diesel engine option which is mated to a six-speed manual transmission, although its price has not been disclosed. This engine produces 158bhp and 295lb-ft of torque, covers 37.7 miles per gallon, and reaches 0-62 miles per hour in 11.7 seconds. But if the engine installed is the 3.2-liter petrol, one can enjoy 230bhp. Also, this engine is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission which has a ‘CommandShift’ which allows the driver to do manual sequential gearchanges when necessary.

We have always considered Land Rover vehicles as tough off-roaders the moment they’ve demonstrated their capabilities off-road terrains and surfaces. Land Rover vehicles are indeed one of the best, no doubt about that. And just last, all remaining doubts of the capability of Land Rover vehicles were erased as one of its off-roaders, the Land Rover Discovery 3, was honored as the best 4×4 on the planet.

Planet 4×4 magazine saw what the Land Rover Discovery 3 is capable of and so rightly awarded it with the award it so deserves, The Best 4×4 of 2007.

One can truly say that Discovery 3 earned this award. On tests to check out practicality, packaging, all-around dynamics, and off road ability, the Discover 3 proved to be unbeatable and so emerged as the best 4×4 on the planet among 36 other vehicles. It earned the highest score of 819.4 out of 1000 points.

That’s not just the Land Rover model which won an award. The Land Rover Range Rover was voted as well and became the overall runner up as it was just 4.1 percent behind the Discovery 3. Land Rover models Freelander 2 and Rage Rover Sport also had class wins.

Editor of Planet 4×4 magazine, Alan Kidd, said, “With the top three overall places in 2006 and a clean sweep of class awards this year, Land Rover is getting it right at just about every level. One tester after another was wowed by the Range Rover’s class, the Sport’s style and the Discovery’s practicality.”

He added, “But what I think Land Rover can be particularly proud of is that this result comes in a competition where scores for off-roading meant almost nothing – and value for money counted towards almost a quarter of the total mark. It would be easy to write this off as a series of victories for the most expensive machines… but in reality, it shows that with Land Rover, you really do get what you pay for.”

John Edwards, the Managing Director for Land Rover UK, added, “We are immensely proud to have fared so well in this year’s awards, against ever-increasing competition in the 4×4 sector. The Discovery 3 is an out-and-out winner which proves that the British still make the best.”

One can have the Discovery 3 at cost starting from £27,315 on the road. A 45,000-mile carbon dioxide offsetting program is even included in the cost.

Car enthusiasts need not wait long – the Land Rover LRX concept will soon be unveiled this January at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show. This Land Rover concept vehicle has a somewhat futuristic design but with its body structure remaining to be that of sports utility vehicle Land Rover is known to be a popular manufacturer of. The bold design of the Land Rover LRX seems to indicate that the sports utility vehicle manufacturer is targeting new areas of the auto market.

The year 2008 is actually the automaker’s 60^th year anniversary and it seems that it is celebrating it by introducing its LRX concept vehicle to the automotive world. The Land Rover LRX concept is a three-door vehicle. But unlike the traditional sports utility vehicles from Land Rover, this one has a more compact size, has a lighter weight, and sustainability focused technologies. With these being the main characteristics of the Land Rover LRX concept vehicle, it just means that the automaker is expressing its desire to start addressing the needs of a world geared towards change.

If one would describe how the Land Rover LRX concept car looks like, one will likely say that it is a cross-coupe and that it is really quite different than the conventional luxurious sports utility vehicles form land Rover. It is smaller than the Land Rover LR2 and therefore it is thought of as a premium car. Being a premium car, the LRX targets new customers in the executive and luxury sectors. The customers in these two sectors go for vehicles that are equipped with all the goodies of SUVs but are packaged in a more compact type of vehicle.

Land Rover’s new design director is Gerry McGovern and the LRX model is the first project vehicle that came out under his leadership. The LRX actually came out as the natural extension of the range of Land Rover vehicles but still defining a new segment in the automotive industry. The design features of the LRX which are the same with other Land Rover vehicles include the bold new interpretations of the signature clamshell hood, the wheel-at-each-corner posture, and its floating roof.

The low weight of the LRX is really one of its great assets as because of this there is an increase in the fuel efficiency and a decrease in carbon dioxide emissions.