Range Rover Named Top Gear Magazine's Luxury Car of the Year

WHITLEY, England, December 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Land Rover's all-new, fourth generation Range Rover has received its first major award, being declared the Luxury Car of the Year by Top Gear magazine.

Announcing the honour in the new issue of Top Gear, Editor-in-Chief Charlie Turner hailed the Range Rover as the "stand-out machine in its category… the best of the best."

He said: "Rather than playing safe and developing, the new Range Rover is an example of boundaries redefined, manufacturing technologies pushed, luxury taken to the next level.

"From the daily slog to work to a cocooned blast across Europe, the Range Rover really can cope with anything. The ultimate car."

The award, judged by Top Gear's motoring journalists and the presenters of the Top Gear TV programme, provides an early and independent seal of approval for Land Rover's commitment to creating a vehicle that delivers excellence in its driving and handling performance and superb quality and comfort.

Presenting the new flagship model at the Paris Motor Show in September, John Edwards, Land Rover Global Brand Director, said: "We set out to create not just the world's finest luxury SUV but the world's finest luxury vehicle."

The elements that make the new Range Rover such a strong proposition in the luxury car market extend from its clean and contemporary exterior design to its modern, pure and well-thought-out interior.

Premium features that deliver a peerless luxury experience for everyone on board include high-end Meridian sound systems; a best-in-class four-zone climate control system; redesigned seating with a multi-mode massage function and the option of an executive arrangement for the rear seats; seamless connectivity for linking and using mobile devices; and the use of LED technology to create sophisticated ambient lighting.

Advanced chassis and driver assistance technologies have also been deployed to take performance and safety to a higher level. These include two-channel Dynamic Response active lean control, and Adaptive Dynamics with continuously variable damping and Electric Power Assisted Steering, with a Park Assist function to help drivers negotiate tight parking spots. The Adaptive Cruise Control has gained a new Queue Assist feature that allows it to operate at slow speeds down to a standstill.

Further safety elements include Intelligent Emergency Braking with Advanced Brake Assist; Blind Spot Monitoring with a new Closing Vehicle Sensing feature; and Reverse Traffic Detection, that warns of potential collisions when making reversing manoeuvres. The driver can also gain a 360-degree view around the vehicle with the Surround Camera System, including a T-junction view that improves sightlines when making turns. The all-new Range Rover was recently awarded the top Euro NCAP safety rating of 5 stars.

Editors Note:

• Since 1948 Land Rover has been manufacturing authentic 4x4s that represent true 'breadth of capability' across the model range. Defender, Freelander, Discovery, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover and Range Rover Evoque each define the world's 4x4 sectors, with 78% of this model range exported to over 140 countries.
• Land Rover is committed to addressing the challenges of climate change and since September 2006 carbon dioxide generated by Land Rover manufacturing activities and UK customer vehicle use has been balanced through an industry leading offset programme run by Climate Care.