Land Rover Discovery 4
Land Rover's Discovery 4 was last night named the 2009 Scottish Car of the Year at a glittering awards ceremony at The Fairmont, St Andrews.
The latest generation model triumphed over a host of new cars to win the coveted overall title for the first time in the luxury brand’s long and illustrious history.
Organised by the Association of Scottish Motoring Writers, the Disco had the judging panel in a real spin with its sheer class, refinement and technological brilliance.
The iconic off-roader won the SUV category by a large margin to be considered for the ultimate Car of the Year title, one of the most coveted awards within the British automotive industry.
In other categories the all-new Volkswagen Polo was the ASMW's top small car while the all-action Ford Focus RS was judged to be the best sporting choice.
BMW took top honours in the drop-top sector with their Z4 while its German rival, Audi, triumphed in the luxury segment with the new A4 Allroad.
The remarkable Jaguar XF took the plaudits in the diesel category with its awesome new 3.0-litre twin turbo powertain.
Mazda maintained its impressive record by winning the best family car sector while the Citroen C3 Picasso was also named as the ASMW'S best MPV.
For the first time there was a new sector to recognise the growing demand for eco-friendly vehicles. The award was shared by Honda for the affordable Insight hybrid and BMW for its EfficientDynamics technologies.
Ultimately though it was the Discovery 4's sheer breadth of all-round ability which pushed it ahead of the rest to take the overall honours.
Nearly 200 guests attended this year’s ceremony to witness Land Rover join some of the best known motoring marques who have previously won the prestigious Scottish Car of the Year title. These include Jaguar, Audi, Ford, Peugeot and Mazda.
Bill Caven, President of the Association of Scottish Motoring Writers, said: “As always there was a staggering wealth of new cars from which to choose this year. The standard has never been greater and the judges had a lot of tough decisions to make this time around.
“I think it reflects greatly on the motor industry that it has risen to the challenges being currently placed on them. The standard and build quality of the new breed of vehicles has never been better and the various motor manufacturers deserve enormous praise in achieving this despite difficult financial times.”
Bill added: “The Land Rover Discovery has always been a huge winner north of the border especially as our driving demands are different from anywhere else in the UK and the latest model has evolved into one of the best vehicles on the road today.
“The new diesel power-plant is not only cleaner and more fuel efficient but also beautifully flexible that you can’t fail to be impressed by it. In addition, the quality of the hugely versatile seven seat cabin greatly impressed the judges and helped tip the balance in favour of Land Rover.”
John Edwards, managing director for Land Rover UK added: "It's always fantastic to receive such recognition from the Industry, but to win the overall accolade of Scottish Car of the Year is a real privilege, especially when you consider the strength of the competition and the importance of the Scottish car market to our UK business. And the timing couldn't have been better - Discovery is 20 years old on November 16. It has certainly evolved over the years but it has always provided - and continues to provide - an unrivalled all-round package to customers.”
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