News of even more success for the Range Rover Evoque as it is declared Car of the Year in the Auto Express New Car Awards. The Evoque also picked up the accolade  of Best Compact SUV. However, it wasn’t the only model from Land Rover to gain recognition from Britain’s biggest-selling motoring magazine –  the Land Rover Discovery 4 also picked up the award for Best Large SUV for the second successive year.

Auto Express Acting Editor, Graham Hope, heaped praise on the Evoque’s ‘mould breaking’ looks, driving dynamics and keen pricing: “The Evoque puts the hugely desirable Range Rover brand within the reach of compact executive car buyers for the very first time. The fact it looks and drives the way it does serves only to underline its premium appeal.”

“The winner of the Auto Express Car of the Year prize really needs to break the mould – and the Range Rover Evoque does exactly that,” he said. “You have only to look at its concept car styling to see why the British firm already has a bulging order book for the new baby of its range. Its appeal goes far beyond its distinctive styling.”

The Range Rover Evoque is not only the lightest and most fuel efficient Land Rover ever to be produced but it also offers more personalisation choices than any other Land Rover. And it is proving to be one of the most exciting cars of 2011, with this award building on the success of last years’ accolade of ‘Best Production Car’ in the prestigious 2010 Car Design News, Car Design of the Year awards.

The first production Evoque was driven off the line at Land Rover’s Halewood manufacturing plant in Liverpool only last month and Land Rover UK Managing Director Colin Green welcomed the timely recognition: “To receive an accolade such as this so soon, and from such a respected journal as Auto Express, is a huge boost for the talented and dedicated professionals who have worked so hard and so long to bring the Evoque to market.”

Of course, the Evoque was not the only winner with the Land Rover Discovery 4 claiming Best Large SUV title for second successive year, extending the Discovery’s prize-winning streak to seven years. Mr. Green said of the Land Rover Discovery 4: “The Discovery trophy cabinet is already huge, and this second successive Auto Express Award for the latest incarnation of the model underlines its superiority in a highly competitive market segment, and adds to the pride we feel today.”

Auto Express says of the award-winning Discovery 4: “The versatile Land Rover has figured on the winners’ list at our annual awards for seven successive years, and it’s easy to see why. The latest Discovery 4 marries high-class fixtures and fittings with huge dimensions and unrivalled off-road ability. Better still, a revised model with more power and lower emissions is due to hit the showrooms in October.”

So, fantastic news all round and with the Evoque already generating more than 18,000 advance orders it looks like that success is set to continue. If you’d like to find out more about the smallest, lightest and most fuel efficient Range Rover ever produced you can visit the website here.

Written by LandRover Our Planet