In the small 4×4 market there are only two brands with prestige – BMW and our winner Land Rover – and throughout this year’s BusinessCar Awards it’s the prestige brands that scoop gold. So despite the all-new and big-selling Honda CR-V and Toyota Rav4, it’s two prestige models that dominate your thoughts come voting time.
Land Rover’s Freelander secured the win over its main rival, BMW’s X3, with a combination of an all-new model – with far improved quality and more luxurious feel – and by answering its critics with a carbon offset scheme. The scheme, a first for a manufacturer in the UK, sees Land Rover and the buyer jointly fund a carbon reducing programme that is equivalent to the build of the car plus the first 45,000 miles of driving.
However, the new Freelander has more to its armoury than environmental credentials. The combination of the high-credibility badge and the butch go-anywhere styling has made it a favourite in the corporate market. Which is why, for an amazing eighth time in succession, it’s a winner in the small 4×4 category.
