The Land Rover Freelander 2 has been voted 'Best 4x4' by the panel at the What Diesel Magazine Car of the Year Awards 2008.
The Freelander 2's impressive 2.2-litre engine impressed the judges and topped the category against tough competition from the Land Rover Discovery 3 and Nissan X-Trail.
"The Freelander 2 is perfectly at home on-road or up to its axels in mud in the rough stuff," commented Ian Robertson, editor of What Diesel magazine. "Not only does the Freelander 2 now take compact SUVs to a new level of competence in off roading, it ups the nate to such an extent that most manufacturers will find it intimidating to share the same road space with it."

Ford's new compact SUV, the Kuga, comes to Ireland in May.
The new model, which is based on the Focus, is a compact SUV that comes with a choice of front-wheel or all-wheel drive with a 2.0-litre 136bhp Duratorq TDCi diesel engine.
The Kuga will compete against the likes of the Toyota Rav4 and Volkswagen Tiguan and while there are no firm details in pricing as yet, it is expected that it will cost under €40,000. With its relatively low CO2 emmissions of 169g/km it will occupy Band D in the new VRT system after  July 1st.
Ford expects demand to exceed supply, so get your orders in early to avoid disappointment.

The Nissan Qashqai has been a runaway success here in Ireland, with Nissan at times struggling to cope with the demand for the great-value pseudo-SUV.
This demand is likely to grow even further with the news that Nissan is to add to the range with the addition of a seven-seater model - the Qashqai+2. The car will be revealed at the London Motor Show in July and European sales start in October. The wheelbase of the Qashqai+2 has been extended by 135mm and the overall length has risen by 211mm. This has allowed for a third row of seats that can fold flat into the load space.
The Qashqai+2 will come with the same petrol and diesel engine range as the standard model.
Prices and further details will be released.

Tribeca goes on sale
Ireland has got the second version of the petrol-only SUV, which previously looked rather odd. Thankfully, this new version has much more discreet styling that won't scare small children.

Engine
Under the bonnet is a 3.6-litre flat-six'Boxer' engine that produces 256bhp and 350Nm of torque, which is a significant increase on the older model. The tribeca can sit seven in comfort and is generously equipped with a host of luxuries including leather upholstery, a 6-CD autochanger and iPod connectivity.

Room to Improve
Subaru's famed all-wheel drive system and a host of driver aids will keep the Tribeca firmly planted on the road and the automatic transmission, we are told, is now faster, although having driven the Tribeca, we can tell you that there is room for improvement in this department. Pricing starts at €69,250, which isn't cheap and this model may struggle due to the lack of a diesel option.