At an awards ceremony last night, the Freelander 2 beat off tough competition from the BMW X3, Hyundai Santa Fe and the Toyota RAV 4 to claim the title.

Land Rover was also nominated in two other manufacturer categories, with its Range Rover for ‘Best Luxury Car’ and both Discovery 3 and Range Rover Sport for ‘Best Large SUV’.

Presided over by an expert panel of judges, which included fleet managers, residual value experts, consultants and suppliers, this is one of the most coveted awards in the fleet sector.

The judges said of the award: "The winner has to offer an alternative to an equivalent upper-medium car, with higher fuel costs offset with strong residual values. The Freelander 2 had strong competition but one thing stood out – it defines the sector."

Land Rover’s UK managing director, John Edwards collected the award and added: "It’s fantastic that the Freelander 2 has proved yet again the smart solutions and versatility it offers in an increasingly competitive corporate environment."