Double triumph for Land Rover and Jaguar at CAR Middle East Awards 2008

The new Jaguar XF already has a string of awards to its credit, including 'Car of the Year' at the 2008 What Car? Awards, 'Interior of the Year' from CAR magazine and the 'Design Award' from Autocar magazine. The XF beat fierce competition from Mercedes and BMW to win in the executive car category at the CAR Middle East awards.

The new Jaguar XF challenges convention and heralds the future of the company. Available with three different engine variants: 3.0 litre V6 and 4.2 litre (natural or supercharged variants), each model featuring Jaguar's six-speed automatic transmission with steering wheel-mounted 'paddles' for manual gear selection (Jaguar Sequential Shift).

Land Rover also proved a popular choice for the judges, beating off fierce competition from the likes of BMW and Volkswagen to win the esteemed 'Manufacturer of the Year' award.

In June 2008, Land Rover announced it had achieved the best half year performance in the company's 60 year history. This remarkable achievement comes after two successive full year global sales records in 2006 and 2007, and this year's launch of the CO2 carbon offset initiative in the Gulf and Levant, part of an overall sustainability programme which demonstrates Land Rover's commitment to the environment.

Robin Colgan, Managing Director, Jaguar & Land Rover Middle East North Africa said "We are delighted to have received these awards from one of the most respected automotive publications in this region. The Jaguar XF has received rave reviews since its launch in the Middle East earlier this year, and the 'Executive Car of the Year' award is testament to Jaguar's commitment to designing, manufacturing and marketing beautiful fast cars that has helped change the face of modern luxury today.

We are also extremely proud of Land Rover for picking up the prestigious 'Manufacturer of the Year' award. This comes just after the recent launch of our CO2 carbon offset programme in the Middle East and tops off a fantastically successful 60th anniversary year; all of which reinforce our position as the leader in the premium SUV segment in the region."