Motor Trend names Land Rover LR3 SUV of the Year

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The 2005 Land Rover LR3 was named Motor Trend’s 2005 Sport Utility of the Year. Motor Trend editor-in-chief, Angus MacKenzie, presented the award to Mike O’Driscoll, president, Aston Martin Jaguar Land Rover, at the California International Auto Show in Anaheim, California.

Criteria for the award included a series of comprehensive evaluations and grueling tests-including street, track, and off-road-administered to each of the seven entrants. In addition to LR3, contenders included Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Escape Hybrid, Ford Freestyle, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Infiniti QX56 and Nissan Pathfinder.

“LR3 significantly changes the rules for today’s SUV and Motor Trend is at the leading edge of acknowledging its importance,” said O’Driscoll. “LR3 is at the heart of Land Rover’s transformation into the 21st century and this award confirms that we achieved the goals we set for it.”