Land Rover Discovery tops the polls in the AXA car of the year

The Land Rover Discovery was named AXA Car of the Year 2006.

The award was presented by members of the Ulster Motoring Writers Association (UMWA) at a prestigious ceremony sponsored by AXA Insurance.

Speaking at the ceremony, Chairman of the Ulster Motoring Writers’ Association, Jim McCauley, said: "Of all the vehicles judged in this years competition the Land Rover Discovery scored consistently high. It scooped almost twice the number of points of its nearest rival which really sets it apart in its class. As well as its on-and-off-road capability, it offers a quality driving experience and is an outstanding testament to the UK motor industry."

Tim Scott, General Manager, AXA Insurance, said: "This is the first time that AXA has sponsored the Car of the Year Awards and what a year it has been for those living on the cusp of new car design. The awards not only exist to play tribute to advances in technology but also to provide consumers with sound information upon which to base their vehicle purchasing decisions. This year has been a particularly exciting one with strong contenders in each class."

The overall winner was chosen from the five group winners which were:

* AXA Small Car Category: Winner Renault Modus Runner-up Toyota Aygo

* AXA Medium Car Category: Winner Audi A3 2.0 TDi Runner-up Citroen C4 Diesel

* AXA Leisure Car Category: Winner Land Rover Discovery Runner-up Volvo XC 90

* AXA Executive Car Category: Winner Lexus GS 300 Runner-up Audi A4 2.0 TDi

* AXA Sporting Car Category: Winner Mazda RX-8 Runner-up VW Golf GTi

For the first time in the history of the competition and to recognise AXA’s commitment to road safety a new category called "Safety Engineering Award" was introduced in recognition of the advancements that have been made in relation to driver and passenger safety standards.

Tim continued: "Today’s cars are more advanced than ever when it comes to safety features and with AXA’s strong background in road safety we felt it was important that these advancements be recognised in their own right. This year Renault was presented with the award as eight of their cars have 5* EuroNCAPwith Mercedes Benz being named runner up for the company’s airbag technology"