Land Rover Defender is Women's World Vehicle of the Year for 2021

March 20 2021,

We often hear about the awards given for Cars, SUVs and Trucks of the Year, both in North America and Europe or around the world. One honour that is less well known is the Women's World Car of The Year (WWCOTY). This award is voted on by 50 female automotive journalists from 38 countries.

And for 2021, their choice was the Land Rover Defender. The SUV beat out nine other category winners to inherit the most prestigious award.

The grand prize winner was announced on International Women's Rights Day, March 8. The Land Rover Defender also won in its category as best mid-size SUV.

To be eligible for the award, a vehicle must be completely new and sold in a minimum of 10 countries. Winners are first announced in their respective categories and then judged for the overall award. Judges consider aspects such as performance, comfort, safety, technology and value.

"The Women's World Car of the Year is the only judging panel in the world made up entirely of female automotive journalists," said Marta Garcia, executive chair of WWCOTY. "This makes it enormously valuable, as its decisions represent the tastes and preferences of millions of women around the world. But vehicles don't have a gender and aren't subject to stereotypes, so the winners of these awards are, quite simply, the best products in the world. "

The award was founded in 2009 by Sandy Myhre, an automotive writer in New Zealand. She is currently the honorary chair of the jury.

How the Defender 110 Handles a Summer Road Trip from Montréal to the Gaspésie

The Route 132 loop around the Gaspésie Peninsula is one of Québec's defining summer drives. From the South Shore bridge crossings east out of Montréal to the towering cliffs of Forillon, the gravel tracks cutting toward Parc de la Gaspésie, and the tidal flats that appear at low tide along the Baie-des-Chaleurs coast, the route tests a vehicle across nearly every type of surface a driver can... Read more

Discovery Sport Beach Days Pack: What's in It and How Montréal Families Actually Use It This Summer

The Discovery Sport has always been built around the idea that a family SUV should handle every version of a day out — not just the commute. For summer in Québec, that means beach days on the South Shore, afternoons at Lac-Memphrémagog, and impromptu detours to the waterfront at Parc national du Mont-Orford. The Beach Days accessory pack is Land Rover's response to exactly that kind of use.... Read more