If you are on the lookout for a new 4×4, SUV or crossover to enjoy driving this year but unsure of where to start, awards events can provide some useful pointers.
Two of the winners at the 4×4 of the Year Awards 2019, hosted by 4×4 Magazine, certainly have the potential to provide some exciting driving experiences.
Read on to find out more about the Subaru XV and the Nissan Navara OFF-ROADER AT32…
Building on 'already formidable strengths'
The Subaru XV's success in 4×4 Magazine's awards programme came in the Crossover Estate of the Year category, in which the car had to overcome some strong competition.
Celebrating its win, the Japanese manufacturer said the award was testament to the company's "ongoing commitment to build cars that are incredibly safe, extremely capable and unfalteringly reliable".
The XV is a compact crossover that comes with a range of features as standard, including a 1.6-litre or two-litre petrol engine, symmetrical all-wheel drive, X-Mode with hill descent control, keyless entry and a push-button start system.
Drivers can also improve their journeys with the dual-zone automatic air conditioning system and eight-inch colour touchscreen display featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
At the 4×4 of the Year Awards, the crossover won praise for attributes including its safety, after it became Euro NCAP's highest-scoring vehicle of all time for child occupant protection at the time of its launch.
The judges were also impressed with the model's off-road abilities, with the combination of all-wheel drive and the Boxer engine proving particularly effective in mud and rough terrain.
Alan Kidd, editor of 4×4 Magazine, said: "The new XV builds on the company's already formidable strengths. It's a very, very fine vehicle with a price tag that makes it the best 4×4 estate you can buy."
Chris Graham, Subaru UK managing director, said the award provided recognition for "a great product that our customers love and trust to get themselves, and their families, safely from A to B, whatever the conditions".
See the latest personal and business leasing deals for the Subaru XV.
'Making a statement and getting the job done'
The Nissan Navara OFF-ROADER AT32 triumphed in the Best Off Road category at the awards, leading the Japanese manufacturer to state that the model had "reaffirmed its unrivalled ability in the rough stuff".
Judges praised the 4×4's overall driveability and its capacity to negotiate even the most extreme and challenging terrain.
Unveiled at the 2018 Commercial Vehicle Show at the Birmingham NEC, the Navara OFF-ROADER AT32 comes with standard features including bespoke suspension that boosts the ride height by 20mm, larger off-road tyres and full protection of key underbody components.
A sunroof, a front differential locker and a snorkel to increase wading depth by 200mm are all available as optional extras.
The 'AT' in the Navara OFF-ROADER AT32's name stands for Arctic Trucks, the company that engineers the vehicle and specialises in developing 4x4s fit to handle the harshest terrain. The '32' refers to the diameter of each off-road tyre in inches.
Mr Kidd said some of the enhanced pick-ups currently on the market seem "more interested in making a statement than doing a job", but Nissan's creation is capable of doing both.
"It's more usable in typical British conditions than trucks with bigger, fatter tyres, and with a locking rear diff as standard it's capable of covering extraordinarily rough ground at crawling speeds," he added.
Sebastian Bosslet, Navara product manager at Nissan, described the OFF-ROADER AT32 as the most extreme model in the Navara range and also noted that it has attracted a lot of interest from business and private customers.
Check out the latest Nissan leasing deals: personal/business.