Land Rover is looking forward to a repeat performance of rising sales in September backed by recently announced price cuts and the introduction of new Freelander models, writes David Duffy.

Sales figures recently released for July revealed Land Rover sales up 31.4 per cent compared with July 1999, with 2,713 vehicles sold.

July also saw an improved penetration for Land Rover in the UK car market. Range Rover sales were up 57 per cent, Freelander sales were up 40 per cent, while Discovery recorded a 30.5 per cent rise.

Mike Wright, managing director of Land Rover UK, said: "The results show that Land Rover remains the leader in the UK 4x4 market place and is becoming a major player in the car market as a whole."

The new prices announced in July give Land Rover customers savings of up to 14 per cent through a genuine, permanent price reduction and enhanced feature levels.

On the best-selling Freelander model there has been an across-the-board price cut of 1,000 that, together with the standardisation of features such as roof rails, passenger air bag and six-speaker stereo with remote controls, can mean savings of up to 2,330 equivalent to a 12.5 per cent price cut.

Mike Wright said: "This is not a marketing gimmick but a permanent reduction in Land Rover prices."

New models led by the Freelander V6 will also be available in Land Rover dealers for September delivery.

The Freelander V6 is powered by a 2.5-litre, 177 horsepower engine coupled to a five-speed automatic gearbox with Steptronic control a first for a 4x4 in this category.

The automatic gearbox is also available as an option on the new 2.0-litre common rail diesel engine that comes with a new five-speed manual gearbox as standard.

The appeal of the Discovery range is widened with a new, entry-level, model the Discovery 'E' with an on-the-road price of 21,995.

Land Rover's flagship model, the 4.6-litre Range Rover Vogue, is priced at 53,000 and includes an on-board satellite navigation system as standard.