The new Toyota Land Cruiser V8 has been voted number one in the large 4x4 category at the British Insurance Car Awards. Held at the Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre in Thatcham Berkshire, the awards which have been running since 2004, are designed to raise consumer awareness of what is best in vehicle security.

The Toyota Land Cruiser V8, which went on sale earlier this year, is the eighth generation of this iconic model.

Powered by a new 4.5-litre V8 D-4D engine it is Toyota's first eight-cylinder unit with diesel common rail injection technology.

Based on the New Vehicle Security Rating Scheme (NVSR), participating vehicles are assessed on points awarded under the categories of 'theft of' and 'theft from' the vehicle, the winner achieving the highest combined points score.

"Manufacturers are continuing to keep ahead of the criminal fraternity – committing resources to the development of highly sophisticated systems to keep cars secure," said Peter Roberts, Chief Executive of insurer funded research centre - Thatcham.

"Many car thieves are just having to give up – thanks to the industry's continued quest to drive down car crime."