It's not unusual for a Four Seasons vehicle to enjoy something of a honeymoon -- a blissful period before the daily grind exposes its every last design flaw. That said, the early praise for the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque has been particularly effusive.

The Land Rover Discovery has made a very slow journey from its original incarnation in 1989 to today's 2012 model; over 23 years, with one major redesign and two minor ones, it feels like not all that much has changed. And that's for the better. We still have the very cool asymmetrical rear window, the go-anywhere ability, and the seven-seat passenger capability. Sadly, the rearmost seats have yet to change much, and still use an archaic and counter-intuitive operation to raise and lower. Despite the air suspension (added to the third-generation car), the Land Rover still feels very top-heavy and is susceptible to cross winds. What has changed include things like the U.S.-spec nomenclature (now LR4, after LR3 replaced Discovery), the heavily reworked interior that brings the LR4 well upscale with premium hides and soft-touch materials, and a powerful 5.0-liter V-8 engine. That V-8 sounds delicious - but it's the only engine option; combine the awkward third row and V-8-only powertrain and the Land Rover's mid-size offering becomes a hard sell against crossovers like the Audi Q7 and BMW X5 which offer multiple engine options.

This magazine has taken a rather hard line when it comes to the subset of premium crossovers best identified as "swoopy sporty things." We gave lukewarm reviews to our departed Four Seasons Infiniti EX35 and Acura ZDX, despite their strong driving dynamics and solid reliability, because we simply could not figure out what purpose they served better than existing alternatives. The promise of a sporty car, an SUV, and a luxury sedan wrapped into one vehicle seems to add up to poor headroom and a higher price than you'd pay for an equivalent car or crossover.

I chauffeured two of my colleagues on a two-hour drive to West Branch, Michigan, piloting the Range Rover Sport and I could not have been happier. The interior is sumptuously luxurious but not so plush as to throw any sporting intentions out the window. The car's design -- both inside and out -- is tastefully restrained, clearly showing its premium Range Rover roots without being overly flashy. Yes, a faster processor for the infotainment system would be appreciated, but there were no "play with me" dials or touch pads and zero "look at me" trim bits. Also just right is the RR Sport's size -- it's neither too large nor unwieldy, and it isn't too small as to not feel reasonably substantial on any road surface. The 5.0-liter V-8 has a sonorous burble and sounds wicked under heavy throttle. Better yet, the V-8 is matched perfectly with the six-speed automatic, which is silky smooth and nearly imperceptible in its shifting. Best of all, the RR Sport comes with the prestige of the Range Rover name while still undercutting its V-8-powered competition from Porsche and BMW.

The future of the Land Rover Defender may be a little in flux, but British custom shop Prindiville Design knows exactly what it wants to do with its special-edition Land Rover Defender 90. In fact, the company says it will build only 25 examples of the tricked-out SUV.

At long last, the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet may have a competitor. Land Rover is apparently showing a Range Rover Evoque Convertible concept at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show in early March.

As a designer, Gerry McGovern is rather like American muscle cars of yore: neither handles curves too well, but give them a straight line and there's no catching them. His MGF roadster and various Lincoln concepts were less than convincing, but his multiple off-road designs have been outstanding. From the highly successful Land Rover Freelander -- Europe's four-by-four best-seller from 1997 to 2002 -- to the terrific Range Rover Evoque, his Land Rover designs are winners. His grasp of how to modulate the surfaces of a box-shaped mass to make it attractive eludes most designers.

For all the exploding popularity of the compact crossover vehicle segment, very few of its members stir any excitement. That's true even among premium-brand entries. With its first-ever compact offering, the Evoque, Range Rover has managed to defy the category norm and create a vehicle that is markedly different from the brand's traditional offerings, and yet every bit as special.

To help get ready for the North American debut of the DC100 and DC100 Sport concepts at the Los Angeles Auto Show this week, Land Rover has tweaked the duo ever so slightly -- the DC100 has received a new paint job and has some new accessories.

The 2011 Land Rover LR2 is powered by an aging 3.2-liter in-line six-cylinder engine that dates back to the days when Ford owned Land Rover and Volvo. We fully expect Land Rover to drop this engine from the LR2 lineup in favor of the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that powers the new Range Rover Evoque, since the Evoque and the LR2 are built at the same plant. As we went to press, Land Rover refused to confirm our suspicions, but it did tell us that a substantial upgrade would be coming in late 2011. If the 2.0-liter engine does find its way under the hood of the LR2, expect much improved fuel economy and perhaps slightly better performance thanks to the flatter torque curve from the turbo powerplant. Powertrain questions aside, the LR2 doesn't disappoint in terms of off-road performance. It features Land Rover's signature Terrain Response system, which allows the driver to switch settings to a variety of preconfigured scenarios, ranging from sand to mud to snow, so that any off-roading situation can be tackled with assurance. The LR2 has a variety of standard features -- panoramic sunroof, leather seating, park distance control, and rain-sensing wipers -- that are usually only available as options in its competitors. If you take that into account, the LR2's relatively high price is fairly competitive.

The Land Rover LR4 first went on sale two years ago as a replacement for the underpowered LR3. Although the styling of the two vehicles looked virtually identical, the changes were immediately noticeable when you floored the gas pedal -- the LR4 actually accelerated at a good pace. Ride, handling, performance, refinement, and interior ergonomics are leaps and bounds better in the LR4 than the LR3. The 5.0-liter V-8 engine pumps out a healthy 375 hp and 375 lb-ft of torque, but it's no surprise to find out that it manages only 17 mpg on the highway. However, off-highway driving is where the LR4 really proves its worth thanks to an adjustable air suspension and the complex Terrain Response system. Land Rovers are supposed to be able to ford rivers and climb mountains yet still look sophisticated enough to park in front of a castle, and the LR4 certainly delivers the goods. Although no one would describe the LR4 as inexpensive, it costs significantly less than a Range Rover, and it mimics its more upscale sibling with similarly regal British exterior styling, the same base V-8 engine, and sophisticated front and rear air suspensions. Like many mid-size SUVs, the LR4 is offered with an optional third row that increases seating capacity to seven. Although the Land Rover LR4 is a big, heavy vehicle, it is easier to maneuver around town than several of its competitors thanks to a low beltline, slim A-pillars, and a large rear glass area that all enhance outward visibility.

Land Rover upgraded the engines, suspension, and interior of the Range Rover last year. It's now focused on special edition packages and options that can push the sticker price of a fully loaded model to $170,000, but even the lowliest Range Rover is among the most luxurious and exclusive SUVs in the world. Two 5.0-liter V-8 engines -- one normally aspirated and one supercharged -- provide plenty of power and consume fuel at the rate of 12 mpg in the city and 18 mpg on the highway. Range Rovers look distinguished and drive well, and the cabin ambience exudes an air of traditional British luxury. Outward visibility is excellent thanks to the abundance of large windows, a relative rarity in the modern automotive landscape. A new Autobiography Ultimate Edition model really pushes the price envelop by offering a teak floor in the cargo area, iPads for rear passengers, and customized interiors that can be crafted according to an individual buyer's wishes. Exclusivity comes standard, simply because not many people are able to afford a Range Rover. It strikes a great balance between the capability of an SUV and the luxury that's typically only found in the biggest and most expensive luxury sedans. If you can't choose between these very different segments, the Range Rover won't feel the least bit like a compromise.

Land Rover, the company known for building vehicles that can tackle any off-road situation, threw a bit of a curveball when it came out with the Range Rover Sport, the brand's most on-road performance-oriented product. Based on a shortened LR4 chassis, the Range Rover Sport is smaller inside than the LR4 and the Range Rover. Like its LR4 and Range Rover siblings, the Sport still has a low-range transfer case and the Terrain Response system, so it's not lacking in off-road ability, but its low-profile tires are much more at home on a racetrack than climbing a mountain trail. The Range Rover Sport has the same powertrains found in the Range Rover. Opt for the supercharged V-8 and you'll get an incredible 510 hp sent to all four wheels through a smooth six-speed automatic transmission. Steering feel is good for an SUV, but the information that is transmitted through the steering column is unfiltered, which makes the Sport fatiguing to drive for long stints. There aren't many other vehicles that would be equally happy pulling a trailer, racing around a track, tackling a muddy two-track, and pulling up to an opera house. If you need to balance your need for speed with a more sensible vehicle for hauling a family and the occasional trailer, the Range Rover Sport deserves serious consideration.

Choosing The Winners
What's the best car? Everybody wants to know. It's a difficult question, really. There is no single best car. But when you drive as many different new vehicles as we do, people expect you to have an answer, and we do. The best new car introduced in the past year is our Automobile of the Year. For 2012, the winner is the Audi A7.

I'd never been in a Range Rover before I had the chance to drive ours. I've heard nothing but praise when it comes to this car, so I had high expectations. Rightfully so for a car that has a base price of almost $80,000. Luckily, the luxury SUV met, even exceeded, all of my expectations.

The three most striking British cars of the past sixty years were the original Alec Issigonis-designed Morris Mini-Minor/Austin Seven twins, the Jaguar E-type, and the 1970 Range Rover. In many ways, the Range Rover was the best of the three: it was the most original and the most influential, in that it helped touch off the worldwide SUV boom by making a rugged, all-wheel-drive utility vehicle socially acceptable everywhere. The Mini was important, but it was Fiat's Autobianchi Primula, not the Mini, that ultimately turned almost every family car in the world -- including today's BMW Mini -- into a transverse-engine, front-wheel-drive derivative of the offset-engine, in-line-gearbox layout developed by Dante Giacosa. The XK-E remains a fabulous design icon, attracting as much attention today as it did fifty years ago, but it really did not inspire other manufacturers to explore radical structural solutions or to make equally inexpensive high-performance cars.

Just what would an all-new Land Rover Defender look like? According to the automaker, perhaps something like this new DC100 concept, which is destined for an official debut at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show.

I'm driving in a sewer. Well, not a sewer per se, but a big tunnel beneath the city of Liverpool. The tunnel is filled with a knee-high river of fetid water, and I can definitely picture Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles living down here, so if you called it a sewer I wouldn't correct you. "Have you ever read Stephen King's It?" I ask Micah, my driving partner. He has. And if you haven't, it's about a murderous clown who lives in the sewer. Let's talk about something else, like the Land Rover Evoque we're driving, which has puddle lights in the side mirrors that project an image of the car on the ground when the door is opened. I'd try that, but I really don't want to get out of the car, on account of the stinky water down here in the not-a-sewer.

At board meetings, on test tracks, and in design studios, decisions are being made today that will influence what you drive tomorrow. Automakers are hard at work creating the next generation of automobiles -- cars that are faster, sexier, more efficient -- while trying to keep their development secret. Like you, we are nosy as hell. Unlike you, we have a vast network of snoops, gossips, and disgruntled former employees who have helped us uncover the information we present here. Our annual Sneak Preview feature contains the industry's future products -- as far out as 2019 -- that are worth saving your milk money for.

New York City, more so than anywhere else in America, is the place where one is more likely to be driven than to drive. Thus, it’s probably the ideal place for the U.S. debut of the Range Rover Autobiography Ultimate, an ultra-luxe Range Rover that particularly caters to rear-seat riders.

The Range Rover Sport, like its more expensive sibling, the Range Rover, has a sense of occasion about it that no other sport-utility vehicle comes close to matching. Yes, I know it's ridiculously heavy, at close to three tons. Yes, I know that this supercharged version is sinfully inefficient. Yes, I know that it's outrageously expensive. But when I slide into this brown-on-brown, opulent cabin, I forgive the Range Rover Sport all of its sins. I can't think about those petty matters, because I'm too busy caressing the meticulously stitched piece of dark brown leather that stretches across the dashboard and the seats. I would love a club chair this well-upholstered in my living room. At this price point, the details are what matters, and the Range Rover Sport gets so many of them right. I even admired the outer corners of the front seat bottoms, which are done in a brown suede-like fabric that perfectly matches the adjacent brown leather. Hmmm, can I have a loveseat made out of that fabric to go with my club chair?

While the Land Rover Range_e development vehicle being displayed at the 2011 Geneva auto show isn't quite ready for prime time, the vehicle is serving a vital role as a test bed for a potential future Land Rover plug-in hybrid powertrain.

The Land Rover LR2 is the company's first attempt to bring it's legendary off road prowess into the larger market share of cross over vehicles. It has made a more trim, more efficient, and more affordable version of its go anywhere vehicles to suit a wider audience than before.

Land Rovers' LR4 may well offer more capabilities than many perspective buyers will ever need or even use. In these days when the sole use of many SUV's is errands around town or chauffeuring the kids back and forth to school or activities, the LR4 offers a large amount of dedicated off road tech that will never get a workout. This new for 2010 revision of the 2005 Sport Utility Vehicle of the year is a classic upright Land Rover design earned a unanimous win in a Motor Trent 2010 Sport Utility comparison test in Death Valley.

The Land Rover Range Rover. Certainly a mouthful of a model name. Despite the tongue twister model designation, it's combination of elegance and utter capabilities make this a model sought after by almost every segment of affluent buyers.