There's no mistaking the LR2 for anything but a Land Rover. Its design director says the LR2 has "chiseled lines, chunky good looks and sporty energy." We'll go along with that, as well as with his other adjectives: "simple, uncluttered, sculptured, sophisticated, dynamic, refined."

Your neighbors might think it's a Range Rover, although it's 18.6 inches shorter overall and 6.5 inches less high. But its wheelbase is only 6.5 inches less, giving it a total of one less foot of overhangs, which makes it more modern and compact. It also has a cool trapezoidal engine vent on each front fender just under the sideview mirror, a wider body-colored C-panel, black door handles, and outstanding 12-spoke spidery 18-inch wheels in silver alloy. Sleeker horizontal rectangular headlamps. As a package, it's the best looking and best proportioned Land Rover out there, although the LR3 (bigger than an LR2 and smaller than a Range Rover) is also very tidy. We just wish the LR2's silver plastic grille were black, and didn't look like its pattern was designed in about 10 minutes. The LR3 has by far the best grille, with body-colored slats.

Safety is enhanced by the LR2's monocoque structure, which uses crumple zones and ultra high strength steel to create what Land Rover calls a "safety cell."