The New-Definition CUV

Envision a long grade so steep and threatening, even a mountain goat could get a case of vertigo. And the dirt — more like crumbs of loose, dry clay — is wheel-hub deep.

Now ponder a trip down this arid crater in a 5,379-lb (2,440-kg) SUV. Logic dictates gravity will assert itself, followed by slippage, uncontrolled acceleration, profanity, teeth-clenching and a loud, sudden denouement.

However, the all-new '03 Range Rover manages this trial capably and comfortably, thanks to Land Rover's trusty hill descent control (HDC).

Though noisy — imagine a clown making balloon animals next to your ear — HDC is effective, if not intuitive. Think ABS activation, except your feet are off the pedals.

Refinement is what makes Range Rover a freak of nature. Such serious off-road capability should come at a price. And not just the sticker, which in this case starts at $69,995.

Instead, Range Rover is plush and stable — enabled by its monocoque architecture and unique cross-linked air suspension that keeps all four wheels planted.

These features go unnoticed in the quiet cabin which, when adorned with Range Rover's lighter-toned leathers, is arguably garish. But the design team's inspiration — Riva, the classic Italian powerboat brand that harkens back to wooden hulls — is palatable rationale.

And yet, though visually stunning, the interior occasionally fails the tactile and auditory senses.

The transfer gear and HDC switches are conveniently located on the shift console. But their on-off positions are virtually indistinguishable by touch — a source of some frustration when your eyes are locked on an undulating trail.

And if the audio system is suitably robust, the navigation system's digital voice is not. Too much Roddy McDowall, too little Sean Connery. (A fix is imminent.)

Sweeter to the ear is Range Rover's compelling exhaust note. The instrument on which it's played — former owner BMW AG's 4.4L DOHC V-8 — makes 282 hp at 5,400 rpm and 325 lb.-ft. (441 Nm) of torque at 3,600 rpm. Both are improvements.

Because Ford Motor Co.'s name now graces Land Rover's letterhead, there's sensitivity about the engine's BMW roots. But it's ultra-smooth in combination with the 5-speed automatic transmission — which features a manual mode and handy shift-on-the-fly transfer case — so who cares other than the sensitive egos at Ford's Premier Automotive Group?

SPECIFICATIONS