It's been a subtle shift for Land Rover over the years, moving from the purveyor of fine agricultural transport for the landed gentry and the occasional army wagon to luxury mainstream manufacturer whose cars are also good off-road.
It was the very first Range Rover that started the shift - you wouldn't just use it for hunting or shifting hay bales, you could hose the thing down and drive into the city for dinner too. It became a fashion accessory and status symbol. The latest iteration of the Range Rover continues that progress.
Frankly, the Range Rover is one of the best luxury vehicles you can buy, ranking up there with the likes of Bentley and Rolls-Royce. There's a very careful balance to be maintained with this car - peerless off-roading skills run through its pipes, and Land Rover has to build something durable that also feels worth its £50,000 sticker price.
The outside design has merely been tweaked for the latest generation - it is still recognisably descended from the brilliant Mark One of 1970. However, the current cars are a bit more aggressive in their styling, with the ability to scare the hell out of dozing motorists in the outside lane as it fills their mirrors. Land Rover says it has tried to lessen the impression of unabashed arrogance with a few subtle changes, but you can only do so much with 2.8 tonnes of prime real estate.
Inside, the cabin remains spacious and the feel of dashboard plastics and seat fabrics has been brought up another notch. The interior feels opulent and plush, making it one of the most pleasant cars to spend time in. The seats are extraordinarily comfortable and the ride smooth.
The Range Rover is filled with gizmos, gaining for example the split-view sat-nav from Jaguar's XJ - the driver can look at route instructions while the passenger watches a DVD. The thoughtful practical touches remain, though - the split rear tailgate is useful, and centre stack buttons are designed to be operated whilst wearing gloves, if you happen to be on a particularly well-financed polar expedition, perhaps.
If you are feeling extravagant, and if you are thinking about buying a Range Rover you probably are, the 503bhp 5.0-litre supercharged V8 petrol engine is a wondrous thing, defying the laws of physics. More practically the 4.4 litre TDV8 diesel will reach 0-62mph in a highly impressive 7.5 seconds. Useful.
The Range Rover should by rights be extinct after 40 years, but through the sheer force of its ability and luxurious charm, it remains not just on the road, but at the top of its game.