The LR2 was developed under the supervision of Land Rover’s parent company, Ford, and it shares a platform with the European Ford Mondeo and the Volvo V70/S80. It is powered by a 3.2-liter transversely mounted six-cylinder engine from Volvo, another Ford marque. Prices start at $33,985. We recently purchased a typically equipped LR2 with the cold weather and lighting packages for $36,450.

Initial impressions. Thus far, we find that the LR2 is a lot more pleasant to drive than other Land Rover vehicles we have tested, while retaining much of the brand's distinct character. It rides and handles pleasantly in normal conditions, and the small size and great visibility are appealing. But we have concerns about the LR2's emergency handling. The vehicle includes electronic stability control (ESC) with roll stability control as standard equipment. The latter is supposed to trigger at a certain body angle and prevent a rollover. However, in a run through our avoidance-maneuver course at 53 mph, the vehicle momentarily lifted both right-side wheels several inches off the ground. That did not happen in any other runs, but because we think that no vehicle should ever display this behavior, we've rated the LR2's emergency handling as poor. The vehicle's fastest successful run through the course was a decent 51.5 mph. In 2003 we experienced a similar behavior with the previous generation BMW X5 3.0i. A software change fixed the problem.

On the road, the 3.2-liter six-cylinder engine provides adequate propulsion and the six-speed automatic is smooth and responsive. The permanent AWD works transparently. Like its big brothers, the LR2 has a "Terrain Response" system that alters the front-and-rear power distribution and the antilock braking system threshold. The snow-and-ice mode works very well. So far, we have been getting a rather unimpressive 18 mpg in mixed driving.

The cabin is mostly well put together with comfortable leather seats and decent interior trim material. The heated seats and the windshield defogger were appreciated during our New England winter. Unfortunately, the defogger lines in the windshield take some getting used to and cause glare around oncoming traffic's headlights.

The interior is filled with quirks: The rotary knob you'd think is a tuning knob selects radio presets. Starting the engine is a fussy affair of sticking the key fob into a hard-to-find dashboard slot, then pressing a button. The fob itself has black-on-black markings that are undecipherable at night. The cargo area is of decent size and easy to access. But we miss the power retractable rear window found on the LR2's predecessor, the Freelander.

CR’s take. The LR2 is a pleasant, if somewhat eccentric, alternative to upscale compact SUVs such as the Acura RDX, BMW X3, and the recently introduced Infiniti EX35, but with less of a sporty pretense and more off-road capability. We’ll see how it ranks among its premium peers in the May issue, online in April.

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