Range Rover’s brutally fast off-roader

When Range Rover launched its all-new Sport model two years ago, it turned quite easily the worst car of its recent history into substantially the best, says Andrew Frankel in The Sunday Times. "With stunning looks, a dreamy interior and a superbly judged chassis, it was and remains a masterpiece."

This is the SVR version of that car the Range Rover equivalent of the tweaked high performers M and AMG for BMW and Mercedes respectively. The result is a brutally fast machine that handles superbly. "It feels at all times taut and responsive, not only in a way you'd not expect from such a large car, but at times in a way you'd scarcely believe possible."

It's the "most broadly capable performance SUV on sale", says Dan Prosser in Evo. What sets the SVR apart from its high-performance rivals, though, is its off-road ability. "Land Rover hasn't completely forgotten its heritage with this new model it will still cope with thick, wet mud, rocky streams and slippery inclines, even on those summer tyres. It really is a remarkable trick."

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Price: £93,450Engine: 5,000cc, V8, superchargedPower: 542bhp at 6,000rpmTorque: 502 lb ft at 2,500rpmTop speed: 162mph0-62mph: 4.7 seconds

A budget alternative

If it were priced at a level alongside its natural competitors, such as the class-leading Skoda Yeti, I'd give the Duster "a good kicking", says Nic Cackett in Autocar. Although attractive and spacious, the Duster performs poorly by almost any standard. And yet the price makes it a proposition unlike any other on the market.

Indeed, the Duster is a hugenine grand cheaper than the Nissan Qashqai and five grand less than the Yeti, says Top Gear. "Badge snobs" might turn their nose up at the interior and sloppy handling. But "you'll not find a better 4X4 for the money".

Price: £11,995 (for a mid-range diesel)Engine: 1,461ccTop speed: 106mph