| First Drive | Douro Valley, Portugal | 2011 Range Rover |

It's been 40 years since the first Range Rover rolled off the production line and the third generation model is still going strong - literally. The original design brief was to build a car that was incredibly capable off-road, but equally as luxurious and comfortable as Rover's saloons of the time.

Despite the obvious advances in technology, that brief has remained the same and the Range Rover is still at the top of its game. The 2011 model arrives in September and features some mild styling tweaks and an all-new diesel engine.

In the Metal

Changes to the exterior include a 'Jupiter' grille and side vents for the diesel model as well as illuminated kick plates for the front doors and updated 19- and 20-inch alloy wheel designs.

An exterior design pack is now on the options list, which is essentially a swish body kit with revised bumpers, stainless tailpipes, new side sills and a 'Titan' finish for the grille and vents.

The interior is beautifully built and extremely comfortable. The leather-wrapped dash has a sturdy, machined look about it, but it's not as utilitarian as the likes of a Land Rover Defender's. The armrests, the two-way centre console storage box and the tasteful wooden areas are as plush as can be. The only sore point is the inclusion of a small, circular gear selector, which is almost identical to that of the Jaguar XF. It works well enough, but it seems a bit wimpy on a butch 4x4 like the Range Rover - a traditional and chunky T-shaped shifter would suit the cabin far better in this writer's opinion.

A flagship Autobiography Black version will be available and limited to a run of 700 models. It features a bling body kit and an 'Ivory' or 'Pimento' leather interior among other niceties.

What you get for your Money

The Range Rover is a luxury item, so it's not cheap. The Vogue with the new 4.4-litre turbodiesel engine costs £67,495, while the Autobiography version starts at £81,395.

The equipment list is too long to include, but needless to say, a full leather interior is on the cards, as is Land Rover's impressive eight-inch Dual View infotainment screen, which allows the driver and the passenger to view different screens at the same time. An optional, and thoroughly impressive, 15-speaker, 1,200-Watt Harman Kardon sound system is available, too.

Driving it

There are two sides to the Range Rover. On the road, it's one of the most refined and sumptuous cars you can buy. The air suspension helps to make the ride extremely comfortable, but the handling is never vague, nor is there anywhere near as much body roll as you'd expect from a car of its size. The steering is light but precise, and the chunky tyres grip tarmac well.

We were also fortunate enough to sample the Rangie on a demanding off-road course, where it came in to its own. Hills that you'd struggle to walk up - or down - were no problem. Neither was the grille-deep water, or the unfeasibly large rocks; at no point did things become uncomfortable or too shaky inside. Land Rover has improved the Terrain Response system by adding Hill Start Assist and Gradient Acceleration Control, both of which make the Range Rover even more effortless when it comes to the rough stuff. You feel like an off-roading god, when the reality is that the car's doing all the work for you.

The new 4.4-litre 309bhp V8 twin turbodiesel engine is wonderful. It has an immense 516lb.ft of torque, but a car that weighs between 2,580-2,810kg (depending on the model) needs a gutsy engine. It's fast and emits a luscious V8 growl, but true to form, the acceleration is not vicious. The Range Rover will hit 60mph in 7.5 seconds, but it gets there with a sense of refined urgency, rather than neck-snapping acceleration. Top speed is 130mph - up from 125mph from the previous model.

The new eight-speed automatic gearbox is equally competent. You struggle to notice it changing cogs it's so smooth. Don't bother with the wheel-mounted paddles for road driving, though - they're just unnecessary as the transmission does such a good job on its own.

Worth Noting

It may be larger than the 3.6-litre turbodiesel engine that it replaces, but the new 4.4-litre V8 diesel is the cleanest and most fuel efficient Range Rover yet. With 30.1mpg, it represents an 18 percent improvement and marks the first time that a Range Rover has ever broken through the 30mpg barrier. Emissions are down by 14 percent to 253g/km, which means that the diesel model no longer sits in band M - the highest UK road tax band. The band L disc stills costs £425 per year though, a mere £10 less than before.

The savings have been made by a number of trick measures, including a power steering pump that only works at low speeds when it needs to and a tall top gear on the eight-speed automatic gearbox. What's more, the engine only utilises one of the two turbochargers for the majority of the time. When it revs to 2,400rpm or more, the second kicks in and provides more boost.

Summary

Whether you're a serious 4x4 fan or think that SUVs are toasting the planet, you'd be hard pushed not to be taken in by the Range Rover's charms. It's neither cheap, nor economical but, as the original version proved in 1970, no production car comes close to matching its astounding off-road prowess and simultaneous refinement inside. Add to that the impressive new diesel engine, smooth gearbox and subtle but tasteful styling tweaks, and you're in no doubt that the Range Rover is still the best luxury 4x4 on sale.