We're midway through the press day at California's International Auto Show. Angus MacKenzie, Motor Trend's editor in chief, is announcing that magazine's pick for SUV of the Year. The announcement holds damn little suspense, as Land Rover's LR3 is on stage, front and center. And for those of us paying attention, the Land Rover pick comes as little surprise, anyway. In a field chock-full of capable entries, the all-new LR3 elevates not only the Land Rover showroom, it effectively supercharges the entire category.

It hasn't always been this way. Born in postwar Britain, the Land Rover brand became synonymous with off-road capability and legendary reliability. That reliability, to be sure, was born of simplicity; the design elements of the Land Rover were tractorlike, in large part because, like tractors, they were never far removed from their agricultural roots. For Land Rover, that all changed with the introduction, some two generations later, of the Range Rover. Suddenly, sport utilities combined sport, utility and sophistication in one go-anywhere, do-anything platform. Unfortunately, the attendant sophistication led to an

abnormally high incidence of surprise breakdowns and expensive repairs. It may have played in Kenya, but didn't play (particularly well) in Kansas.

In the U.S., Land Rover's return meant both the Range Rover and Discovery came to the States. The Discovery enjoyed the same upright, two-box outline as the Range Rover, but without the stylistic nuance that gave the Range Rover its upmarket appeal. But then, the Discovery didn't run upward of $70,000. Its narrow track and phone booth proportions weren't loved by everyone, however, and with its maddening ergonomics (make that no ergonomics) and dodgy reliability, U.S. sales took an appropriate nosedive.

Which brings us back to its replacement, the long-awaited LR3. New in every respect, the LR3 blends upmarket architecture (more than a little reminiscent of the ultra-chic Range Rover), a Jaguar-derived V8, and all-independent suspension into one very appetizing SUV. It also marks the first complete redesign of a Land Rover product since its purchase by Ford Motor Company four years ago.

One look and you know it's new. Unlike the Discovery it replaces, the stance is athletic, with an aggressively widened track and reduced overhangs front and rear. For its category, the windshield is swept back, and a higher degree of tumblehome is added to the side window glass. Like the Discovery, the roofline is stepped in the rear, all the better to offer increased headroom for third-seat passengers. Unlike the Discovery, that third seat springs from the floor, rather than pivoting from the cargo area's interior walls.

Under the hood, the 4.4-liter V8 delivers 300 horsepower and 315 pound-feet of torque. Notable (given its Jaguar roots) is the revised air intake, allowing an LR3 to operate in up to 24 inches of water. Connecting the power to the front and rear axles is a six-speed ZF auto and two-speed transfer case. Of particular interest to the gnarly off-road crowd is Land Rover's Terrain Response System. Via a rotary knob on the central console, the driver can select from one of five terrain settings: general driving, grass/gravel/snow, and three special off-road modes -- mud/ruts, sand, and rock (crawl). With appropriate armor, we could use these in Iraq.

Mr. MacKenzie echoed what we, via driving this fall, already knew: Land Rover's LR3 offers a still-unique combo of on-road composure with off-road competence. If improvements to the manufacturing process provide better reliability, and the name change has the desired effect of hiking residuals, not only will Land Rover have a winner; so, we think, will its customers. Prices for a well-equipped SE begin at $45,000. Our test vehicle windowed at just more than $50K.