1999 Land Rover Range Rover Luxury disguised as rough-and-tumble sport-utility. By Phil Berg, New Car Test Drive .com

The Range Rover is a true dual-personality sport-utility vehicle, equally comfortable heading to a five-star restaurant or traversing seemingly impassable terrain. That shouldn't come as any surprise: Land Rover created the modern luxury sport-utility vehicle when the company introduced its upscale Range Rover model to the U.S. in 1987. This year, Land Rover's Range Rover SE and HSE receive significant updates.

A new traction control system is standard. The interior trim is improved, with smoother switch surfaces and new seat upholstery patterns. Side airbags are built into the front seats, and the front shoulder belts get pre-tensioners, devices that cinch the belts tight during a frontal crash. The stereo has been improved. And the engine has been revised to deliver more power with reduced noise and vibration.