Land Rover was founded in the quest to create a British-built four-wheel drive utility vehicle. Between the 1940s and the 1980s, Land Rover products steered towards luxury as their vehicles gained favor with premium product customers including celebrities along with royalty. Created as a farm or field vehicle, the Range Rover eventually became the pioneer for what grew into a popular luxury sport utility vehicle segment. The Range Rover eventually inspired a more road-centric Sport model as well as the Range Rover Evoque compact sport utility vehicle. In Addition to the Range Rover line, Land Rover has also maintained other premium four-wheel drive models. Recently replacing the LR2, the Land Rover Discovery Sport is a small entry-level sport utility with room for up to seven occupants. Positioned just below the larger Range Rover models is the Land Rover LR4. Land Rover has spawned several new characteristics in recent years including the offering of a diesel engine option in the United States, the 550-horsepower Range Rover Sport SVR and a convertible version of the Evoque.
