If you’re looking for a topless crossover, your current options are limited to just one vehicle: the Nissan Murano Cross-Cabriolet. We suppose you could include the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited in the mix, but it’s on-road ride quality isn’t something we’d want to endure on a daily basis.

That may soon change, as Land Rover is showing off its Evoque convertible concept at next month’s Geneva Motor Show. As Land Rover explains, the drop-top Evoque is meant to “explore the potential for the world’s first premium convertible SUV,” meaning that Land Rover will be extremely interested in hearing customer feedback on the concept.

The company adopted a similar strategy with the DC100 concepts, which will likely serve as the basis of the next-generation Land Rover Defender. An Evoque convertible fits in with the brand’s strategy of of expanding the Evoque product line beyond the existing range.

The next James Bond movie, tentatively called Skyfall, isn’t due in theaters until late this year. That hasn’t stopped the automakers tied to its production from pointing out which vehicles will feature prominently in the film, however.

We already know that a Range Rover Evoque will be present, although we don’t know who will be driving it. We recently told you that Bond’s iconic Aston Martin DB5 will make an appearance, likely as an homage to the 50th anniversary of the franchise.

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The winners of the 2012 North American Car and Truck of the Year awards have been announced, as the auto industry kicks off the new year at the annual Detroit auto show.

For this year’s awards, the winners are the 2012 Hyundai Elantra for car of the year and the 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque for truck of the year.

In December, a panel of 50 journalists named six finalists for the two awards. On the car side, the NACOTY jurors put the Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra, and Volkswagen Passat up for top honors. In trucks, which includes vehicles classified as trucks by the EPA, the finalists included the BMW X3, Honda CR-V, and Land Rover Range Rover Evoque.

To anyone who’s driven a Land Rover in the past—or a Mercedes-Benz Gelaendewagen, or even an old Isuzu Trooper—the LR4’s appearance can be misleading.

The LR4 looks tall and tough—and yes, maybe tipsy—but it’s really more graceful and coordinated than you’d guess.

And unfortunately, it’s easy to rush to conclusions and call it just another truck from afar. From the Discovery to the LR3 to the LR4, the mid-range Land Rover’s silhouette hasn’t evolved that radically. In fact, squint just a bit and you could very easily mistake an LR4 for an LR3 and vice versa.

Recalls are almost as frequent as new model introductions these days, with everything from child seat anchor access to floor mat orientation to blame, but occasionally a serious threat to daily-driving safety arises, and the latest recall of 2010 and 2011 Land Rover LR2s definitely falls into the latter category, thanks to a connector problem that may disable the driver’s front airbag from the factory.

The problem lies in a shorting bar in the clock spring mechanism within the driver’s airbag harness. During installation of the airbag module at the factory, the shorting bar may become disconnected, preventing the airbag’s proper function or disabling it completely. The fix is equally simple: installing a spacer to restore the intended functionality. Service will be handled free of charge by dealers starting on or before December 13, 2010.

What began life as the LRX concept is now official: the 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque is headed for production, after a world debut at the 2010 Paris Auto Show.

The crossover vehicle takes the heritage of Land Rover’s rugged off-roaders and translates it to compact, two-door size. The $45,000 Evoque gets some of its mechanical inspiration from the Land Rover LR2, but it’s much more dashing than its more practical sibling. The dramatic sloping roof makes the four-seater into the tidiest statement of Range Rover style thus far–and fashion’s playing an even larger role than the jewel-like details inside and out, now that Land Rover’s signed up Victoria “Posh Spice” Beckham to add some of her alleged fashion sense to the final product.

The details on the 2012 Range Rover Evoque are out, with more to come at the 2010 Paris Auto Show debut. Best of all, we have plenty of info on the U.S. version of the smallest Range Rover, including a ballpark starting price.

At “around $45,000″ the Evoque won’t be the most affordable compact crossover on the block, but judging by the high-res photography, it will be one of the most premium. Rich leather, attractive metals, and a modern yet conservative design combine to make a handsome workspace for the driver. Sales start in Fall of 2011.

Land Rover, the brand synonymous with luxurious off-road capability, has just released its 2011 LR2, featuring an updated look and improved engines for the new model year. The smallest of the Land Rover range until the 2012 Evoque lands next fall, the LR2 is otherwise largely unchanged from the 2010 model.

Not that lower emissions, improved fuel economy, and a fresh take on the familiar LR2 face are anything to complain about. First up, the mechanical changes.

No doubt about it at this point, domestic-brand vehicles are more reliable than they used to be. And if you still snicker dismissively when we say that a number of domestic-brand vehicles really do get our pulse going and are better than many imports, it might serve to know that J.D. Power is noting this in the numbers, too.

The production version of the LRX is out from under the covers, and it’s called the Evoque. While the name has changed, the look hasn’t–this little compact Range Rover is the spitting image of the concept vehicle, seen here in its first official image.

Billed as the lightest, most fuel-efficient Range Rover ever, the Evoque will sport four-wheel drive, and is expected to get a manual transmission–Range Rover’s first since 2002–as standard equipment, but the unveiling didn’t reveal what engines will be available.