THE knives are out for 4x4 vehicles, with their only saviour likely to be the UK's Land Rover plant and the many thousands of jobs it represents.
Without this vested interest for UK PLC, there would almost certainly be the most draconian fiscal measures taken to deter us from buying such vehicles and, indeed, there still might be.
The problem is that some people consider them to be unnecessary and socially unacceptable.
They are used to perform the same personal transport functions as conventional cars yet generally use more fuel, take up more room and inflict greater harm to others than smaller vehicles.
Many of them are unfeasibly large and in the eyes of their critics, utterly pointless.
Among the most acceptable of the bunch is the Lexus RX300, which is almost dainty in comparison to some of its rivals.
This is largely because its creators had a real-world grasp of what it would actually be used for, which is certainly not hauling itself up mountains or across rivers.
Having just spent a week behind the wheel of one, I reckon it is just about the best of its type on the market.
The Lexus is just as well built as any of them, is beautiful to drive, has excellent manners on tarmac and is very capable in the rough.
It looks absolutely fabulous, boasts the most fantastic attention to detail and virtually guarantees total reliability and durability.
Following its huge success in America, where it is the best selling model in the range, Lexus is justifiably hoping for similar success in the UK.
Powered by a three-litre V6 engine, the RX300 has a car-type unitary body design in contrast to the traditional separate body and ladder-type chassis of conventional off-roaders.
The RX300 entered the sport utility vehicle market against established rivals such as the Mercedes M-Class, Jeep Grand Cherokee and BMW X5 and is priced at £28,995, or £33,120 for the SE model and £37,825 for the SE-L with £2,000 worth of satellite navigation.
A key to its success in the States is that it offers off-road capability without the on-road compromises often associated with all-wheel drive vehicles.
Its design offers levels of driving comfort in line with Lexus saloons, and is aimed at satisfying the changing tastes of luxury car buyers.
The passenger car-type unitary construction is combined with independent suspension to provide the levels of ride, handling and responsiveness customarily associated with Lexus saloons.
It is these features that enable the RX300 to dominate the luxury 4x4 market in the USA. Despite being launched into a market that is regarded as the cradle of the 4x4 segment, the new Lexus leapt to the top of the American sales charts within months and has remained there ever since. Not only is it the best selling Lexus in the USA, it is currently the best selling Compact Sport Utility.
Although the concept would suit European customers, driving styles and conditions in Europe are quite different from those in the US and Japan, so development engineers in the Lexus Technical Centre in Brussels fine-tuned the vehicle for different driving conditions.
These included changing the steering and suspension to offer better driver response and feedback as well as the addition of safety items such as Electronic Brake Distribution and Brake Assist.
During the last five years the four by four sector in the UK has grown by almost 30 per cent, and now accounts for almost ten per cent of the total car market with a further rise of 4.5 per cent last month.
One of the attractions is the car-like ability of the new generation of vehicles, with the Lexus able to accelerate to 60mph in just nine seconds whilst boasting a top speed of 125mph.
It really is impossible to fault but faces extremely tough competition from a host of rivals including, especially, the equally impressive Volvo XC90, which is about £5,500 more expensive but offers seven seats.
Knock about £1,500 off the RX300's list price to represent realistic price transactions and it reflects tremendous 4x4 value by UK standards at around £27,700.
FAST FACTS
Lexus RX 300
Price: £29,825
Mechanical: 201bhp, 2,995cc, 6cyl petrol engine driving all four wheels via 5spd automatic gearbox
Max speed: 124mph
0-62mph: 9 secs
Combined mpg: 23.2
Insurance group: 15
CO2 emissions: 288g/km
BiK rating: 35%
Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles; 12yrs anti-rust; 3yrs paint