Not so long ago, owning a subcompact like the Fit was considered to be a punishment for sins of a past life by most global societies. They were flimsy, clunky, loud, uncomfortable, if economical deathtraps. The original Fit did a lot to change that, though, and thankfully this new one has completely flipped the script.

Car nameplates are recycled on a regular basis. You can’t buy a new third-generation C-Class anymore, but you can drive home from your local Mercedes-Benz dealership in a vastly improved fourth-generation modelthat benefits from the latest advances in automotive technology. For three decades, The Land Rover Defender has managed to eschew this evolutionary pattern, so…