It is compact, it is sporty, it is powerful, it is fun to drive and it is the best looking SUV in the market. It is the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque. An all capable British luxury SUV that the Evoque already is, it offers an exciting package of driving dynamics, luxury, and obviously good looks. This is one of the very few cars in the world that people of all tastes would find beautiful. At one glance it looks beefy and angry and aggressive and at the other, it looks upscale and classy and sophisticated and stylish. But is the Evoque just about looks? Certainly not. There is a lot of stuff excite you inside the hood and inside the cabin as well. We’ll dig that out step by step here.
The Land Rover Range Rover Evoque went into production back in 2011. It is based on the Range Rover’s LRX concept which was first unveiled back in 2008 at the American Auto Show. The basic question that might arise in any body’s mind is that what’s the issue with Land Rover and Range Rover? Well, the answer is that Land Rover is the parent company while Range Rover is the sub-brand. The SUVs that come out of the Range Rover branding are particularly inclined towards luxury and sophistication while the SUVs only under the Land Rover tag are more of hardcore off-roading machines. With that being said, it is pretty clear that the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque is built to offer the owner a luxurious experience and at the same time, it allows the owner to have fun on the undulations.
The Evoque is offered in 5 different trim levels with the base spec trim priced at $41800. The Evoque is also offered as a two-door convertible which some people find to be pretty cool while have been really critical about it. The Evoque comes with 2 engine options. Both the engines are 4 pot, 2-liter turbocharged units but one of them makes 237 horsepower while the other pumps out 286 horses. You do not get a manual box in this year’s Evoque and you only have the 9-speed torque converter automatic gearbox. The engine is punchy and athletic but the gearbox plays the spoilsport. The box occasionally feels slow and sluggish during fast acceleration but you can overcome that by putting the car in the manual mode and using to the paddle shifters to get it into the right gear and derive the proper amount of torque and power.
Power from the engine and the gearbox is distributed to all four wheels. The smart system of the Evoque automatically switches between four-wheel drive and front wheel drive automatically depending upon your style of driving. This system helps you churn out good fuel efficiency numbers and also a good amount of power. In the city, you can go for 22 miles on a gallon of fuel while on the highway you can go for 29 miles on a gallon of fuel.
This is a luxury SUV and so Land Rover have tried their best to live up the buyer’s expectations. As you get inside of the Evoque, you are welcomed by the gear selector which whirls up from the central tunnel. Then you find the central navigation touchscreen display which is one the most sophisticated displays in the industry. The screen offers some crisp visuals and doesn’t lag at all. It’s almost like you’re an iPhone. The interface is intuitive and easy to use. Although it lacks Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, still you can connect your smartphone via Bluetooth. Additionally, you get a very powerful Meridien to surround sound system which ups your in-ride entertainment experience.
The cabin feels plush and upmarket credit to the use of premium materials overall. The seats are wrapped in leather and nicely cushioned and offer comfortable bolstering all around. At the front, you get heated and ventilated seats while at the rear you can avail the heating option by paying extra. Overall, a nice place to be in however it doesn’t match the levels of finesse you would get from a Mercedes or an Audi luxury SUV. The suspension is set up a little bit on the stiffer side but they do the job of absorbing bumps and potholes really well. Stiffer set up helps the car to up the game in terms of driving dynamics and it almost feels like a staged up sports car. Additionally, you get the Land Rover’s Terrain Response system which lets you select drive modes for various types of terrains. At a tap of a button, you can select the terrain including grass, gravel, snow, mud and ruts and sand. Now again this is a luxury SUV and not a hardcore off-roading machine but still, you can take it through the mountains and wade through the rivers if you want occasionally.
The Evoque is the SUV brought about a revolution in the Range Rover design house. The strong stance of the car, the rising midline, the floating roofline, the beefy front grill, and the futuristic-looking LED daytime running lights all to add to the overall drama of the car. This is the car that banks on style over substance. The German counterparts of the Evoque do offer better options. However, all those cars look bland in front of the Evoque. You only buy the Evoque to make a statement. You buy the Evoque to turn heads. You buy the Evoque to grab eyeballs. You buy the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque because it is the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque.