The smallest, lightest and most fuel-efficient Range Rover (RR) ever produced. 'How much of a Range Rover is it?' This is one massive burden every Evoque must be carrying as it rolls out of the Halewood factory, near Liverpool. By the time they reach the Indian shores, more load is added in the form of import duties and taxes. So now the question is, as the British say, will it be worth all the quid? We'll try to answer that in this report.
Design
To cut a long chase short, the Evoque looks just stunning! This is Range Rover's new design direction, traces of which are also visible in the DC100 Defender concept showcased at the Auto Expo earlier this year. The Evoque is an ultra-modern take on British SUVs. It's compact, chic and super sexy. Sorry, I had to use the word, after allVictoria Beckham was part of its design and style team. This spunky mini-SUV will make more heads turn than many oversized, boxy SUVs that you might have bought to do the same.
Soft front design, with slit-eye type menacing Xenon with LED headlight. Large wheels, flared wheel arches that encroach upon the bonnet on the sides, low roof-lines that taper further towards the tail, squeezing the rear windows. The design opposes traditional Range Rovers and yet manages to be very, very attractive. The Evoque is macho and intelligent in a metrosexual way. It's sensitive and brawny, a little bit like Christian Bale in American Psycho.
Interior
Interior
Most Range Rovers have high seats and low window-lines, so that you get a better view while driving. But the Evoque is a complete contrast. You sit rather low, as in a sports car, so obviously the driving position is more snug, but the outside visibility is challenged. The large external rear-view mirrors disrupt your front side view, while little can be seen through the tiny glass on the boot lid block.
Contrary to the car's coupé-like external design, the cabin room will take you by surprise. Even while seated on the rear bench, the narrowing window actually does little to make you feel claustrophobic. You are seated low, so there is a good amount of headroom and even the legroom is decent. Moreover, the large panoramic glass roof makes the cabin nice and bright. Whereas the seats themselves are supportive and comfortable, though some more under-thigh support is desirable. The ambient lighting add to the experience and you have a range of colours to choose from to suit your mood.
You also get an impressive list of standard equipment, such as a Meridian music system with USB and iPod connectivity, a high-resolution eight-inch touchscreen, parking sensors with thermal display, airbags in front and side curtain, Bluetooth telephone connectivity, rain-sensing wipers, electrically adjustable seats and push button start. Even from the inside, this SUV is fun and sophisticated, that's one tough combination to maintain.
We got to test the SD4 variant, which is powered by a 2.2-litre, four-cylinder, transverse, diesel motor that produces 190 PS of maximum power, while a healthy 420 Nm is available right from 1,750 RPM. This SUV is also offered with a two-litre, 240 PS and 340 Nm petrol engine. But, believe me, you won't miss the petrol-powered motor, as this diesel engine is very quiet and extremely refined. You can hardly hear the characteristic diesel clatter or the spinning turbo in the cabin, even when you rev it hard.
The motor is mated with a six-speed automatic transmission that can be engaged by a super-slick rotary shifter and you also get steering-mounted paddle shifters. Using the drive selector, one can pick either the 'Normal' or 'Sport' mode. Either way, the automatic gearbox feels slack and doesn't feel as quick as the spec-sheet suggests. This becomes more evident while overtaking. Prod hard on the accelerator to make it take off in urgency, but it has a mind of its own. The six-speed gear box seems stubborn at times when one uses the steering-mounted paddle shifts, but it refused to shift down.
Having said that, you can't call the Evoque slow in any way, because once it overcomes the lag, it can be quite a performer. The 2.2-litre motor achieves 0-100 kph in a very respectable 9.91 seconds. That's a couple of seconds faster than several white-collared sedans. It's just that it can't handle pressure, but if you don't push it too hard, the silky smooth engine won't fail to impress.
Contrary to the car's coupé-like external design, the cabin room will take you by surprise. Even while seated on the rear bench, the narrowing window actually does little to make you feel claustrophobic. You are seated low, so there is a good amount of headroom and even the legroom is decent. Moreover, the large panoramic glass roof makes the cabin nice and bright. Whereas the seats themselves are supportive and comfortable, though some more under-thigh support is desirable. The ambient lighting add to the experience and you have a range of colours to choose from to suit your mood.You also get an impressive list of standard equipment, such as a Meridian music system with USB and iPod connectivity, a high-resolution eight-inch touchscreen, parking sensors with thermal display, airbags in front and side curtain, Bluetooth telephone connectivity, rain-sensing wipers, electrically adjustable seats and push button start. Even from the inside, this SUV is fun and sophisticated, that's one tough combination to maintain.We got to test the SD4 variant, which is powered by a 2.2-litre, four-cylinder, transverse, diesel motor that produces 190 PS of maximum power, while a healthy 420 Nm is available right from 1,750 RPM. This SUV is also offered with a two-litre, 240 PS and 340 Nm petrol engine. But, believe me, you won't miss the petrol-powered motor, as this diesel engine is very quiet and extremely refined. You can hardly hear the characteristic diesel clatter or the spinning turbo in the cabin, even when you rev it hard.The motor is mated with a six-speed automatic transmission that can be engaged by a super-slick rotary shifter and you also get steering-mounted paddle shifters. Using the drive selector, one can pick either the 'Normal' or 'Sport' mode. Either way, the automatic gearbox feels slack and doesn't feel as quick as the spec-sheet suggests. This becomes more evident while overtaking. Prod hard on the accelerator to make it take off in urgency, but it has a mind of its own. The six-speed gear box seems stubborn at times when one uses the steering-mounted paddle shifts, but it refused to shift down.Having said that, you can't call the Evoque slow in any way, because once it overcomes the lag, it can be quite a performer. The 2.2-litre motor achieves 0-100 kph in a very respectable 9.91 seconds. That's a couple of seconds faster than several white-collared sedans. It's just that it can't handle pressure, but if you don't push it too hard, the silky smooth engine won't fail to impress.
Electronics like roll stability control (RSC) and dynamic stability control (DSC) free the Evoque of any unsettling body-roll and further improve its handling. It takes on bad roads and a fair bit of off-roading with dignity, like any true-blooded Range Rover. But while driving on the rare flat tar roads, the impact over the common ditches and potholes can be felt through the cabin, making the ride unpleasant. The electrically assisted rack and pinion steering might feel light compared to other Range Rovers, but as the speed increases, feels pretty direct.
To be fair to the Evoque, nobody would be buying it to take it off-road. But just in case you do, its good ground clearance and short overhangs will help it take on a good amount of off-roading, mud and slush. Although internationally it is offered both in 4x2 and 4x4 variants, in Indian it comes with the 4x4 as standard. It is also armed with Range Rover's 'terrain response system' featuring some pre-set driving condition modes.
To be fair to the Evoque, nobody would be buying it to take it off-road. But just in case you do, its good ground clearance and short overhangs will help it take on a good amount of off-roading, mud and slush. Although internationally it is offered both in 4x2 and 4x4 variants, in Indian it comes with the 4x4 as standard. It is also armed with Range Rover's 'terrain response system' featuring some pre-set driving condition modes.
Basically, this system adjusts the Evoque's gearbox, ESP, ABS and engine response to improve traction, sensing the surface you are driving on. Just below the slick gear dial are a couple of buttons that help you toggle between the pre-set modes like 'Normal', 'Snow', 'Slush' and ruts, and 'Incline' road conditions. 'Hill Descent' is also a standard feature, so that you don't have to worry about rolling down an incline, as the system kicks in, while you simply sit back and concentrate on pointing the front wheels in the right direction. And then it can even sail through knee-deep water, so surviving Indian monsoons shouldn't be an issue either.Ride And Driveablity
The mini-SUV is loosely based on elder sibling Freelander and is sprung on McPherson struts up front and multi-link, coil spring at the rear. But what makes a big difference is that the Evoque is roughly 100 kg lighter and has achieved this feat by using lightweight material such as aluminium and, more importantly, because of its relatively small size. This not only improve suspension performance by increasing stiffness and reducing unsprung weight, but also contributes towards increasing efficiency. Fourteen km per litre on the highway isn't bad, is it?
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