2012 Range Rover Evoque SD4 4WD
The recently launched Evoque is Range Rover’s entry into the burgeoning small premium SUV market. Designed to take on cars like the Audi Q3 and the BMW X3 the Evoque faces stiff competition – let’s see if it brings enough attributes to the table to establish a credible alternative.
The Evoque’s party piece is certainly the styling. From the outside it is a striking looking car, especially if you choose lighter colours or the contrasting roof colours. It looks good, but it feels like one of those cars that won’t age well. If you choose a darker colour it is toned down considerably, with a whiff of poshed up Freelander from some angles.
The interior follows the same trend as the renewed JLR cars, very modern and good looking, with plenty of screens and modern ambient lightning. Quality is also top notch, at least on par with the German alternatives. Driving position is commanding but comfortable. For such a big car though (over 1.90m wide), space is tiny inside with limited width and claustrophobic rear seats, even in our five door test car, boot also being similarly affected. Visibility is pretty much non existent, especially side and behind, making the rear camera an essential extra for parking manoeuvres.
Our car was fitted with the top diesel engine paired with a 6 speed manual gearbox. The engine is the same 2.2 litre engine found under the Jaguar XF which in this application delivers 190bhp and 420Nm. Performance is adequate, if not brilliant, and the engine does favour relaxed driving, with plenty of grunt available from 1,500rpm. The weight does drag down the performance indeed, but you are not left wanting for more in such a car, maybe possibly even the 150bhp would be enough although it could be a bit short on power. It has to be said, however, that at on the move at low revs there’s slight vibration which can be felt in the steering wheel pedals. It’s not overtly catastrophic but it’s certainly odd bearing in mind the general refinement of the car.
One of the surprises of the car was the slick 6 speed manual gearbox. It has very short throws and it certainly does encourage fast shifting, being smooth and accurate. Clutch is easily manageable soft and with an easy-to-get-used biting pointing. Certainly a gearbox that wouldn’t be out of place in a sports car.
The 190bhp diesel brings, mandatory, four wheel drive. The car I drove also had fitted the biggest wheels available, 20 inchers, which provide plenty of grip. Handling is generally good, with understeer as the ultimate result if you push hard although lit-off oversteer is available if you feel so inclined. Bear in mind that we are speaking about a car that weights almost 1800kg, so it is not quite as nimble as the handling would let you believe. Unfortunately steering is a tad too soft and artificial. Another clear drawback is the size, which limits its manoeuvrability around town in our narrow country roads.
Despite the big wheels the car rides properly. Fortunately the ride comfort does not compromise body roll excessively, although again the weight, mass and general bulk of the car has to be taken into account. A word of caution, if you are serious about off roading, you’d probably be better off with the smaller wheels, although handling will undoubtedly be compromised.
Having pretty much every option available fitted to our car, including sat-nav, the aforementioned 20-inch wheels, leather upholstery, xenon headlamps or Bluetooth connectivity amongst others, it retailed for 46.000€ which is actually quite a lot. Again keeping options to a minimum brings down the price, and this is probably the way it should be bought.
In the end it is basically car bought with the heart. The exterior dimensions do not reflect in the interior size or boot and visibility is severely compromised by the design. It is hopelessly impractical in the city and fuel consumption will probably be abysmal. On the plus side it’s a very distinctive car with an excellent interior, a good drive and serious off road capabilities. If you want one nothing else will do. But if you need a car for transporting people or going to places it’s probably better to look somewhere else. My personal recommendation (pending a definitive test drive to check if it’s enough) would be the 150bhp diesel engine with four wheel drive and a manual gearbox.