Range Rover Evoque Review

When the Evoque was first released 8 years ago it was greeted with mixed reactions. To the masses of green oval fans it wasn’t a proper Land Rover, and therefore generally dismissed, but for Jaguar Land Rover(JLR) that wasn’t the market they were aiming at. Soon enough it quickly became their best and quickest selling vehicle, in fact you might even wonder where the company would be today if it wasn’t for the Evoque.

Since the first Evoque rolled off the UK production line, nearly 800,000 of them have been sold in 116 countries around the world, and 150,000 of those have been sold in the UK, accumulating 217 global awards whilst it’s at it - so it can’t be bad.

So, 8 years on and what’s new?

Well, although JLR have kept its sleek and modern silhouette, only the door hinges have been carried forward and everything else is new.

By extending the wheelbase by 21mm, the new Evoque has a 20% larger diesel and UREA tank to improve its range, there’s more boot space and knee room in the rear, and it also has packaging for their electric MHEV and PHEV technology, which is crucial to modern day motor manufacturers.

As JLR put it, the new Evoque is a really important vehicle, at that difficult-to-get right second album stage, but they’re confident that the new Evoque takes all the character of the old one and brings it right up to date, with added sophistication and quality.

Have they succeeded?

To find out, JLR invited me and other colleagues from the Northern Group of Motoring Writers to the spectacular Peckforton Castle over in Cheshire to experience it, both on, and off-road.

Oddly, the last time I drove anything from the JLR stable was just over 3 years ago, which happened to be an Evoque. I recall that both Muddy Madam and I thoroughly enjoyed living with it for a week, so it was lovely to reacquaint myself with one again.

Leaving Peckforton Castle and heading towards the M56 for Halewood I opted to be passenger which

gave me the opportunity to explore all its nooks and crannies whilst enjoying its new and thoroughly updated cabin.

Not only have they introduced Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to enable seamless smartphone integration, but passengers can keep connected to the outside world with 6 USB and 3 12-volt points dotted around the cabin, plus a 4G WiFi hotspot for up to eight devices.

As a passenger, the new Evoque is a comfortable and soothing place to be, the seats can be adjusted to suit most shapes and sizes, and shoulder room is ample. We chose not to have the music on at all throughout our drive and road noise was a distant hum, whatever the road surface.

Leaving the Halewood plant after an incredibly interesting tour of the Evoque production line, it was my turn to take to the helm.

With the sat-nav set, I made my way towards North Wales in the hope of enjoying some spectacular scenery and empty roads. Sadly I wasn’t able to have much fun and test its on-road prowess around Wales’ sweeping roads as for the entire drive towards Ruthin, Horseshoe Pass and back towards Cheshire we were stuck behind everything, literally, everything!

The 180ps diesel is the second smallest power output available, and although I moaned a little bit about its lack of umph and the slight delay in kick-down from the ultra smooth 9-speed auto, in reality it’s perfectly adequate.

Whilst you’ve got me talking about engines, you have both a 2ltr petrol and diesel to choose from. Power outputs for the diesels consist of either 150ps, 180ps and 240ps, or if you prefer a petrol then the choices are 200ps, 250ps and 300ps.

All Evoque models, apart from the entry level D150 FWD Manual, are fitted with an MHEV system to reduce emissions. The mild hybrid powertrain is a first for Land Rover and works by harvesting energy normally lost during deceleration thanks to the engine mounted belt integrated starter generator, storing it in the under floor battery.

The hybrid system delivers CO2 emissions from as low as 149g/km and fuel economy from 50.4mpg. If you want a 2wd version, then it’s available with either the petrol or diesel with 150ps and a manual 6-speed ‘box.

The new dash layout is wonderful and high tech, with twin central displays complemented by a multi-mode instrument panel with a TFT screen. Despite my dislike for distracting screens it really does look the beans.

Whilst I’m moaning, I understand the desire for designers to create a clutter free dash, but please, there’s nothing wrong with proper heater control dials!

On-road, despite being stuck behind the world and her sister, the Evoque was an absolute joy to drive, simple as that really. Whilst Dynamic Stability Control, Roll Stability Control and new, stiffer architecture took care of the corners, its new suspension handled the potholes.

After lunch at the fantastic Pheasant Inn we were joined by an off-road instructor who directed us to the Land Rover Experience centre at Peckforton. Yes, we are spoilt!

Although not hugely challenging, the tracks aren’t meant for the experienced 4x4 owner like myself, rather owners of new vehicles with little or no experience off the beaten track.

That said, it still proved that the new Evoque has Land Rover’s DNA in the name of Terrain response

2 when it comes off-road ability, and despite what some people might think, it’ll go where ever grip and ground clearance will allow. Have I mentioned that its wading depth has been increased to 600mm from 500mm? No? Ah well…

Overall, Land Rover have future-proofed the Evoque, and soon there’ll be a Plug-In available that will provide emission free city driving and silent running all without any range anxiety as it will feature a lightweight 1.5 litre turbo 3-cylinder engine.

Even internally the new Evoque is fuelled by sustainable innovation. For example, the Evoque offers premium alternatives to leather, the Kvadrat upholstery combines a durable wool-blend with a technical Dinamica suede cloth, made from 53 recycled plastic bottles per vehicle.

It’s clever too, the new Evoque is also the first Land Rover with Smart Settings, which uses artificial intelligence to learn the driver’s habits, media preferences, and preferred temperature settings.

The technology doesn’t stop there. We all know that the Evoque has a narrow rear window which can make visibility challenging, especially if you have tall passengers or boxes in the boot. Well, the new Evoque has a ClearSight rear view mirror which can change from a standard mirror to a clear, crisp, highdefinition view of the road behind, which is really cool!

This is works by a roof-mounted camera located within the shark fin antennae and not only gives you a great view behind, but your field of vision is increased by 50º. Cleverly it also changes frame rate between day and night to ensure you get a feed that is consistent, whatever the conditions.

And that’s not all, another clever addition is Clear Sight Ground View, it’s a concept that Land Rover first previewed in back 2014, but back then it was known as invisible bonnet, if you remember. Basically, it’s like driving without an engine and bonnet so you are able to see exactly what’s in between both front wheels.

How it works is simple, though describing it not so! Using three forward-facing cameras in the front grille and on the door mirrors, they project a feed onto the upper central touchscreen to show what is ahead of, and underneath the front of the vehicle with a virtual 180º view. They aren’t just cameras though, they record what’s in front of the vehicle as you drive forward and show it passing in between the front wheels and under the engine - witchcraft at it’s best!

Incidentally, the new Evoque is the first car in the world to feature ground view technology, and it works a treat.

After a day out in the Evoque I was impressed, it’s very much a part of the Range Rover brand with premium levels of equipment and sophisticated ride. Another benefit is that independent industry experts reckon it will retain an average of 63% of its value after three years and 36,000 miles. This in turn means that by keeping hold of its value, if you choose a PCP plan then you will have a more reasonable monthly payments that’s wildly better than almost anything else on the road.

The new Range Rover Evoque is available to order now at Land Rover UK retailers, priced from £31,600 and you can configure your preferred specification at: https://www.landrover.co.uk