Range Rover Evoque Si4 Dynamic Coupe 2012 review

Range Rovers have been the reigning all-terrain wagons since they appeared in the 1970s - equally at home on a regal hotel forecourt as in the British bogs of their Solihull birthplace.

Market trends have forced the iconic box to update -- and the Evoque is the result.

And given Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham was a design consultant, you might guess offroad was less a priority than off-the-runway.

Explore the 2012 Range Rover Evoque range

• Range Rover Evoque Pure SD4 2012 review
• Range Rover Evoque Si4 Dynamic Coupe 2012 review
• Range Rover Evoque Prestige auto 2012 review
• Range Rover Evoque 2012 review
• Range Rover Evoque eD4 2012 review

VALUE

If you're accustomed to browsing in Range Rover showrooms, you'll know that value isn't the first thing sales staff tout.

But the Evoque - in this case the Si4 Dynamic Coupe with a $75,395 pricetag - has looks and badge value that might make the pricetag look credible. There were plenty of features on the test car - terrain response, power-adjustable seats, automatic xenon headlights, fog lights, folding, heated exterior mirrors, rear parking sensors, 19in wheels - but the test car was chock-full of bits from an extensive options list.

The Dynamic had the Tech Pack (up-spec satnav, hard-drive, voice control, headlight washer, electric tailgate, front parking sensors and rear camera, upgraded climate control) that costs $5900, the excellent 17-speaker Meridian Surround Sound System (for $2385), the Adaptive Dynamics (which adds the electromagnetically-controlled dampers and Dynamic mode to the Terrain Response system) for $1950, digital TV with the clever dual-view screen ($1450 and $1270), $1300 worth of metallic paint and the $1035 panoramic fixed glass roof.

But wait, there is indeed more - the Park Assist system (for those who can't park themselves - $1090), the useful "Surround Camera System" for $900, tyre pressure monitoring ($545) and automatic high beam assist for $335 - all of which ramps up the as-tested price to $98,150 - ouch.

TECHNOLOGY

Top of the pops here is the peppy little petrol powerplant - a 177kW/340Nm variable-valve lightweight alloy 2-litre turbo with direct-injection that gives more than a few clues to the Falcon EcoBoost. Land Rover claims 8.7l/100km on the combined cycle claim as well as a 0-100km/h claim of 7.6 seconds - the latter is likely and but we got low 13s on the trip computer.

That might have more to do with the driver's enjoyment of the engine noise and handling, but there are diesel variants that are worthy if fuel economy is your thing. Ride and handling characteristics of the test car had the benefit of the optional Adaptive Dynamics, which employs the magnetically-controlled dampers to constantly adjust for the best of both worlds.

It also adds a Dynamic mode to the Terrain Response for a back-road run sans body roll.

DESIGN

Bold, aggressive and a real head-turner - the Evoque is a looker. Lower, shorter in overall length and wide, the Dynamic three-door has short overhangs and broad shoulders, so there's no missing it on the road.

The engineers have used plastic and aluminium for some panels and components, as well as ultra-high-strength boron steel in the A- and B-pillar for extra strength, although the former are still a little wider than is ideal.

The cabin is littered with luxurious bits, comfortable seating and no shortage of gizmos, but rear passengers don't get any vents (that adds $190) and can't wind down the windows - which is not pleasant in our climate with the glass roof.

Rear vision suffers for the styling as well - straight back through the rear screen or three-quarter vision is hampered in sacrifice to the external lines.

SAFETY

The brawny upstart of the Range Rover line-up is an NCAP 5-star car, with driver and passenger front and side airbags, a knee airbag for the driver and full-length side curtain airbags. The active traction and stability systems include anti roll-over and trailer stability systems, as well as hill start and descent control systems.

DRIVING

When it comes to fashion I claim refugee status, but it's not hard to see why the Evoque is a head-turner, in three or five-door form. There's a sniff of styling heritage from the bigger Rangies but the new-age Evoque can't be accused of dwelling in the past. Technically the test car is a five-seater, although I don't think there's really room for more than four adults - whatever the age of the two rear occupants, they won't enjoy the lack of rear air vents or moving windows.

The driver can have a bit of fun though, on sealed and unsealed roads - flick it into Dynamic mode (which changes the instrument lighting to mist-red), swivel the Jag-sourced transmission selector into Sport mode and the Evoque is extremely swift and agile, but the steering is lacking a bit of weight.

The powerplant is a willing and flexible engine, making all the right noises (with some help from the engineers) and punching far harder than you'd expect from a two-litre hauling over 1800kg (with driver). With 215mm of ground clearance there's some scope for getting it properly dirty - it is a Land Rover after all - but anything more than an A-grade dirt track is unlikely to ever see one of these.

If you want to go off-road, head toward a Discovery 4 in the same showroom - a three-litre SDV6 HSE can be had for a similar price to the as-tested figure here. Vision forward is reasonable (although the A-pillars are a little thick) and the mirrors give a good view aft - that combined with the sensors and cameras help offset the abysmal rear vision through the back window and around the thick C-pillar.

Anyone buying one of these should add $635 worth of blind spot monitoring as it will save on apologetic waves and potential panel damage.

The touchscreen works well enough when you can see it - the pushed-back angle of the dash means the screen is over-exposed to light from the windscreen making it difficult to see, getting it closer to vertical and deeper-set would fix the problem.

The specs say the boot is 550 litres in capacity but width will be an issue for anyone looking to carry golf clubs or the like. The negatives also include a wayward left-hand exterior mirror that didn't want to lock in - eventually several pushes of the fold button rectified the problem.

VERDICT

As a stylish, swift, capable and prestigious coupe, the Evoque more than cuts the mustard, even if it is wearing Louboutin stiletto shoes. But don't let the Range Rover badge lull you into thinking the breadth of capability is that of its forebears.

This is fashion - to some extent - over function and for my money I'd rather buy a $50,000 off-roader and a Mazda MX-5 for fun.