2011 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Reviews

NEW In a sea of unrelenting sameness the Range Rover Evoque stands out with its super low roofline giving it a sporty style unlike any other SUV. But it's not just about the look of the Evoque, it's also a capable vehicle on and off road, as you would expect from such a respected brand in the off-road field. Like all

TRENDY flared trousers and platform shoes were so hot in the 1970s that blokes in straightleg pants were openly ridiculed. How could we be so blind? The cringeworthy fashion deviations taken 40 years ago swept back in a flood of embarrassment when I parked the Evoque alongside a new Mitsubishi Pajero. The Pajero, large 4WD with nice proportions, suddenly looked 40 years old. Such is fashion. But there's much more to the latest Range Rover than style.I've seen American clothing stores hang thousand-dollar price tags from bizarrely coloured mens suits that I wouldn't let my cat sleep on. Whacky stuff tends to command a price premium. The Evoque is very different, definitely not whacky, but isn't cheap. Yes, you can buy a 2WD version from $49,990 but the Prestige here costs $75,375 and that's without the excellent panoramic sunroof ($1035), rear camera ($670) and electric tailgate ($1020). Value? Nup.Now you're talking. This is the best looking thing on the streets. Doesn't matter if it's three or five-door, it makes everything else look old hat. And it all works. The five-door is sufficiently roomy for four adults, has a very attractive and comfortable cabin, and has the necessary perceived quality level to suit its price tag. But there are problems. The huge side mirrors block all vision to the curb below and things like unattended shopping trolleys while the rear window is only slightly bigger than a letter-box slit.The all-wheel drive version gets a four-mode Terrain Response from the Freelander II, plus hill descent, which really helps it in the dirt. The 140kW/420Nm 2.2-litre turbo-diesel (now also in the Jaguar XF sedan) is perfect in its role and better than the 2-litre turbo-petrol option. There's a six-speed auto with paddle shifters on the steering column, top-end audio and sat-nav with a touchscreen, and electric steering. There's a sensible approach to the engineering in this thing which should auger well for durability.There's not many new vehicles on the market that lack premium safety gear. From 2012, ESC must be standard fit, for example, though the safety standards will soon become far more stringent. The Evoque is a five-star crash-rated wagon with chassis electronics including corner stability, rollover stability, trailer sway control and hill descent and ascent control. Oh, and seven airbags.It's not as small as I expected and at 1810kg dry, not as light. But it is exceptionally agile and the diesel engine kicks hard. You can throw this through corners and it's an absolute joy. I punted it across 1km of soft beach sand - without the tyres deflated - with the Terrain Response set to the "sand'' setting and it failed to sink. We took the family out to an eatery at night, shopped till the Visa card dropped, went visiting and generally ran this through everything from a pre-Christmas shopping complex to a quiet country road. Good though it was at all there tasks, every time I stopped for a break I just turned around and stared at it. Beautiful.Style with practicality. Yes it's expensive and visibility is rubbish but it is the car for 2011. Probably 2012 and 2013 too.

This is the "it" car of 2012 for sure. Jennifer Hawkins picks up her Range Rover Evoque this week and punters have been lining up at dealers to plonk down their money.This is the new Land Rover Range Rover in distilled form and in this case small doesn't make it a lesser vehicle. It will go almost anywhere in comfort and style, has great on and off-road manners and is crammed with luxury goodies. An extensive options list allows buyers to virtually "custom make" the Evoque of their choice with budget being the only limiting factor.THE LINE-UPTwo body types are available, three door coupe and five door wagon in Pure, Prestige and Dynamics grades. Currently, all have 4x4 transmission but a front wheel drive will be available early next year.STYLEEvoque springs from the LRX concept and is infact extremely close in overall design and appearance. Evoque embodies Range Rover family heritage styling with its clamshell bonnet and "floating" roof. The interior is text book Range Rover but smaller. It has the same ambience as the larger model.POWERTRAINSThree engines are available. In Evoque TD4 and SD4 it's a four pot 2.2-litre turbodiesel with 110kw/400Nm and  140kW/400Nm respectively. They are the same as in Freelander and come with a six-speed manual or optional six speed paddle shift auto from Japanese manufacturer Aisin.The petrol is a 2.0-litre turbo with direct injection shared with Ford Mondeo, Volvo and soon Falcon. It's good for 177kW/340Nm and features a clever sheet metal turbo housing and exhaust manifold that virtually eliminates lag.Best fuel economy comes from the TD4 coupe and wagon at 5.7-litres/100km. Both diesel enjoy a luxury car tax-break because they use less than 7.0-litres/100km.THE RIDEEvoque engineers have been able to do wonders with a relatively simple strut and coil spring suspension that provides an excellent compromise between comfort and sporty dynamics. The rigid chassis forms a solid platform for the vehicle's underpinnings. Large wheels and tyres give impressive grip and an optional Dynamic Package includes magnetic adaptive suspension for a step up in handling (and looks).TECHNOLOGYEvoque boasts the latest in media connectivity including Bluetooth phone and audio streaming. A eight inch centre touch screen controls many functions including dual view which allows the driver and passenger to look at completely different content at the same time.Terrain Response offers four modes of off road and on road driving at the turn of a dial. It has hill descent control and numerous other electronic traction and drive aids.THE DRIVEImpressive ... feels like a sports car in the coupe turbo petrol model. The diesels are similarly impressive but no quite as quick. They offer strident torque and excellent fuel economy and are virtually inaudible on the highway.We sampled a few versions but none with the magnetic adaptive ride. Can't see why you'd bother really. The petrol has an exhaust note generator for aural appreciation. All versions feel good to drive and there's even adequate room in the rear seat of the three door coupe (the best looker).Off road capability is surprisingly good for what is essentially a soft roader without low range. Doesn't really need it as we found out driving up a half metre deep creek then up the muddy bank.PRACTICALITIESRoomy inside for four, five at a pinch. Load space is adequate, expandable if you fold the rear seats. The temporary spare will let you limp home (maybe).PRICESThe TD4 manual five door Pure starts at $53,395. The two wheel drive will be from $49,995 when it arrives.VERDICTYes please. Difficult call between the diesel and petrol. Would go with an auto -in red with a contrast white roof please.

You'd call it one of the cars of the year, except that it's based on an SUV and carries the name of the original luxury offroader. You hesitate to say "crossover" because that's inevitably applied to lesser devices that try to be all things and succeed in being none.By contrast, the keenly awaited Evoque (250 have been pre-sold it and it should about double sales on this venerable brand) is almost unfeasibly multi-talented. It's about as car-like as you could wish while retaining the offroad ability to almost match the Land Rover Freelander from which it's derived.Already said to be responsible for one rear-ender on the public road -- the driver ruefully admitted to perving on the Evoque in the next lane rather than watching the car to his front -- it looks and feels fairly fabulous: a car to lure both luxury SUV lovers and those of us who wouldn't otherwise want to be found decomposing in an SUV. So, yeah, it is kind of a crossover vehicle.Are we talking inherent or perceived value here? From the former perspective, the signature Prestige coupe -- in motor show reveal white with black sun roof -- surges from its list ask of $75,895 to just shy of $100,000K with a few careless strokes of the pen on the options list. The Dynamic SD4 five door we later drove was a mere $94,284 options added from a base of $73,375. So both approach double the entry level 4WD Pure manual from $53,995. A sub $50K front wheel drive comes later.Yet when it comes to the Evoque, perception is -- if not all -- then of more relevance than most. At all spec levels, with three or five doors, adequate 18-inch alloys or jitteringly phat 20s, it looks (sorry) evocative.The degree of personalization and combination of options is long enough to fill these columns. Two worth ticking are the contrasting colour roof ($900) which especially sets off a dark colored Evoque, and the Adaptive Dynamics pack ($5900) which uses Magnaride dampers to firm up the suspension to fine effect for when the bends tighten.A paper-eating plethora of this too, though the engineering achievement can be measured as much by what's not there -- namely the 100kg by which the Evoque is lighter on the scales than the Freelander.The smallest and lightest Range Rover to date (at barely 4.4m it's hardly bigger than a Mazda3-sized hatch), it sits 27mm lower than the Freelander yet has 12mm more ground clearance. Resonant Meridian audio is an option, but most models come with automatic terrain settings, making the crossing of creeks and sands all but prat-proof.Four-cylinder engines go to the heart of the Evoque's inner urban and environmental friendliness, and seldom has the choice between turbodiesel or turbopetrol been more difficult. Lesser models get a hardly poor man's oiler good for 100kW/ 380Nm. Move up a spec level and diesels gain 40 more kilowatts and 20 more units of torque.The petrol choice, though, is not only worthy of mention, it happens to be the rather talented turbo unit familiar from Volvo's S60 T5 and Ford's much underrated Mondeo. In upgunned form it will also attempt to rejuvenate the Falcon, but to return to the feasible ...Teamed here with a six-speed Aisin automatic (there a six-speed manual available, but really ...) it makes for a pleasant headache in the decision-making stakes. On road it's closer than the raw figures suggest, the 95RON-dependent petrol engine putting out 177kW/340Nm to return 8.7L/100km in combined driving. The top-dog diesel gets 7.6 on the same cycle.Gerry McGovern's triumph over the engineering pragmatists who would have reduced his 2008 LRX concept vision to a superannuated Toyota Rukus, is one to celebrate down the ages. One of the few indelible and likely classic designs of the century to date, its distinctive swooping roofline and rising beltline cost little in terms of practicality."You've got to engineer it in way that enables us to create a new and exciting shape," McGovern insisted. "This is for someone who wants the inherent qualities of an SUV but one smaller scale."Judge for yourself, but know that the rear passengers of the three have as much room as those in the five, it's simply a matter of egress. Oddly, neither will have rear seat vents. This, the plastic Jaguar paddle shifter and the Volvo Teknik pack rear panel on the Dynamic model strike the only false notes. Otherwise it’s pure Ranger Rover -- and that means luscious, lustrous interior panelling. Choosing your own combination of upholstery and trim would be as pleasantly a time-consuming task as can be had with a catalogue.As to fit and finish over the longer term, Land Rover seems to have learned from the epidemic of issues that plagued the first generation Freelander, which even the blindly patriotic British auto press could not fail to pan. Surveys indicate improvements in all aspects.The Freelander is a five-star crasher, as this will surely be. The formidable array of active safety measure, including permanent and constantly varying all-wheel-drive, should ensure that if vast array of airbags is detonated, it won't be via your driving.Petrol or diesel? Diesel or petrol. Tough one. The Ford-derived gasoline unit is a fizzy number that somehow seems more alive here than in the Mondeo that recently occupied Carsguide's garage. Its torque is accessed at a diesel-like low 2000rpm, but it will of course rev some 1500rpm higher. That flexibility is abetted by a more immediate response -- there's barely a hint of the diesel's slight but discernible lag and virtually no untoward noise at all.And yet ... The full grunt diesel's rolling response is enough to win it for me, a linear surge that more clinically disposes of overtaking tasks. And, greater fuel economy and cheaper futile aside, there's hardly an aural indication of what's beneath the bonnet, so thorough is the noise suppression in both vehicles.Resist the urge toward big wheels unless you're prepared to pay the extra six grand for the full outfit of adaptive dynamics. Activate the swirly road button -- our second car had it, the first one didn't -- and this becomes a very different dynamic proposition, more composed and faster through twisty bits, bearing comparison with some of the more capable mid-sized cars.An entertaining turn at a civilized but not undemanding offroad course showed the Evoque to be massively more capable in this regard than any of European rivals. Alright, this might be largely superfluous for the likely owners, but it's terribly reassuring. I mean you won't meet any conditions beyond you on the run between home and the long queue of upmarket SUVs that twice daily clog the streets around every private school. Perhaps more to the point, you won't look out of place. Quite the opposite in fact.So capable, so composed is the Evoque, that almost it's too easy to overlook its excellence. That rare thing, a desirable and entirely functional object that until the rest of the world catches up, has to be seen as being in a class of its own. Get into one before it becomes the most common prestige car on the road.

It's tempting to dismiss the Range Rover Evoque as a piece of automotive jewellery for yummie mummies and bored Mini tragics looking for a new car trinket for the garage. After all, the Evoque is the first city-focussed Land Rover and puts design and fashion first - with everything else a long way back in second. It's also wearing a premium pricetag in Australia from $49,995 that puts it up above the utilitarian Freelander II that reflects the difference in Land Rover and Range Rover badges. But ...Halfway up a slimy, rain-sodden farmers track in northern Wales the temptation passed. The Evoque conquered the challenge as I expect of any true Land Rover and even made some of the worst drivers I have seen - a group of South Americans who needed all the help they could get - looks good on a tough road.So the Evoque is not just a front-wheel drive city showoff. It's also a four-wheel drive that can do the job, despite high-fashion trimmings and a diesel engine that's going to be the most popular choice for Australia. There is a lot to the Evoque, from a choice of three and five-door bodies to a parts roster that has almost nothing in common with the Freelander.The first day of driving in Wales proves it goes well, in conditions from deep muddy ruts to motorways, and is a nice place to travel.Visibility is pretty awful, the petrol engine lacks bottom-end punch, and the Dynamic model is a bit too aggressive in the suspension for my taste.Later today I'm driving the front-wheel drive Evoque around Liverpool - probably with Beatles classics in the background - and will be able to deliver a better verdict. But the first impression is good and the Evoque is shaping as a potential star for Land Rover, a hit with all sorts of Australian shoppers, and even a game-changer to rival the original BMW X5.

There's something very special about the launch of a brand new, never before seen car like Land Rover's new Range Rover Evoque. With its killer good looks, this is a car going places, a car that's going to do big things for Land Rover - not just here but around the world.Preparing to drive the car for the first time in Wales this morning, we admit to being a little excited. Due to arrive in Australia early next year, Land Rover is already holding close to 170 orders for the compact luxury sports utility vehicle (SUV). Hell, the orders started rolling as soon as they showed the first pictures, with many people happy to put their money down just to make sure they're the first to get one.VALUEDid I mention the price? You can get your hands on one of these delectable looking runabouts for as little as $49,990. That's the asking price for the entry level, two-wheel drive model with a turbodiesel engine - but you'll have to wait a little longer for that one which won't be launched until March or April.TECHNOLOGYThere's a choice of three and five-door, two-wheel and four-wheel drive models, with three engines and two transmissions and a variety of options packs. Standard equipment includes push button start, an electric parking brake and Bluetooth with audio streaming, as well as rear parking sensors, colour computer screen and power adjust front seats. For the top of the line Prestige model with a turbocharged petrol engine and all the options, you can pay close to $120,000.If the Ranger Rover Sport experience is anything to go on, the Evoque is headed for number one with a bullet, destined to easily become the biggest selling model in the Range Rover range based on price alone.Buyers flocked to the cheaper, smaller Sport model when it was launched in 2005. Last year, Land Rover sold 4789 vehicles in Australia and 3451 vehicles so far this year - an increase of nearly 20 per cent. There's even talk the Evoque could double sales.At the same time however the Evoque is likely to steal sales from other models, so the marketing focus is going to be on getting new customers into the brand. Land Rover Australia brought its dealers over to the UK to see and drive the car for the first time a month ago.The reception was very positive according to spokesman Tim Krieger."The Range Rover Evoque is the smallest, lightest and greenest Range Rover ever and we expect it to have huge appeal in the market, many of whom may never have considered a Range Rover before, Krieger said. "We already have 8000 people who have registered interest in the model and over time we expect it to be our biggest selling model."The petrol engine is the excellent 177kW 2.0-litre twin turbo unit that we have already seen in some Ford and Volvo models, with direct injection and twin variable valve timing, coupled with a six-speed Aisin automatic transmission. The two 2.2-litre fuel efficient diesels, at 110 and 140kW, are the same as those found in the Land Rover Freelander 2.For a car to succeed it has to nail what we call the three Gs. It has to look good, it has to be offered for a good price and finally it has to go good. Two out of three ain't bad - we're about to find out whether it ticks the final box. Just climbing into the Evoque now.DRIVINGAt the end of the day (and what a long day it's been) it doesn't really matter how well the new Evoque goes or does not go - it's all about the looks. This is not just a good looking car, but a great looking car, inside and out - that will appeal to a wide variety of people (both male and female).It's bigger inside than you might think, with more headroom than the sloping roof suggests. But rear legroom is tight and it has a smallish boot.The Evoque shares its underpinnings and drivetrain with Land Rover's Freelander, with the same 2660mm wheel base - although we're told the chassis has been heavily modified. Ironically, the Freelander looks more like a Rangey than the Evoque does, leaving us to wonder whether there was much debate over what badge it should carry. The final production version of the car is very close to the original LRX concept that was shown in 2008.Design director Gerry McGovern was adamant there were to be no concessions to engineering that compromised what he describes as an exciting, dramatic shape. The designer is confident the result is going to hit the sweet spot.Evoque sits 27mm lower and is 145mm shorter than the Freelander, but incredibly has a wider track and 12mm more ground clearance - not that many owners are likely to take this little beauty bush bashing. With a higher roof line, the five-door is 30mm taller than the three-door version providing back seat passengers more headroom.Extensive use has been made of plastic, aluminium and composite construction materials to reduce the weight, resulting in better performance and fuel economy. The fenders are made of plastic, while the roof and bonnet are aluminium and the tailgate is made of composite material. The result is a car that's about 100kg lighter.So what's the Evoque go like? The 177kW turbocharged petrol model that we drove first up had a sporty engine note and packed a punch, with more power and torque than the 3.2-litre six that it replaces.The engine weighs 40kg less than the six and delivers much better fuel economy. Rated at 8.7 litres/100km, it returned 13.5 litres/100km over a combination of motorways, back roads and heaving going in the mud. The high output SD4 140kW turbo diesel delivers plenty of performance too, with an impressive 420Nm of torque. It's good for 6.5 litres/100km but delivered 11.8 litres/100km over the same drive route.Both engines are teamed with a six-speed Japanese Aisin transmission that allows the driver to change gears manually using steering wheel mounted change paddles. The petrol and diesel will appeal to different buyers. We found the drive experience in both vehicles was not as smooth as we'd hoped, with some odd vibrations and noises on occasion. In both cases, the transmission exhibited a slight hesitation before hooking up - just enough to be irritating.The electric steering is good with plenty of driver feedback, but not nearly as good as BMW's variable ratio steering. Both the cars that we drove were fitted with 19 inch wheels and Continental tyres. It's easy to drive and holds the road well even in wet conditions, but the tyres generated quite a bit of noise on some road surfaces.Off road the Evoque is in a word impressive, with four dial-in terrain response settings for different conditions. The challenging slippery, sliding muddy conditions that we encountered were no real deterrent. In this environment it shines as easily the best in class. Given its off road pretensions, we were surprised to learn the Evoque is supplied with a reinflation kit in the event of a puncture.But the local Land Rover franchise has taken a decision to supply our cars with a space saver spare as standard - not ideal but better than nothing. Overall, the Evoque offers an impressive combination of luxury, performance and economy with some minor niggles - none of them are going to stop you buying it.