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Range Rover has developed a bit of an image problem in the last few years.
To many the brand is still the face of a quintessentially British aspirational luxurious off-roader. But to a growing group, it has become synonymous with the concept of an environmentally reckless fuel-guzzling SUV.
They’re big, heavy, and still feature V8 engines, but Range Rover knows all too well the writing is on the wall for its increasingly infamous range of combustion vehicles.
The trouble is, customers love them, and while the I-Pace from sister brand Jaguar is a big leap into the future, there needs to be a happy medium for easing some of its existing customers away from combustion, while still offering the kinds of excess and aspirational performance the Range Rover brand is associated with.
Enter this car, the Evoque HSE P300e. It’s a plug-in hybrid, notably only available in the top trim level, with top-shelf performance, too.
Is it the right car to represent Range Rover’s entry-level model at a critical time of technological transformation? Let’s take a look.
The Nissan Pathfinder has evolved through five generations since its launch in the mid-1980s. It commenced as a body-on-frame high-riding off-roader like the Navara ute from which it was derived, but today it’s a unitary-bodied, lower-riding crossover with seating for eight.
Even so, the fifth-gen Pathfinder is finding the path to sales leadership a challenging one. Latest VFACTS car industry figures for 2023 show that Nissan’s good-looking SUV currently represents only 1.3 per cent of its hotly contested 'Large SUV' segment, which has more than 20 models competing for buyers.
Interestingly, the top three in this market - Toyota Prado, Isuzu MU-X and Ford Everest - are all body-on-frame high-riding off-roaders, which begs the question if Nissan was correct in moving away from this traditional truck-style design?
Even so, we thought it timely to spend a week aboard the latest Pathfinder, to see if it’s worthy of a larger slice of the SUV pie.
The Range Rover Evoque is more highly specified and more luxurious than ever, and this plug-in hybrid version makes the most of what’s on offer with its slick but familiar feel from behind the wheel.
Unfortunately, it does have an eye-watering price tag to go with its classy design and the options list is a bit rude, all things considered, but the core offering is a solid luxury buy for city-slickers, nonetheless.
What makes the Evoque P300e stand out for me is its impressive EV driving range and excellent charging specs which make it as convenient as possible to make the most of its electrified features.
It’s up to the buyer whether these conveniences and the Range Rover badge are worth swapping into a car a full size down from its luxury plug-in rivals for the same money.
It looks good, offers benchmark safety and combines strong engine performance with sure-footed traction, particularly on low-grip surfaces. There’s also a spacious, comfortable and practical cabin that can seat up to eight and it can tow up to 2.7 tonnes. Apart from its V6 thirst, based on our at-pump figures, there’s little we can criticise about the latest Pathfinder in Ti 4WD specification, which is certainly worthy of consideration for large SUV buyers.
The Evoque has always been a car all about its sleek, city-slicking design, an iconic piece of modern SUV art from Jaguar Land Rover head of design, Gerry McGovern.
With its shapely proportions, clever descending roofline, and a silhouette which successfully reflects a miniaturised version of the Range Rover, the Evoque is at once classy with a faint suggestion of toughness under the skin.
The blacked-out grille, slimline headlights, and contemporary strip across the tailgate all serve to add intrigue to this SUV, and the extra detailing in the front bumper, shapeliness of the bonnet, and contrast black trims (with extra contrast panels on our test car matching the gloss black wheels) serving to add to its premium appeal.
It’s important to remember, while the Evoque slides into a busy small SUV landscape now, it was one of the first to make a premium car so successfully appealing in this small SUV space way back in 2011 with the first Evoque, following Land Rover’s historic trend of being in front of the SUV curve.
Rival small SUV designs may have caught up in the minds of many with the likes of the Audi Q3, BMW X2, and Volvo XC40 shining in recent years, but few have won as many design accolades as the Evoque.
Range Rover seems to be leaning into a more upper luxury trend, not just with the pricing, but with the vibe of the car’s interiors, too.
The new generation Evoque, for example, took a big jump in the look and feel of its interior appointments when it launched in 2019, and over time has only consolidated its market positioning.
The HSE grade which our P300e hybrid arrives in is lavish on the inside, with lovely suede-like seats, intricate contrasting grey cloth trims in the doors (do I detect an influence from Volvo here?) and a plush-looking dash, all finished in soft-to-the touch materials.
Attention to detail, like the silver bezels which adorn the centre console and media screen, add to the premium flair which lifts the Range Rover badge above the Land Rover one, and I do like the way the additional function screen seamlessly melts into the piano finish and integrated dials. While it’s always a nightmare to keep gloss piano finishes clean, it looks oh-so primo.
It’s a little odd the P300e has analogue dials, which seems to miss the premium edge which a fully digital dash might provide although the 7.0-inch centre dash screen has a great resolution and speed, as well as a mostly well laid out operating system.
I found the R-Dynamic modes, which can sharpen up the accelerator response and steering buried two menus deep, unnecessarily hard to find, as were various EV information screens and other less important functions.
The latest Pathfinder rides on a 2900mm wheelbase with an 11.8-metre turning circle. Although it's shorter in overall length with less frontal overhang than its predecessor, it has a wider stance (aka track width) for improved handling plus a height increase for more headroom. There’s also more leg and hip-room.
The sumptuous interior is a tasteful mix of leather accents, piano black and satin chrome with classy exposed stitching along numerous seams including the leather-wrapped steering wheel. It exudes a high-quality look and feel.
The 2/3/3 seating layout can theoretically cater for up to eight occupants, starting with seating for the driver and front passenger which is spacious and comfortable with ample adjustment.
For those in the grandstand-style second row, it also feels spacious thanks not only to the wide-opening doors and increased head and legroom, but also the flat floor with no transmission hump to restrict foot placement for those in the middle. The recline of the 60/40-split backrests can be adjusted for added comfort.
Second-row passengers also have access to their own control panel on the rear of the centre console that allows individual adjustment of seat-heating and temperature/fan speed for vents located under the front seats and in the roof.
The second row tilts and slides forward to provide access to the third row. This is designed to carry up to three occupants, but by our measure only small kids could manage that.
For adults, it’s really a two-seater and that’s only for short trips and only with the second row slid forward at least 100mm to provide adequate knee room.
Even so, the third row offers adequate headroom (even for tall people) and with large glass areas and overhead cooling vents does its best to minimise a claustrophobic feel.
So, we see it as either a seven- or eight-seater, depending on the kid-to-adult mix.
While it still plays the role of Range Rover’s smallest SUV, the current Evoque is much bigger than the car it replaced in 2019. I would go so far as to say it’s deceptively large on the inside.
Front occupants are treated to a cabin which now feels almost as wide as an actual Range Rover, with plenty of room for elbows on either side, which are, of course, met by lovely soft-touch surfaces.
The raised console helps with the upmarket feel, as does the plush dash. The standard 14-way adjust front seats help to accommodate most passengers, with my only criticism being the large A-pillars and height of the dash can make it feel a little bit claustrophobic compared to some rival luxury SUVs.
Storage is offered through a set of large door pockets, a centre console box, dual bottle holders behind the shift lever, and a healthy nook underneath the climate controls, which also hosts a wireless charging bay.
The rear seats share the same comfortable rim as the front ones, and also have large pockets in the doors. Despite the descending roofline, I had just enough room for my head at 182cm tall although it is notable the space in the PHEV feels smaller with the raised floor needed to accommodate the batteries.
I had a little airspace for my knees behind my own driving position, too. The main drawback for rear passengers is the large transmission tunnel, making it difficult to accommodate an adult in the centre position.
There are adjustable air vents for rear passengers, but it is frustrating Land Rover has chosen to make rear USB-C charging ports an arbitrary $270 option.
The boot is also deceptively large for such a small SUV, measuring in at 472 litres (VDA), it’s above average for the small SUV class and fits the full CarsGuide luggage set, provided you remove the parcel shelf as it's just a smidge too high.
You'll also need to keep your charging cables in the boot, as there's no underfloor storage, the entire space being taken up by a space-saver spare wheel.
The Ti 4WD’s 2044kg kerb weight (unladen and full of fuel) and 2750kg GVM (how much it can legally weigh when fully loaded) provides a load capacity of 706kg.
That limit could easily be reached or exceeded just by eight adults, before you could think about loading their luggage.
So, be mindful of combined passenger and luggage weight, particularly when planning a trip, to ensure you’re not over the GVM limit.
It’s also rated tow up to 2700kg of braked trailer, which is suitably large to cater for many recreational towing tasks.
However, as there’s no published GCM (or how much the Ti can legally carry and tow at the same time) we don’t know if it can haul its maximum payload while towing its maximum trailer weight.
Even so, it offers 205 litres of internal load volume with the second and third rows upright (ideal space for a supermarket shop), which expands to 554 litres with the third row folded flat and 782 litres with the second and third rows folded.
There are four cargo tie-down points and a surprisingly large bin hidden under the rear floor.
In terms of internal storage there’s a glove box, console box, overhead glasses holder and seat pockets plus a variety of bins, bottle holders and cupholders thoughtfully placed throughout the cabin catering for all three rows.
Nissan claims a total of 16 cupholders, but by our measure there are 18. Either way, there’s more than ample storage for drinks and personal items in this well-designed cabin.
While we’re on the topic of excess, the Evoque HSE P300e certainly reflects it in the price tag. This plug-in starts from a whopping $105,060 price-wise putting it in the same league as luxury PHEV rivals a full size up.
Because there are no small luxury segment small SUVs in this league currently, we’re in fact forced to compare the Evoque to cars like the Volvo XC60 Recharge (from $100,990), BMW X3 xDrive30e ($107,000), or the particularly good-value Lexus NX 450h+ (from $88,323).
All are larger than our Evoque here, so it’s automatically at a disadvantage, and as is the usual case with Land Rover products, there’s an extensive and occasionally rude options list which can add thousands more to the price.
Our test vehicle, for example, had over $10,000 worth of options attached to it, only three of which (dual-zone climate with second row vents - $1000, and the additional Type 2 charging cable - $528) I would bother to add.
The included equipment at the HSE grade is good, with 20-inch alloy wheels, 14-way electrically adjustable front seats, Matrix LED headlights, a 10-inch tiltable ‘Pivi Pro’ touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, as well as built-in navigation, and a second screen for the climate and car functions.
There’s also a semi-digital dash (oddly, with analogue dials for engine rpm and road speed, but a 7.0-inch digital element for everything else), the choice of either leather or suede interior trim, a leather-bound steering wheel, and keyless entry with push-start ignition.
It’s nice to see the Matrix LEDs as standard here, as well as a swish set of screens and a premium feeling interior. But it’s also frustrating things like digital radio ($520), a head-up display ($1690), data plan ($1040), and USB-C for the rear seats ($351) are optional on a car north of $100,000, especially since most of these are standard on its rivals.
One major catch is how long you might be waiting for one. Some dealer sources tell us customers will need to wait up to 12 months for delivery at the time of writing, so be prepared for this if you want one.
Our test vehicle is the Ti 4WD, which sits one rung below the premium Ti-L 4WD on the local ladder.
Our example (like the Ti-L) is available only with a 3.5-litre petrol V6 and nine-speed automatic transmission for a list price of $71,490, plus on-road costs. Its 'Gun Metallic' premium paint costs extra.
It's generous with luxury appointments starting with unique 18-inch machined-finish alloy wheels and 255/60 tyres (but only a space-saver spare) plus a powered tailgate, roof rails, full LED lighting, heated door mirrors and more.
Inside is a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, heated front and rear seats, leather-accented trim on seats and doors, roll-up sun-shades for the rear passenger door windows, a wireless smartphone charging pad, a USB charging outlet for the third row of seats and a quality 13-speaker Bose audio system.
There are also steering wheel paddle-shifters, a driver’s heads-up display, tri-zone air con, plus five USB ports and two 12-volt outlets to keep a full crew charged and connected.
Central command for the multimedia system is a 9.0-inch touchscreen display including wireless Apple and Android connectivity and digital radio.
The Evoque now sports Jaguar Land Rover’s hybridised ‘Ingenium’ engine family across the range, and the set-up which appears in the plug-in hybrid model might be the most interesting.
It consists of a 1.5-litre three-cylinder combustion engine which is said to produce 147kW/280Nm, and an electric motor powering the rear axle producing 80kW, the two of which combine for an impressive quoted total output of 227kW/540Nm, driving all four wheels.
The motor sources its power from a 15kWh lithium-ion battery pack under the floor of the car, which provides a claimed 62km of fully-electric driving range.
Land Rover also replaced the mechanical brake pedal with a drive-by-wire one to allow for improved ‘blended’ regenerative braking.
The Pathfinder is powered a lusty direct-injection 3.5-litre petrol V6. It produces 202kW at 6400rpm and 340Nm at 4800rpm.
It’s paired with a nine-speed torque converter automatic transmission which offers the choice of manual sequential-shifting using steering wheel-mounted paddles.
The full-time 4WD transmission offers seven different drive modes via a rotary-dial on the console, which optimises performance in each selected mode. These include 'Standard', 'Sport', 'Eco', 'Snow', 'Sand', 'Mud/Rut' and 'Tow'.
Claimed energy consumption on the combined WLTP cycle for the Range Rover Evoque P300e is 2.0L/100km. As with all plug-in hybrids though, this will heavily depend on how it is driven.
The 15kWh battery is said to provide a 62km driving range (again, on the WLTP cycle), which seems healthy for a PHEV, and I was pleased to find that my car was reporting about 56km on a full charge, not far off the claim.
Importantly, the Evoque has stellar charging specifications, which make it ideal for a city-slicker with minimal time to conveniently charge.
I was shocked to find a DC charging port when I flipped open the panel, which is capable of charging the tiny battery up in just 20 minutes (at a peak rate of 35kW), while on a slower but easier-to-find AC charger, it can extract 7kW allowing a charge time of around two hours.
This is well above par for a plug-in hybrid, and makes charging quick, painless and convenient, even for those who can’t charge at home.
As a result of this ease-of-charging and therefore minimal time spent in the hold or hybrid modes, my car reported an astounding 1.0/100km of fuel consumption during my week, covering mostly urban kilometres.
The only drawback is the need to fill this small turbo engine with mid-shelf 95RON fuel.
Nissan claims combined cycle average consumption of 10.5L/100km and the Ti’s dash display was claiming 12.9 at the completion of our 213km test, which was mostly city and suburban driving with some limited highway running and from one to five occupants on board at different times.
Our own figure, calculated from actual fuel bowser and tripmeter readings, came in higher again at 14.5L/100km which exceeds the usual 2.0-3.0L/100km discrepancy between manufacturer figures and our own.
In other words, it drinks more than a diesel but is about average for a powerful six-cylinder petrol engine of this size under test conditions.
So, based on our ‘real world’ driving and at-pump consumption figure, you could expect a driving range of around 500km from its 71-litre tank. And it requires premium unleaded.
The second-gen Evoque is still the lovely, luxury, small SUV it was when it launched in 2019, and this plug-in hybrid version only serves to improve the formula, adding sleek electric driving characteristics to the already-smooth turbo engine and torque converter automatic.
Interestingly, and like its Volvo XC60 rival, the electric motor is located on the rear axle, giving this car the odd characteristic of being rear-wheel drive when driven electrically, or predominantly front-wheel drive when driven in combustion mode.
Speaking of modes, this car does the bulk of the management, with only three driving modes available to the pilot. These include the default ‘hybrid’ mode, which as the name suggests, blends the two power sources with more of an emphasis on electric driving when the battery is charged.
There's also an electric mode, which will only use the rear axle motor until the battery runs out, and a ‘Hold’ mode which will still blend the two sources but predominantly rely on the combustion engine to maintain the car’s state of charge.
You might want to use the last mode if you're travelling long-distance, to maintain the electric range for where it is most efficient - in low-speed stop-start driving.
The regenerative braking is not adjustable, having just a single mild level. It’s far from the single-pedal driving you can experience in a fully electric car, but Land Rover has made the brake pedal fly-by-wire so it can blend increased regen with the mechanical brakes.
It makes for a familiar experience from behind the wheel for those coming straight out of a purely combustion vehicle.
The electrified brake pedal does have the consequence of removing a bit of feel for a keen driver, and the same can be said for the rather slow steering tune in the default settings which makes the Evoque feel more luxurious and less sporty or reactive than it could be.
It’s a shame, because the two power sources combine to make for a thumping amount of power when you stick your boot in, and the all-wheel drive system and nicely balanced suspension keep this little SUV well under control in the corners.
As with my original Evoque range review in 2019, though, it is notable how heavy this SUV feels, particularly compared to some rivals like the Audi Q3.
The heftiness suits the Evoque's expanded dimensions and even more upmarket feel, but despite the power on offer it’s not an agile SUV to be carving corners in.
At least the ride quality and quietness is superb, making the Evoque an ideal SUV for driving around the centre of pothole-stricken Sydney, with a notable amount of poise. At the end of the day, isn’t that what this Range Rover was built for?
A good example of its comfort range is that I’m 186cm tall and my wife is only 165cm, yet we both managed to find comfortable seating positions. However, she said that ideally the range of seat-height adjustment could be a tad higher given her smaller stature.
Even so, she liked the Ti and found it easy to drive, particularly in negotiating busy shopping centre car parks with its various cameras, parking sensors etc.
She also appreciated how easy it is to fold down the trio of headrests on the third row of seats when not in use, to provide a clear view through the rear window.
We encountered heavy rain at times during our test, when the superior traction of its 4WD system was most noticeable and appreciated when cornering.
It also ensured no wheelspin from standing starts, which is reassuring given the V6 engine’s vigorous low-down response. This engine has excellent performance.
We also liked the ride quality, steering feel and braking, along with the nine-speed automatic thanks to its near-seamless shifting and good all-round response. We did try manual-shifting using the paddle-shifters for a more ‘engaging’ driving experience at times.
It also makes a comfortable highway cruiser given its low engine, tyre and wind noise and suitably long gearing, that requires only 1500rpm from the V6 to maintain 110km/h and optimise fuel economy.
Despite its long options list, thankfully all key safety equipment is standard on the Evoque. Active items include auto emergency braking, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, traffic sign recognition, driver attention alert, a clear exit monitor, and adaptive cruise control.
Only two items which could be considered under the safety umbrella remain on the options list (the options list becoming a recurring theme in this review), a 360-degree parking camera ($500), and the ‘ClearSight’ rear view mirror, which is able to show a camera view out the rear if the mirror is obscured by luggage or people in the cabin ($1230).
Elsewhere, the Evoque scores two ISOFIX child seat mounting points on the outer rear seats, and three top tethers across the rear row.
There are six airbags, and despite notably missing a front centre airbag, which is often required for a maximum safety rating to today’s standard, the Evoque maintains the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating it was awarded in 2019. For the record, it scored very highly across all categories.
The Pathfinder boasts a maximum five-star ANCAP rating (awarded 2022) and is loaded with passive and active safety features, starting with nine airbags including side-curtain airbags covering all three rows and a front-row centre airbag.
There’s also the full 'Nissan Intelligent Mobility' safety suite packed with active safety features including AEB, plus Nissan’s semi-autonomous 'ProPILOT' system for use with the adaptive cruise control.
There’s also 360-degree and reversing cameras, front/rear parking sensors, tyre pressure monitoring and more.
In the second row there are ISOFIX anchorages on the two outer seating positions and top-tethers for all three positions, plus an additional set of ISOFIX and top-tether fixtures in the third row.
As of April, 2021 all Land Rover products are finally covered by an industry-standard five-year and unlimited kilometre warranty, matching its key rivals, and beating out BMW which persists with an old three-year warranty promise. Five years of roadside assist is also included for the duration.
When it comes to servicing, the P300e is available to be purchased with a five-year plan ($2650 - $530 annually) which covers 102,000km of visits.
This pack is well worthwhile as Land Rover servicing is generally quite expensive when purchased a-la-carte.
Nissan covers the Pathfinder with a five-year/unlimited km warranty including five years roadside assist.
Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/15,000km whichever occurs first.
Capped-price servicing for the first five scheduled services is $2581 or an average of $516 per service.