Range Rover Evoque News

The new model, due 2016, would fill the gap between the standard five-seater Evoque and the Range Rover Sport, but would be based on the next generation Evoque rather than the current one.Autocar reports that the larger Evoque will use Jaguar’s new all-aluminium platform as seen in the C-X17 crossover concept. This signals the next generation’s intentions to save weight over the current model, despite the addition of over 300mm in length in the seven-seater version.The aluminium structure also has significantly more torsional rigidity than the current platform, increasing the appeal for off roaders and handling enthusiasts alike. The new Evoque could also spawn the brand’s new four cylinder units which are currently being developed.When it arrives, the baby Range Rover could become the smallest premium four wheel drive with a seven-seat option, opening another niche for the British off road brand. The company has also been targeting Rolls Royce and Bentley at the higher end of the market, with a long wheelbase Range Rover Vogue also scheduled for next year.If you can’t wait until the larger Evoque launches though, Land Rover may have another small seven-seater solution – if you can wait until the end of next year. The next generation Freelander will be due then, and indications are that the brand’s entry level model will feature a seven-seat option, although will likely miss out on the aluminium structure of its premium Evoque sibling.

Nissan’s Murano CrossCabriolet may soon have a rival in the crossover convertible segment with news emerging that Land Rover has given the green light for a production version of its Range Rover Evoque Convertible concept car from 2012. What Car, citing an inside source, says production of the Range Rover Evoque Convertible could commence as early as 2014.Some of the vehicles Land Rover sees the Range Rover Evoque Convertible competing with are the Audi TT Roadster and upcoming BMW 4 Series Convertible.The original concept was based on the three-door Range Rover Evoque crossover and featured an automated folding soft top. Both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive versions are possible for the production model, and they could feature either gasoline or diesel engines. Also available would be a nine-speed automatic, which was recently announced for the Range Rover Evoque lineup.The Range Rover Evoque has been a major hit for the Land Rover brand, with 220,000 units already having been built since production started two years ago. A new convertible fits with the brand’s strategy of expanding the product line beyond the existing range. Other planned variants are said to include long-wheelbase and high-performance models.www.motorauthority.com 

Clear images of the next Range Rover Sport have leaked onto the internet, following on from the blurry official image and fleeting video earlier this week.The new Range Rover Sport is being touted as the fastest and most agile model to date, thanks largely to its smaller size and considerable use of aluminium to shed weight.The range-topping Range Rover Sport is likely to get a supercharged 5.0-litre V8, with outputs tipped to be around 375kW of power and 624Nm of torque.Sitting below the supercharged Sport variant, we also expect to see a normally-aspirated version of this engine, producing roughly 275kW of power and 508Nm of torque.There’s even speculation that the Range Rover Sport line-up could be expanded to include a higher-performance model, as well as an entry-level model powered by a supercharged V6. 

Based on the 2013 Evoque Dynamic Plus, the eye-catching Limited Edition sports a number of unique features giving it a truly striking appearance.Available in three and five-door form, customers can choose from two exterior colour schemes, each one unique to the Special Edition model and based on a new Black Design Pack.Choices include a Sicilian Yellow exterior body finish with a Santorini Black contrast roof, or a Santorini Black exterior body finish with a Sicilian Yellow contrast roof and door mirrors.Unique interior finishes include yellow contrast stitching on seats, central storage area, door trims and fascia mid-section, plus an anodised yellow horizontal finisher. This Special Edition model debuts the Black Design Pack which will be available independently of the Special Edition from mid-2013.The Black Design Pack will be available exclusively on Dynamic models and includes rear sport spoiler, darkened front headlights and fog lamps, black Range Rover lettering, clear rear lamps, 20-inch Gloss Black forged wheels, Santorini Black painted bumper sections and dark exhaust finishers.The Sicilian gets here later in the year, probably around September-October but no word on prices yet apart from the fact it will be more than the Dynamic. 

The ZF nine-speed automatic transmission is designed for transverse applications, i.e. cars based on front-wheel-drive architectures. The nine-speed-equipped Range Rover Evoque will be one of the first models to get the transmission when it goes on display next week at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show and will hopefully arrive in showrooms before the year is out.The new transmission, code-named the ZF 9HP, is one of the most advanced transmissions ever used on a production car, and it’s likely to be one of the most fuel efficient too.Land Rover hasn’t released any numbers just yet, but says the transmission should offer significant improvements in economy and emission levels compared to the current six-speed ‘box fitted to the Range Rover Evoque.A higher top gear will definitely improve highway numbers, while at the other end of the spectrum a new low gear should improve performance during towing or slow, off-road driving. In addition, the transmission’s smaller ratio steps should translate to improved response during brisk driving. There's even a 'skip-shift' function that allows gears to be skipped for quicker changes.There is also a computer-controlled system that can learn to match the driver’s own shift pattern. This allows it to automatically sharpen up when the driver's heavy on the throttle, and then switch back to a more economical mode when the situation demands.If that wasn’t enough, Land Rover tells us that the transmission is similar in size to the six-speed unit it replaces, but 7.5 kg lighter. Expect the ZF 9HP transmission to be announced for more models shortly.www.motorauthority.com 

Carparazzi has caught the car testing with an extended wheelbase and much bigger back doors, pointing both to a more-luxurious Chinese model and the potential for a seven-seater family version for the first time. Here sometime in 2014 for more than $150,000.

The Range Rover Evoque landed with a splash – and has kept on making waves.

Switzerland is car-making neutral ground and has little vehicle industry of its own. But its annual showcase has a reputation as the "designer" show, where the elite brands put their best ideas on display and the minor players can share the limelight.VOLVO V40Vehicle: Small premium hatch.Volvo has been treading water on vehicle development and a clear strategic direction has yet to emerge after its takeover by China's Geely two years ago. Its first new product since then still owes a lot to previous parent Ford, with parts of the V40 traceable to the Focus.But like the Mercedes A-Class, it tackles the booming segment of premium compact hatchbacks and is expected to add 100,000 sales a year. Volvo chief Stefan Jacoby says it sets new standards in the segment, with features trickling down from its larger cars. These include City Safety, a collision avoidance system that can prevent a rear-ender at up to 50km/h, and the headline feature, the world's first pedestrian airbag, which deploys from the rear edge of the bonnet.PORSCHE BOXSTERVehicle: Convertible sportscar."The car that rescued Porsche'' is not over-stating the significance of the Boxster, its little mid-engined roadster, which troubled brand purists when it appeared in the 1990s but undoubtedly brought the brand back from the financial precipice.Pictures of the heavily restyled new car have been around for a while but Porsche saved the real thing for Geneva. It shares many of its innovations with the 911, and Porsche will be rolling out variants of these two models for years to come. Lighter than before despite a longer wheelbase and wider track, two flat-six engines are offered from the outset: a 195kW 2.7-litre or 232kW 3.4-litre in the Boxster S. Its bound to better than the last one, and that's still the benchmark in this category.MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASSVehicle: Luxury hatchback.Mercedes-Benz has had mixed fortunes with small cars. Its previous A and B-Class were the Tweedledum and Tweedledee of a segment that contained cars such as the Audi A3 and BMW 1 Series.Expensive to build and mumsie in their appeal, Mercedes has torn up that approach and started from scratch. The A will be the smallest and least expensive of what will eventually be a five-car line-up in which only the practical mini-bus B is recognisable from before. The premium small car market is running hot and the A will aim to lure anyone shopping with Golf money and above. It's more macho, more premium and ready-fitted with top-shelf equipment such as collision prevention systems. It's also Mercedes biggest roll of the dice since the new M-Class SUV.FERRARI F12 BERLINETTAVehicle: Supercar.Most Ferraris sold are V8s, particularly since it added the entry-level California convertible to its range. Thanks in part to that car, last year production reached a record of 7200, and its margins are the envy of the industry.But true believers know it's the 12-cylinder cars that are really at the heart of the badge. Last year it replaced its flagship four-seater 12-cylinder and this year it rolls out its two-seater V12 coupe, the F12 Berlinetta. This replaces the six-year old 599 GTB and lifts the bar on performance even further. The F12 is the most powerful road car Ferrari has built, with a new 6.3-litre engine that develops 544kW and can rev to 8700rpm. It propels the F12 to 100km/h in 3.1 seconds and 200km/h in 8.5. Ferrari has been fast-tracking technology recently and the F12 comes with every dynamic trick Ferrari can muster.INFINITI EMERG-EVehicle: Concept supercar.Nissan's luxury division Infiniti has global ambitions after years establishing a foothold in the US. For its fifth appearance at the Geneva show it rolled out the third in a trio of concepts that demonstrate the evolution of its design thinking. The clunkily named Emerg-e pushes the boundaries on technology and performance.Its striking silver carbon-fibre body houses lithium ion batteries that power two mid-mounted electric motors. Together they pump out 300kW and can power the car to 100km/h in four seconds. Emerg-e can travel 50km on electricity before a three-cylinder petrol engine fires up and extends its range to almost 500km. Infiniti launches in Australia later this year.BENTLEY EXP 9 FVehicle: Luxury SUV.There's long been a gap in the SUV market above the most expensive Range Rovers and Porsche Cayennes that elite makers have been slow to fill. Not any more. In a few weeks, Lamborghini will unveil its extreme offroader, but Bentley has got in first with the EXP 9 F.Its first experimental, or EXP, car in a decade, the F stands for Falcon, the fastest animal on the planet. Huge and in many people's eyes not the prettiest, it's recognisably a Bentley thanks to its matrix grille, strong haunches and interior heavy with wood and leather.The showcar boasts 23-inch "turbine'' wheels, while under the bonnet is the same 6.0-litre turbo W12 engine that powers Bentley's GT line. Its goal is to set a new pinnacle for the segment, it says, and, despite any production schedule, Bentley left little doubt it was committed to the idea.BERTONE NUCCIOVehicle: Concept sportscar.Geneva is where the European tuners, aftermarket specialists and styling houses turn up to impress the industry with their skills. It's where names such as Pininfarina and Giugiaro, Ruf and EDAG strut their stuff alongside the majors.One of them, Italian design specialist Bertone, has survived to celebrate 100 years against the odds. Its showcar, named after the "master of Italian style'' Nuccio Bertone, honours that milestone and the determination of his widow to keep the company going.The car, a dramatic orange-and-grey wedge with a mid-mounted 4.3-litre V8, references famous concepts from Bertone's past, such as the Lancia Stratos Zero of 1970. You can't see out the back, so a camera feeds the view on to an LED-screen-virtual-rear-window. It's unlikely to go into production, but shows there's life in Bertone yet.LAMBORGHINI AVENTADOR JVehicle: One-off supercar.What does it feel like to have the wind in your hair at 300km/h? If you're the one with more than E2 million ($2.5m) to spend on the Aventador J, then you'll find out. Only one will be built, and even by Lamborghini's extreme standards this is an uncompromising set of wheels.It starts life as the Aventador, Lamborghini's new carbon-fibre mid-engined V12 supercar, and then doubles down. It removes the roof and windscreen and you can forget about satnav or a radio. It's unlikely you'll be able to hear much, anyway, apart from the engine because the cover has gone, replaced by a carbon-fibre lattice. Underneath is the same 6.5-litre 515kW V12 that propels the Aventador, but with less weight to shift. Lamborghini doesn't say how fast it is, but it does refer to the driver as a "pilot''.LAND ROVER EVOQUE CONVERTIBLEVehicle: Convertible SUV concept car.Almost four years since it was taken over by Indian giant Tata, Jaguar Land Rover really is hitting its straps. Profits exceeded pound stg. 1 billion ($1.48bn) last year for the first time, it's pumping money into R&D and creating 4000 jobs. Plans are also afoot to expand production into India, China and Brazil.One reason: in the Evoque luxury SUV it has a phenomenal hit on its hands. Evoque's success hinges on its striking design and Land Rover takes the idea further in its Geneva showcar, which is a study for an open-top version. Officially designed to "gauge reaction'', it will certainly get made if JLR has an assembly line spare

Kids aren’t usually a factor in Car of the Year judging.  But child friendliness rates highly with women buying cars – and with women judging cars.The countdown has been kicked off to decide the Women’s World Car of the Year, and the kid factor is one the judges pay a lot of attention to.“Statistics show that women drive children in cars significantly more often than men – and that means women need to take that into account, both when buying and as judges of cars,” WCOTY president Sandy Myhre said from New Zealand.“Any woman who has grappled constantly with child seats and belts and children considers those things when looking at buying a car.  Men might too but the fact is, women drive children in cars more than men.“Women would not consider that aspect in a Porsche 911 more than a bloke. The point is, it can be considered in these awards - and that is one of the points of difference in these awards.”Myhre points out that significant research into buying habits show that in addition to buying for themselves, women have a major influence in household purchase decisions for big ticket items.Ford Australia, for example, says their research shows that women are behind the majority of purchases of the Territory SUV – either as single women buying one, or in influencing the joint decision with their partner. “A report from Mattingly & Associates in Australia concluded, in part, that businesses that didn't understand this influence would be hard-pressed to stay in business.  That report was aptly called 'When I've Made Up Our Minds',” Myhre says.However, the kid factor is just one of the criteria by which the 2012 Women’s World Car of the Year will be judged.There are four categories in the Women's World Car of the Year – Family Car, Luxury Car, Sports Car and Economy Car. Points are allocated to each of ten criteria: driveability, engineering, comfort, child friendliness, style, interior, storage, dashboard efficiency, carbon footprint and colour range.The 20 judges from eleven countries have submitted their own personal short list and more than 300 cars were suggested. These individual choices were then whittled down to form a master list of 32 in terms of popularity. Judges will now allocate points for these cars from a criteria list.The announcement of the winning cars in each category and the supreme winner will be made before the end of March. The supreme award trophy and category certificates will be presented to the car companies concerned at the Mondial de l’Automobile 2012 – the Paris Motor Show – in September. The supreme trophy will this year be made in The Netherlands. Category-winner certificates will be designed at Peartree Studios in Colerne, UK.The first winner of the Women's World Car of the Year was the Jaguar XF in 2010 and the trophy made in South Africa was presented at the Jaguar boutique showroom in Knightsbridge, London. In 2011 there was a dead-heat between the Citroen DS3 and the BMW 5 Series. The two trophies made in India were presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2011. 

America’s four-time Trans Am champion Tommy Kendall tests the new 2012 Range Rover Evoque with British automotive critic Chris Harris.