This is the new Evoque and it’s a little bit like some posh stiletto shoes because... it’s super sexy and women love them. Unlike stiletto’s though, this car is a bit more practical.
Given that this car is targeted for the female variety, Range Rover sure knows how to style their cars giving the Evoque such a chic appearance. With the firm now revealing a choice of powerful and efficient new mild-hybrid engines, as well as a host of technological improvements, one of the world’s most fashionable cars has never been more appealing.
EXTERIOR:
The Evoque, both from the inside and out, easily outclasses its chief competition. This is a very handsome vehicle, retaining much from the original Range Rover Evoque. There are small styling changes, though, that better tie the smallest Range Rover in with it’s newest sibling, the Velar.
The headlights and taillights are slimmer and cleaner, and there's a glossy black strip that ties the two rear lamps together while housing the classic “RANGE ROVER” badging. The sides feature a strake behind and above the front axle that, on our R-Dynamic tester, wear a rose gold finish. That shade pops up on the front of the car, too, as strakes in the vertical intakes below the headlights and as non-functional vents on the hood. And when you're driving along, the door handles stow in the doors, for a more streamlined look.
That said, while the car is parked and unlocked, the door pulls remain extended and act as little more than a big neon sign that your valuables are free for the taking. They don't restow unless the car is locked, either. The design is lovely, but the handles are a poorly thought out.
INTERIOR:
The cabin is a beautifully executed study in design execution and quality.
The quality of the leather, the fit and finish, the insulation and the ergonomics are all excellent. The heated seats are well-sculpted, too, so they are comfortable no matter how long the drive ahead of you. As always with Land Rover product, you sit high in the cabin with a commanding view fore and aft, and there’s a light and airy feel to the cabin even with the sunroof closed.
The steering wheel and seat adjustment mean you can easily find the best possible driving position, and there’s plenty of head room, even for taller drivers and passengers up front. If however you don’t want dead animals to cover your car’s cabin, the Evoque's fabric upholstery is a no-cost option that combines a wool blend with suedecloth sourced from recycled plastic bottles (the same suede-like material is an optional finish for the headliner).
And just for giggles, a Union Jack pattern appears across the soft, grippy fabric.
These materials complement the display-heavy cabin, which features two 10.0-inch displays on the center stack and an all-digital instrument cluster. We'll talk more about the problems with those displays in a minute, but from a design standpoint, the effect is striking. This cabin is simply fantastic.
The driver’s instrument display is excellent, and perhaps even more importantly it has a high-quality appearance. the infotainment system is now so far ahead of the old system, it’s barely worth comparing. Bluetooth worked reliably and Apple CarPlay worked faultlessly on test, with the proprietary satellite navigation as good as any, too. The storage space below the centre console is handy, and the flat panel that you can stack on top of the cupholder section is also nifty. It works for larger smartphones and provides safe storage.
The door pockets are useful and also feature storage for water bottles. While the centre console does have two USB inputs and a 12V socket, it is small and won’t take anything much bigger than a phone, wallet or keys.
ENGINE:
The 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine in the P300 makes 300 HP and 400Nm at 1500rpm, with a claimed 8.2L/100km. It’s no lightweight really, weighing in at 1808kg, so that’s an efficient claim, and on test we used an indicated 10.1L/100km. Given we did a lot of driving in traffic, that’s a solid number. On our highway runs, we saw that figure drop quickly down into the eights as an average – again an impressive number for a comfortable SUV of this size.
The Drive:
You can occasionally sense some lag from the engine and gearbox combination, but that said, you can also work out how to drive around it easily enough. I reckon the stop/start system is a bit harsh, too – especially given how refined the rest of the Evoque is.
The balance between ride and handling is nicely executed. At launch, I remember being able to punt the Evoque enthusiastically along a winding mountain road, and that remains the case here, too.
It feels taut, responsive and sharp – especially for an SUV. Still, it manages to soak up the nastier road surfaces with composure.
SAFETY:
Our Evoque R-Dynamic HSE comes with all of Land Rover's active safety goodies as standard. That includes adaptive cruise control and full-speed automatic emergency braking, although lesser features, like lane-keep assist and low-speed automatic emergency braking are standard across the Evoque line. LED headlights are standard on all trims, too, although only the top two trims (SE and HSE) get standard automatic high beams and LED running lights.
In practice, the Evoque's safety gear is unobtrusive. Lane-keep assist's warnings are gentle rather than severe, which is the right approach – if systems are annoying, people shut them off. The adaptive cruise control is a smooth operator too, managing sudden intrusions by other drivers well.
VERDICT:
The Evoque was always about style first and substance second. Unashamedly so, really. Now, though, especially given the sweeping changes to this new platform, it has more substance than ever before.
It is still at the pointy end of the segment with regard to pricing, a mere Php 6,190,000 for this top spec Evoque R-Dynamic HSE MHEV, but it is very much a premium product, too. The fact that it is more versatile than ever before is a bonus.
If you're keen to make the switch to greener motoring but concerned about the logistics of running a plug-in hybrid, a Land Rover mild hybrid electric vehicle (MHEV) could be the answer.
Land Rover leads the way in mild hybrid technology.
PRICE:
SE 2.0 Diesel ₱5.29 Million (SRP)
R-Dynamic HSE 2.0 Diesel ₱5.69 Million (SRP)
R-Dynamic HSE 2.0 Petrol ₱5.79 Million (SRP)
R-Dynamic HSE 2.0 Petrol MHEV ₱6.19 Million (SRP)
Photos by: Glover Reselosa
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