Range Rover Evoque Review
Car tested: 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Prestige SD4
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 73,04,884/-
Premium cars don’t have much of a waiting period. If they do, the reason more often than not is the lower supply or production. However Land Rover’s Range Rover Evoque is one such premium vehicle, whose demand is so high that every vehicle produced is gobbled up in no time. The compact Range Rover has also received an array of awards. Within just a year of launch, the British automaker has sold more than 90,000 units and additional shifts are being set up to meet the demand for the Range Rover Evoque. In India, the vehicle commands a healthy waiting period as well. So what is the big deal with the Evoque? We take it for a spin to find out.
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Exteriors – Land Rover is known for designing vehicles with very little curves on them. The design of the Evoque is a big change in direction for the company. The Range Rover Evoque‘s exteriors come from the LRX Cross Coupe Concept. The styling is extremely smart with meticulous attention to detail all around. The front is bold and the beautiful head lights are extremely eye catchy. The belt line rises while the roof line tapers marginally at the rear. The profile of the Range Rover Evoque is very dynamic and the stance is muscular. The 18-inch wheels have 7-spokes and a sparkle silver finish. All the wheels are positioned in such a manner that they are being pushed out from the four corners of the car. The wide wheel arches and overhangs give the Evoque athletic appearance. The styling has been executed so well, that the Evoque looks much bigger than it actually is. This gives it impressive street presence.
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Interiors – Step inside and you will be greeted by the impeccably crafted cabin, which has been made of premium quality materials. Everything feels impressive and although you sit low (for a sporty feel), you are in still in a very commanding position. The materials are soft and there is generous use of leather. There is twin-needle stitching which showcases the high attention to detail of the interiors. The black and metal combo on the dashboard works very well and gives a feeling of richness to the Evoque.
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The center console houses a LCD screen which is touch operated and very easy to navigate through. This screen is crisp to view and has dual view technology (two people can view two different things). There is the rotary gear selector, which rises up on starting the vehicle. The Range Rover Evoque is equipped with Land Rover’s Terrain Response system and the switches for the same are present right behind the gear controller. The instrument cluster has twin dials and are chunky and attractive. They are set deep in circular housings and have bright chrome surrounds. The multi-information display is placed between the speedometer and tachometer and carries all the important data, which can be accessed via the Evoque’s wide and good to hold steering wheel.
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The coupe like sloping roof line doesn’t compromise on head room and there is plenty for all passengers. The seats are wide and supportive and there is good legroom for rear passengers as well. The vehicle features a huge panoramic roof, which gives a very airy feel to the cabin. The small glass area on the fifth door compromises rear visibility slightly though. The Meridien sound system deserves a special mention for the quality of sound it provides.
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Ride, Handling and Braking – Land Rover engineers have tweaked the Evoque for India, giving it a slightly re-tuned suspension along with smaller wheels and high profile tyres. This has been done in the interest of coping up with bad quality of our roads. Ride quality is extremely good and the Range Rover Evoque absorbs most of the bumps with utmost confidence. Only the really sharp bumps tend to shake up the Evoque but only marginally. Braking performance is strong and the Evoque has some serious speed shedding capabilities.
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Handling is simply excellent and there is ample amount of grip on offer. The Evoque stays composed at speed and has very good high speed dynamics too. Steering feedback could have been better though and the Electric Power-Assisted Steering doesn’t weigh up well at speed. NVH levels are very low and the cabin remains devoid of external elements, at all times. The company also claims that the Evoque has significantly better approach angle, break over angle and departure angle than any other premium compact SUV. This is something we are yet to test but the high-tech terrain response system will definitely make the Evoque very capable off-road.
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Performance – Land Rover offers both petrol and diesel engines on the Range Rover Evoque. While the petrol engine is limited to the 3-door model, we drove the 5-door model which is powered by a 2.2-litre 4-cylinder engine. This SD4 motor produces 187 BHP of power at 3500 RPM and 420 Nm of torque at 1750 RPM. Power goes to all wheels and the engine is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. Refinement levels are top notch and so is the performance. Power delivery is linear and you don’t feel the turbo kick in. The Evoque is decently quick but doesn’t really feel as fast as it looks. There are steering mounted paddle shifts too but the response is not the quickest we have seen.
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Conclusion – The Range Rover Evoque doesn’t come cheap and is technically a competitor to the BMW X3. The CBU route doesn’t help the Evoque’s cause one bit and at a price of Rs. 70 lakh plus, it doesn’t offer as much bang for the buck you would expect it to. However if you are looking for a highly desirable and unique compact SUV, nothing even comes close to the baby Range Rover. The Evoque retains most of the features of the Range Rover with a much smaller foot print and lower emissions. That is the reason why Land Rover is busy selling every Evoque they can ever make.
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Whats Cool
* Stunning design
* Interior quality
* NVH levels
Whats Not So Cool
* Price
* No V6 Diesel Engine Option
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Range Rover Evoque Specifications
* Engine: 2179 cc, 4-cylinder, 16-valves
* Power: 190 PS @ 3500 RPM
* Torque: 420 Nm @ 1750 RPM
* Transmission: 6-speed auto
* Top Speed: 210 km/h (est.)
* 0-100 km/h: 9.50 seconds (est.)
* Fuel Consumption: 7-8 km/l (City), 8-9 km/l (highway)
* Fuel Type: Diesel
* Tyres: 235/60/18 Pirelli Scorpion
* Safety: ABS, Six Airbags, Roll Stability Control, Dynamic Stability Control
Range Rover Evoque Dimensions
* Overall length x width x height: 4355 mm X 2120 mm X 1635 mm
* Wheelbase: 2660 mm
* Turning Radius: 5.7 m
* Ground Clearance: 215 mm
* Boot Volume: 575-litres, 1445-litres (with rear seats folded)
* Fuel Tank Capacity: 70-litres
* Kerb Weight: 1675 kgs