Range Rover Evoque

SPECIFICATIONS

1. The Evoque uses a 2.0L 240 horsepower 4-cylinder engine with a turbocharger, backed by a 6-speed automatic transmission. 2. A number of interior components, like the audio system and gear shifter, are taken from Jaguars that cost twice as much. 3. Fuel economy is rated by the EPA at 19 mpg city, 28 mpg highway. 4. Unlike other Range Rovers, the Evoque is a car-based crossover rather than a traditional SUV.

PREVIEW

This summer, we had the chance to drive the Range Rover Supercharged, the alpha dog of the Range Rover lineup. Charmed as we were by the incredible power and opulent luxury, we felt that the Range Rover was afflicted by a curse that affects many upper echelon vehicles – all the flash and features were spoilt by an underlying impracticality.

The Range Rover’s footprint was so large that it could have had its own branch of the Occupy movement, and its drinking problem was in league with Amy Winehouse. The Range Rover was conceived as a luxury vehicle to take you from your Scottish country estate to the theater and back again in total comfort, but lately, the Range Rover has been the mode of choice of wealthy urbanites. But the vehicle’s rugged, rural roots meant that parallel parking and urban maneuvering were less than optimal, and its in-town fuel economy was dismal, to say the least.

The 21st century luxury SUV consumer may wear Barbour jackets (as an ironic fashion statement), but is also far more likely to be an entrepreneur pitching their one-person marketing agency rather than living off an inheritance and attending fox hunts. Range Rover knows which way the wind is blowing, and with the Evoque, it has adapted its formula accordingly.

INTERIOR

Inside, it’s clear to seasoned veterans that Land Rover (which operates the Range Rover brand as its “premium” line) has been dipping into the parts bin in a big way. The switchgear is an 80/20 mix of Land Rover and Volvo bits – hardly a bad thing, but the common usages were immediately apparent. A few Jaguar parts are included for good measure, such as the rotary shift knob that rises from the center console, and the touch-screen HVAC and audio control system, which is one of the easiest and most intuitive systems out there. Our litmus test involves asking a passenger to operate the iPod interface without any direction, and most cars tend to frustrate our subjects. Not so with the Evoque, as multiple riders were able to easily and quickly navigate it without any annoyances.

The Evoque’s road manners were largely solid, but the combination of big wheels and low-profile tires, an unavoidable concession to the automotive aesthetics of our era, delivered the usual harshness over less-than-perfect pavement. Thankfully, road noise was kept in check much better than the ride quality, as engine sounds and wind noise were isolated from the cabin. The Evoque’s seats were especially comfortable on long jaunts, and we found the driving position excellent – just high enough to give drivers that SUV feel without compromising the interaction that we crave.

UNDER THE HOOD

Gone is the big, boxy profile and the massive 5.0L Supercharged V8. The opulent cabin full of leather and aluminum remains, but the Evoque is compact, taut and almost futuristic looking, with a silhouette more like a MINI Countryman than a Defender 110. Sharing a platform with the Land Rover LR2 (which in turn is based on the Ford Focus), allows for the Evoque to opt for a much smaller form factor, and makes it the kind of vehicle you want for darting in and out of traffic, or parking in tight downtown spaces.

A transverse-mounted 2.0L turbocharged 4 cylinder (again, based off of Ford’s lovely Ecoboost engine) makes 240 horsepower and 251 lb-ft of torque, mated to a 6-speed automatic gearbox. Don’t let the low-cylinder count fool you, because this motor has an adequate amount of power to hustle the Evoque around in nearly any situation. Passing slow moving traffic is a breeze thanks to a broad torque band and minimal turbo lag, while still allowing the Evoque to cruise at a comfortably low rpm on the highway. We suspect that hardly any buyers will notice the difference from a traditional V6. Despite its front-driver underpinnings, the Evoque still has a rudimentary all-wheel drive system, with classic Land Rover technologies like Hill Descent Control, but we’d give up Starbucks for a year if anybody took an Evoque on rougher terrain than a gravel driveway.