Range Rover Evoque vs Land Rover Defender

What's the difference?

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.

The Land Rover Defender in its current form is a revelation in terms of, well, everything. The 110 is refined, sure-footed and comfortable on-road and it’s more capable off-road than ever before – and assuredly so.

It’s wholeheartedly embraced positive change – in terms of creature comforts, driveability and safety – and has lost none of the traditional Defender spirit.

The new Defender has managed to satisfy (placate?) die-hard fans and it’s attracted a whole bunch of new ones at the same time.

The 75th anniversary treatment doesn’t add anything of substance to the Defender package, but it doesn’t need to – that’s not the point – and to Landie lovers it’s all cream on top. 

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 new Defender manages to balance the distinctive shape and spirit of the old-school Defender with the new-generation’s style and presence – and the striking Grasmere Green exterior of this 75th anniversary variant and its interior touches all complement that blend.

This is unmistakably a Defender but one that’s been dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century, whacked in the face and torso by modern styling cues, while still retaining the heart of adventure these Landies have always been renowned for.

Just one thing about this special-edition Defender, though. The Grasmere Green is certainly an eye-catching colour, but that’s a ‘for better or worse’ scenario.

Mostly worse – for me anyway – because I noticed that during my time in this Landie I received quite a lot of annoyed eye-rolls from other drivers and passengers in traffic and I reckon the polarising colour was the culprit – or maybe they were just eye-rolling at me?

No matter, because if you can afford one of these I don’t think you’ll be at all concerned about what other people think of you…

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.

Beyond the subtle colour treatment, the interior remains as it is in the HSE variant on which this special edition is based.

In other words, the cabin has a premium look and feel about it, without sacrificing anything in terms of how practical everything is.

It’s a pleasant mix of durable life-friendly materials – carpet mats and soft-touch surfaces – and stylish touches, such as a metal Defender-stamped section in front of the front passenger. 

The leather steering wheel and shifter are standard, but a premium non-leather wheel is a no-cost option. 

Just one example of where JLR gets attention to detail in the Defender so right is the small hard-rubber textured patches on the back of the steering wheel, where your fingertips naturally rest when you’re driving.

It’s those kinds of seemingly minor additions – as well as grippy cargo-area floor surfaces and the like – that add worthwhile tactile elements to the overall Defender package.

Overall, cabin layout is user-friendly with all controls easy to locate and operate.

Storage spaces include a deep centre console, glove box, twin cupholders in between driver and passenger, sunglass storage, door pockets, and shallow spaces peppered around for your pocket gear.

Charge points include USBs up front, and a wireless charging tray.

The driver and front passenger get plenty of room and amenities and those behind them also fare well with adequate room for everyone. 

All seats are very comfortable (can this really be a Defender?) and the front seats are 14-way power-adjustable with heating, cooling and memory.

The second row – a 40/20/40 folding configuration – is heated and has a centre armrest. Second-row passengers have access to air-vent controls and USB charge points in the rear of the centre console.

The rear cargo area seems a bit small in this five-seater, although it offers a listed 1075 litres. With the second row folded down, there is a claimed 2380 litres of space. It has cargo-restraint points.

That area has a sliding cover which conceals your valuables from the prying eyes of nefarious types.

Obviously, there is a lot more to admire here for those who love the interiors of prestige cars, but rather than spending my precious time fondling leather accents or going ‘ohhhh-ahhhh’ over a sunroof or the warming qualities of a heated seat, I like to actually drive. 

And drive I did.

The limited-edition Defenders are based on the high-spec HSE variant and are available in the three-door 90 body style, or the five-door 110 body style. 

Our test vehicle is the 110 and has a recommended retail price of $156,157, excluding on-road costs. 

Each special Defender is a P400 MHEV (mild hybrid electric vehicle), so they have a turbocharged 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder petrol engine, supported by a small electric motor.

As you’d expect, the standard features list for this 75th Limited Edition is humongous, however, for the sake of brevity, we’ll list only some of the more notable items, which include a 11.4-inch 'Pivi Pro' multi-media system, 3D surround camera, configurable 'Terrain Response' system, Meridian sound system, Matrix LED front lighting, a head-up display, a wireless device charger, as well as 14-way power-adjustable front seats with heating, cooling and memory, a sliding panoramic glass sunroof and three-zone climate control. 

Elements specific to the 75th anniversary edition include an exterior paint finish of 'Grasmere Green', as well as 20-inch alloy wheels in the same colour, with matching centre caps.

There is also a ‘75 years’ graphic, 'Ceres Silver' bumpers and privacy glass. Inside, the Cross Car Beam is finished in brushed Grasmere Green powder coat, the interior is Ebony and there are “Ebony grained leather seat facings”, according to JLR.

Defender buyers may, of course, option up their vehicle with a plethora of accessories and packs, which include grouped accessories to suit your specific lifestyle, i.e. 'Adventure', 'Explorer', 'Country' or 'Urban'.

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.

As mentioned earlier, this Defender is a P400 MHEV (mild hybrid electric vehicle), so it has a 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, supported by a small electric motor.

That engine produces 294kW at 5500-6500rpm and 550Nm at 2000-5000rpm and it’s matched to an eight-speed automatic transmission. 

The P400 MHEV has a 48-volt lithium-ion battery, aimed at reducing engine load and fuel consumption, and it has a 7.0kW electric supercharger aimed at minimising turbo lag.

The Defender has permanent all-wheel drive and a dual-range transfer case with high- and low-range 4WD.

It has a comprehensive suite of driver-assist tech, including Land Rover’s 'Terrain Response 2' system, with switchable modes such as 'Grass/Gravel/Snow', 'Sand', 'Mud and Ruts', and 'Rock Crawl'. 

That system optimises throttle response, engine outputs, transmission shifts and diff control to best suit the terrain. It also has centre and rear diff locks.

Our test vehicle also has Land Rover's configurable terrain response system (giving the driver the ability to select and save powertrain, traction and diff settings for off-road driving) and a wade program, which increases air-suspension ride height and closes off the climate control vents to reduce the ingress of moisture in the air.

This Defender has an official 0-100km/h sprint time of 6.0 seconds, and I can confirm that this has plenty of punch off the mark and when overtaking on open roads. It has a listed maximum speed of 191km/h.

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.

Fuel consumption is a claimed 9.9L/100km (on the combined cycle), and we recorded actual fuel consumption on test of 11L/100km.

The Defender has a 90-litre tank so, going by that fuel-consumption figure, you could reasonably expect a driving range of just under 800km on a full tank, factoring in a safe-distance buffer of 20km; 818km without the buffer.

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?

The Defender’s 75th anniversary touches are all cosmetic which is fine because, as is, this Landie is surprisingly impressive on-road, and supremely effective off-road.

This 110 variant is 5018mm long (including the rear-mounted spare tyre), 2008mm wide and 1972mm high with a 3022mm-long wheelbase.

It has a turning circle of 12.8m and a kerb weight is 2297kg. 

So, it’s not a small vehicle, but it never feels unwieldy to drive and it even manages to consistently feel lively and dynamic.

The Defender has a real planted feel on the road; it’s composed and very comfortable, no matter how hard you drive it. 

It’s also quiet. Very quiet, and oh-so-refined, with noise, vibration and harshness levels having been subdued to almost nothing.

The new Defender’s cabin is a pleasantly cocooned space, in which you feel insulated from the world around you. There is a bit of wind rush around the Defender’s wing mirrors, but nothing atrocious. 

Throttle response is crisp, and the 3.0-litre petrol’s 294kW and 550Nm are readily available for a punchy standing-start, or to safely and smoothly overtake another vehicle on the highway – or during low-range 4WDing, but more about that later*.

(* Okay, if you can’t wait, skip ahead to read about the off-road section of this test.)

The eight-speed automatic transmission is very cluey – it’s smarter than you and me – but I found the shifter’s size (stubby) and position (just under the multimedia system’s touchscreen) a bit annoying to work with as I preferred to use Sport/manual mode, sometimes requiring quick shifts up or down.

Road-holding is tremendous, especially considering previous Defenders were about as composed as wonky tractors, and comfort levels are exceptional for something that was once considered a form of punishment to travel in.

Our test vehicle was on 20-inch rims and 255/60 R20 Goodyear Wrangler ‘all-terrain adventure’ tyres and those are perfectly fine for driving on blacktop.

However, they became quickly gummed up with clay and mud during our 4WD testing phase, but more about that soon.

So, how does it perform off-road? Very well, thank you very much. It does what older Defenders can do – and more. And it does it all with supreme levels of comfort and composure – something that can’t be said of older Defenders.

In terms of off-road measures, the Defender has a claimed 228mm-291mm of ground clearance (courtesy of height-adjustable air suspension) and a wading depth of 900mm (again, with the benefit of the air suspension).

If the Defender’s under-carriage hits dirt, the air suspension automatically applies an emergency 75mm of extra height.

This Defender has approach, ramp (breakover) and departure angles of 38 degrees, 28 degrees, and 40 degrees, respectively.

So, it well and truly ticks all of those boxes.

On the dirt-track drive to our 4WD testing and proving ground the Defender demonstrated, as it has before, that it’s able to master and make bearable pretty much any road or track surface, no matter what sort of terrible condition that terrain is in.

This Landie was always stable and planted on the track, with plenty of the credit for that going to a robust monocoque chassis, as well as a multi-link set-up and fully independent air suspension, which as a combination works supremely well to smooth out surface imperfections at all speeds. 

Ride and handling at speed through deep-rutted and potholed sections of dirt road was impressively smooth and composed.

With the air suspension raised to off-road height and tyre pressures dropped to 26 psi, we were ready to put the Defender through its paces.

For those of you who haven’t seen any of my videos or read any of my yarns, our testing site offers more than enough of a challenge to push any standard 4WD to the limits of its reasonable use. I’ve even seen modified vehicles struggle on some of our set-piece challenges.

The terrain here is a mix of steep rocky hill-climbs, slippery descents, mud-holes and water-crossings and, depending on the weather, it can either be seriously challenging or pretty bloody dangerous.

No need for any concern though because the Defender did everything asked of it – and did it all with relaxed ease. I’ve driven an all-conquering 90 at this test site before and the 110 this time was just as impressive.

Steering has a light but precise feel about it at low speeds and that's crucial for such a big vehicle during low-range 4WDing, especially when picking your right line on challenges or manoeuvring along tight, twisted tracks.

There’s plenty of low-down torque from the petrol engine and in low-range that’s evenly applied.

The Pivi touchscreen system is the new Defender’s command centre and, using it, you’re able to cycle through the terrain response programs, you can set driving modes, and essentially operate everything. 

It's generally easy enough to use, but it is a bit tricky to operate on the move – and that’s one of the few niggles I have about this Defender.

The terrain response system, which enables the driver to dial through driving modes, including Mud and Ruts, and Rock Crawl is a clever set-up and would certainly feel out of place in an old-school Defender.

You can calibrate the system’s responses – acceleration, traction sensitivity, and diff control – to suit your driving style and the terrain you’re traversing.

The tread of the Defender’s Goodyear Wrangler all-terrain tyres, as mentioned earlier, swiftly became gummed up with sloppy mud and we lost a fair bit in terms of reliable traction from that rubber on the rock surfaces we moved to straight after driving through a series of shallow mud-holes.

Wheel travel is decent with the Defender able to get useable flex out of that multi-link set-up and air suspension combo.

Another of my very few gripes about the Defender is the fact that while all of the off-road-focussed driver-assist tech, especially terrain response, is so seamlessly effective – it’s almost too good for its own good.

As the driver I almost feel removed from the experience of tackling the terrain I’m on.

Driving this doesn't feel like such a visceral experience as it does in the Defenders of old, or even as hands-on as it does when driving off-road in rebooted old-school 4WDs, such as the Suzuki Jimny, or the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. 

The new Defender is very capable, and comfortably so, but it feels a little bit too clinical and calculated in its execution.

In terms of its potential as a towing platform, the Defender has a claimed maximum unbraked trailer capacity of 750kg and a maximum braked towing capacity of 3500kg.

It has a maximum roof load of 300kg. GVM (gross vehicle mass) is 3165kg and GCM (gross combined mass) is 6665kg.

The Defender range has the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing conducted in 2020.

It has a stack of safety gear as standard and driver-assist tech includes AEB, adaptive cruise control, driver condition monitor, blind spot assist, lane keep assist, forward traffic detection, a 3D surround camera, 360-degree parking aid, traffic sign recognition and adaptive speed limiter, and more.

It also has tech that comes in useful for on- and off-road tourers including its ‘transparent’ bonnet view, wade sensing, tyre pressure monitoring system, and tow hitch assist.

It has three top tethers for child seats across the second row and ISOFIX points on the outboard positions only.

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.

The Defender has a five year/unlimited km warranty with five years roadside assistance. Pretty much the expected norm in this part of the market.

Service intervals are set for every five years or 102,000km (maximum), whichever occurs first – and that’s for a total cost of $2250, or an annual average of $450, which is pretty handy.