2021 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Reviews

The new Mercedes S-Class has some very big shoes to fill because the old one was just so good. It's also got to beat it's traditional rivals like the Audi A8 and Range Rover.

Recycling clothes may be an inexpensive way to dress, but putting a new, more attractive body on an older frame rarely means a discount. Just ask Land Rover.

Twenty years from now, the carscape will be vastly different. Electric cars will be commonplace, hybrids will be universal and the Aussie V8 muscle car will be a page in history.But a handful of 2013 cars will have survived the turmoil to attain classic status just as the Ford Falcon GTHO from the 1960s is considered even more desirable today than it was when it first hit the road. Classic cars are not necessarily about horsepower or price.We know a collector who loves the humble, bumbling Morris 1100 in his multi-car garage. The first Toyota Prius is a car to keep because of its place in history. The original Mazda MX-5 from 1989 is just as “classic'' as certain Porsche 911s. The key to classic status is simple: Emotion.A car does a job in the same way as a fridge but it's much more than a machine, from the shape of its bodywork to the touch-and-feel pieces in the cabin and the way it makes you feel when you're driving. The attachment could take the form of the love you feel for a first car, even a humble '50s Beetle, or the satisfaction of finally parking a dream machine -- even a Leyland P76 -- in the garage.Classic cars don't have to be affordable on day one, because depreciation hits everything. Not enough, perhaps, to make the LaFerrari more than a dream but it could help with a Porsche 911 or an Audi R8 that's definitely desirable despite the showroom sticker.Which current cars will achieve classic status? If we really knew, the Carsguide crew would be putting them up on blocks today as investments for the future. But here are some likely suspects:Abarth 695 TributoPrice: from $69,990Engine: 1.4-litre 4-cylinder, 132kW/230NmTransmission: 5-speed sequential auto, FWDThirst: 6.5L/100Km, CO2 151g/kmThe Italian baby is outrageously expensive but this humble Fiat 500 has been touched with the Ferrari wand, which makes it special. It looks wicked and is a hoot to drive. Just plain fun.Holden Commodore SS-VPrice: about $50,000Engine: 6.0-litre 8-cylinder, 270kW/ 530NmTransmission: 6-speed manual or auto, RWDThirst: 12.2L/100Km, CO2 288g/kmThe last in the long line of truly home grown Holdens will soon be one to enjoy, thanks to improved efficiency and an Audi-style luxury cabin. The SS-V and HSV's coming F Series cars will be historic and performance icons.Range Rover EvoquePrice: from $51,495Engine: 2.2-litre 4-cylinder, 110kW/380NmTransmission: 6-speed manual or auto, FWD or 4WDThirst: 4.9L/100Km, CO2 129g/kmThis one is a fashion item, not an SUV. The Evoque is all about the looks, a lot like a Mini, but it is also a great drive and we know the all-paw drive examples will go almost anywhere.Nissan GT-RPrice: from $172,000Engine: 3.8-litre 6-cylinder, 404kW/628NmTransmission: 6-speed auto, 4WDThirst: 11.7L/100Km, CO2 278g/kmGodzilla is already a collector's car, thanks to earlier models tied to the GT-R that won the Bathurst 1000. The new model is a better car, and still great value, but collectors will need to find one that hasn't been battered and abused.Volkswagen Golf GTIPrice: from $40,490Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder, 155kW/280NmTransmission: 6-speed manual or auto, FWDThirst: 7.7L/100Km, CO2 180g/kmThe German pocket rocket is a top drive and the coming model, using the Golf Mk7 body, promises to be even better. The GTI has been a cult car since the '70s and truly great since the 2005 Mark 5.Subaru BRZ/Toyota 86Price: from $37,150/$29,990Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder, 147kW/205NmTransmission: 6-speed manual or auto, RWDThirst: 7.8L/100Km, CO2 181g/kmPeople who love cars have fallen for the Twins, the sports cars that won Carsguide's 2012 Car of the Year. There is a waiting list for both and the keen are paying more than the showroom sticker, because they deliver exactly what they promise at a great price. Pushed, we'd go for the BRZ in Subaru's signature blue.

If we judged content before appraising appearance, the little black dress and Zegna suits immediately would be obsolete.Expressions such as “love at first sight’’ would be redundant and we would choose products and partners by delving into their intimate specifications. Which sounds more like a life not worth living. For without being captured by the looks, the style and the individuality of a person or something less innate, we would all live in grey concrete boxes and drive grey Trabants.The Range Rover Evoque is one of the most desired moving metal objects on the market. It has the hallmarks of a product you just want to own - style, individuality and function within its pretty form. It’s just damn expensive - in fact, it’s more expensive than can be justified by the sum of its parts. Which is why no-one spotted this test car as the cheapest Evoque and one that doesn’t even come with the Range Rover hallmark of all-wheel drive.Poor. This is the Evoque eD4 Pure manual that costs from $49,995. It has front-wheel drive, good - but hardly excessive - equipment levels and five doors. Amazingly, the three-door Evoque is $1500 dearer. Because people pay for style and it’s presumed that the less number of doors makes it more desirable.The money buys an interior with partial leather upholstery, eight-speaker audio with Bluetoth, 125mm information touch screen, cruise control, rear park sensors and 17-inch wheels. The tester added the Pure Tech pack ($4500) then added 19-inch alloys (another $1000), metallic paint ($1300), contrasting roof colour ($955), premium sat-nav $3400) and rear vents ($190) which helped bring the total price to $61,340 plus on-road costs. But it looks good.Amazingly, this car looks almost identical to the LRX concept car shown at Detroit in 2008. That’s a good thing and the reason why it’s still in such huge demand and, cynically, why Range Rover can charge so much for it. It’s a basic Freelander body from the waist down with a wedge-shaped turret above, highlighted by narrow side glass.It’s a big car - much more than the photos indicate – and impressively wide. But it’s not efficient in its cabin area mainly because it is designed to be a luxury car rather than - in the case of the AWD versions - an off-road machine. Cabin design is similar to the bigger Range Rovers, with striking good looks, simple switchgear design and good use of high-quality materials.The dash material in the eD4 is soft-touch plastic with contrasting colours - in this case, a tasty coffee and cream. The rear seats split and fold almost flat, there’s a space-saver spare under the floor and there’s plenty of room for four adults.Range Rover follows the leads of others by lopping off the drive shaft to the rear wheels. The engine is a 110kW/380Nm 2.2-litre turbo-diesel - as fitted to the Jaguar XF and Freelander, though maybe in different power outputs - which drives through a sweet six-speed manual gearbox. Pity is that almost no buyer is going to get the manual. There’s a six-speed auto as a $2480 option. All the running gear is from the Freelander and this includes electric park brake, independent suspension, four-wheel disc brakes and electric-assist steering.The Evoque carries over the Freelander’s so-so four-star crash rating. It also gets seven airbags and a host of electronic aids including roll and trailer stability on top of the electronic stability and traction control. The spare is a space-saver. There are rear park sensors but no rear camera as standard.If you think the Evoque is all about style, wait until you drive it. Clearly it is made for the driver who places comfort above other factors. Yet that doesn’t mean the Evoque is slow or a wallower through the bends. In fact, you have to push the 2WD Pure quite hard before you know it’s not an all-wheel drive. The handling is very good and the body roll is minimal.The electric steering could have a bit more feel but it’s more than adequate for the car’s role. Ride comfort is very good and road noise is minimal, and this despite it being a diesel. The gearbox is smooth with crisp, short throws and the clutch action is light. But the market still wants this as an automatic. But it’s not perfect. The visibility is poor to all sides, worsened by the huge side mirrors. Yes, they’re great for lane changing but they mask a huge area alongside the car.

Range Rover Evoque is an indication that the British 4WD maker understands the reality of the so-called soft-roader vehicle. The burgeoning compact SUV market, or soft-roader if you like to call it that, initially saw Land Rover moving down in size with the Freelander. But it retained the sort of off-road ability Land Rover owners deemed to be essential. Land Rover then displayed a stunning looking concept vehicle that drew a lot of favourable comments at motor shows worldwide. A concept that eventually became the Range Rover Evoque.Evoque’s 2WD was launched midway through 2012 as a lower cost option, priced from $49,995, for buyers who have no plans to take their little Range Rovers off-road. Which is actually a very large number of owners, though not all of them will be willing to place themselves in that category – they still have distant dreams of one day tackling adventurous routes in the great Aussie outback.What looks like an unrealistically low roof is actually a clever optical illusion. Though the Evoque’s roof slopes sleekly down at the rear, the angle is not as sharp as it seems, because the rising belt line creates what looks to be an ultra-low roof. Even more importantly, it also maintains the macho look desired by SUV buyers.The design and quality of in-cabin materials is impressive and we can envisage wealthy owners of upmarket Range Rover Autobiography models buying Evoques for their fortunate children. We found the front seats of the baby Range Rover comfortable and pretty spacious, particularly for a vehicle of this size.Range Rover Evoque in four-door format has sufficient headroom for a six-footer in the back seats, though that’s probably about the limit, so check for yourself if you’re likely to have tall travellers back there. Legroom – we are talking about the four-door again – in the rear is good if the people in front are willing to give up a few centimetres of their legroom.The view to the side from the back seats suffers because of the aforementioned rising belt line and smaller children may become bored as they can’t see outside properly. Note that the two-door variant of the Evoque, which Range Rover cheekily calls a coupe, has slightly less headroom in the back seat than the four-door. Indeed, the use of the word coupe for the body probably makes sense because owners of coupes of any type don’t expect there to be a lot of room in the rear compartment. Boot space is good and we had no trouble fitting in a couple of fair sized suitcases without having to fold down the rear seats.Our road test vehicle for the last week has been a four-door Evoque with a turbo-diesel engine that produces 110 kW of power and the newly introduced 2WD system. In any case, the engineers have given the 2WD Evoque the same ground clearance as the 4WD, so it can tackle dirt tracks and the like.Fuel consumption around town was impressively low at seven to nine litres per hundred kilometres. It’s possible to get consumption under six litres per hundred on the highway without too much pussyfooting.On sealed surfaces the Range Rover Evoque handles almost as well as a good hatchback. You wouldn't exactly describe it as being sporty, but it comes closer than you might expect. We feel there is more road noise on rough sealed surfaces than is acceptable in an upmarket vehicle.It had decent performance without too much turbo lag. It’s noisier from outside the vehicle than many diesel cars. From the inside, particularly when cruising, it’s virtually indistinguishable from the petrol engine in the way sounds are suppressed.Visibility to the rear is not good as the shallow back windscreen gives a letter-box effect. A reversing camera and parking sensors make life safer.Range Rover Evoque’s use of 2WD may anger some of the purists who love the famed British marque, but the 2WD option makes a lot of sense and will help to secure the long-term future of the company in these tough times. 

The Pure ED4 is where the Evoque model lineup kicks off - at $49,995 but we seriously doubt you'd be able to find one in base spec. Range Rover has a "client customisation program" with Evoque that lets buyers choose what they want (at extra cost).EXCLUSIVEIt means no two Evoques will be the same - they'll all be "exclusive." We got hold of a new front wheel drive super economical eD4 five door and have to say we really like it. Apart from the striking looks, the thing goes like a train - and it's the fuel economy model.ECONOMYWe saw 5.5-litres/100km easily and didn't really try for economy. Range Rover equips the car with a swag of fuel saving technology like engine stop/start (not foolproof), low rolling resistance tyres, low friction engine internals, low aerodynamic drag and electricity regeneration when decelerating.Nothing really ground breaking but hybrid challenging economy and emissions from a 1600kg small luxury SUV is pretty impressive.POWERTRAINThe engine is a 2.2-litre Peugeot unit with 110kW/400Nm output. Extra response is gained from the water cooled, variable nozzle turbo and it's smooth and quiet thanks to a double walled engine block and dual balance shafts. But the really, really good thing is the slick manual gear change.It feels electrically operated with short throws between each cog - snick, snick, snick, and the 1-2 and 2-3 shifts are close ratio. It's the first time we have experienced a close ratio manual diesel and we like it.TORQUE ABOUT ITWith a big whack of torque belting through the front wheels some torque steer is evident under heavy throttle applications but that's quickly doused by the stability control system and other electronics.SHARPIt has sharp, sporty steering that's most un-SUV-like and a sporty ride from the chassis. You can have a good old play on a winding road in full confidence as the Evoque carves a neat, flat arc through corners.As the Pure, it has a relatively conservative interior treatment, attractive and functional capped by a large touch screen in the centre stack. We couldn't figure out what was standard kit and what was optional and gave up. The test model was kitted up to $61,340 with bigger alloys (19-inch), touch screen, audio connectivity, satnav, metallic paint, contrast roof and other stuff.TOURERIt's an excellent touring car with a luxury air others simply can't match. Then there's that styling - motorshow concept for the street. And no, we didn't encounter any rear visibility issues. There's something incongruous about a front wheel drive Range Rover but who cares, the majority of these vehicle won't go off road so the additional weight and cost of all wheel drive is a waste.VERDICTWould have one in a flash. Surprisingly good performance from a diesel four pot, low fuel consumption, excellent six-speed manual, sporty dynamics. The queue starts over here.Range Rover Evoque eD4 PurePrice: from $49,995Warranty: 3yr roadside assist, 100,000kmEngine: 2.2-litre turbocharged four-cylinder diesel, 110kW/380NmTransmission: 6-speed manual, FWDThirst: 5.0L / 100Km, 133 g/km CO2

You can spend thousands on options in an Evoque. But what if you don't? Compare a new car with one from a decade ago and it's amazing how much stuff we now take for granted.In test cars, invariably specced to the rafters, it can be hard to work out how much of a car's desirability is inherent and how much depends on the number of options. A case in point is the Range Rover Evoque. When this fashionable soft-roader was launched last year, every test car had thousands in extras.VALUEIn some cases, this pushed up the price by half as much again, to beyond $100k. That left the impression it was overpriced, and I wondered what would be left if you removed all the options. It was impossible to work out if a standard Evoque even feels like a Range Rover.At least it was until last week, when I got into an Evoque eD4, the bottom rung of the range at $49,995. Even in base spec, the Evoque has enough to pass muster against today's raised expectations. Crucial inclusions, for me at least, are Bluetooth phone and rear parking sensors.If you want more, it's available -- although the next rung on the trim ladder is another $13,500 and includes pointless gadgets such as rain-sensing wipers. There are things missing, of course, but many of them I can do without. These would include a reversing camera, sunroof, ambient lighting and powered tailgate.Satnav is a bigger omission and auto headlamps are useful, if only because that means there are no chimes reminding that you've left them on. My expectations for the interior were lowered when I saw the spec sheet. Only two options are fitted: front carpet at $200 and rear vents at $190. If breathing is an option, what will the rest of it be like?DESIGNFrom the outside it's impossible to tell that this Evoque is the bottom feeder. The rear comes well equipped and doesn't feel poverty-pack. And it's like that throughout. The seats are first rate, even though not much of the upholstery is leather. Trim that appears to be metal actually is metal, while much of the dash and door material is soft-touch.The cabin has most of what makes more expensive Evoques successful: the same jewel-effect dials, the same wheel loaded with audio and cruise controls, and the same detailed switchgear. Everything feels solid and substantial.The absence of grab handles is a black mark, but that's not limited to this version. But there's enough here to be convincing. Range Rover has made a sound judgment about what constitutes the lowest common denominator for the brand.TECHNOLOGYEven the brand's trademark four-wheel drive is absent from the eD4. This variant is its first front-wheel drive car in Australia, although we've known they were coming. Both the Evoque and the Freelander, which supplies the engineering for both cars, are sold as 2WDs in Europe.Under the eD4 bonnet is the low-output 2.2-litre diesel four-cylinder already available in Evoque, although here it gets 20Nm less torque. By shedding four-wheel drive, the eD4 loses 75kg and achieves impressive fuel economy of five litres per 100km, or even less for the three-door.However, the only transmission available is a six-speed manual. What will hold the eD4 back in this market is the lack of an auto. The most affordable automatic is another $10k and comes only with a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol and four-wheel drive.DRIVINGThe eD4 isn't quick at 11.2 seconds to 100km/h and it sounds like it's just driven across a ploughed field. There are also hints of diesel vices -- a smidgin of torque steer, a little vibration around 1400rpm. However it's far from the most abrasive oil-burner and, as it delivers lots of driveable torque through its mid-range, it's surprisingly easy to live with.Around town, you'll need to change gears a lot but the stubby little shifter has a nice action, complemented by well-weighted pedals. It also drives well, with nicely damped composure and insulated ride quality. Less weight helps the dynamics, and while it's far from agile, it is enjoyable.VERDICTThe demand for Evoques is outstripping supply; it's a worldwide hit the like of which Land Rover has never known. You get the impression it could fit anything under the bonnet and they'd sell.Range Rover Evoque eD4Price: from $49,995Warranty: 3yr roadside assist, 100,000kmEngine: 2.2-litre turbocharged four-cylinder diesel, 110kW/380NmTransmission: 6-speed manual, front-wheel driveThirst: 5.0 / 100Km

Stunning . . .  one word says it all.  Not advised for the introvert, the Range Rover Evoque Coupe was made to turn heads. But with an obvious focus on style, could this beauty come with any brawn? The Evoque looks high maintenance, impractical, and a bit needy, but despite our best attempts at aversion, we became

I remember the `Wow' that escaped my lips when I laid eyes on this car for the first time overseas in Wales.Driving the Evoque months later in Sydney it still had the same effect on me and I'm not on my Pat Malone. Whatever else you want to say about the baby Rangey, it's certainly an attention getter.Not everyone likes the look though. Our office courier prefers the squarer look of the Freelander, but Alan strikes me as a conservative kind of bloke. Each to his own.THE COSTPriced from $49,995 the Evoque comes in three and five-door guise, two and four-wheel drive, with a choice of diesel or petrol engines. Our test vehicle the three-door, all-wheel drive petrol Prestige SI4 auto, is priced frm $77,395 but a few extras brought the grand total cost at the time of testing to $98,759.THE ENGINEIt's a 2.0-litre turbocharged four cylinder engine that delivers 177kW of power and 340Nm of torque. This is the same engine that powers the just released four cylinder Falcon, but in a slightly different state of tune.It's hooked up to a six-speed Japanese auto with paddle shifts (note there's no shifter lever as such). As with other Jags and Rangies initial gear selection is performed via a space saving rotary knob.PERFORMANCE0-100km/h takes 7.6 secs, top speed is 217km/h and fuel consumption is rated at 8.7 litres/100km (we were getting 10.1). We're still not completely sold on this engine. It's still a little slow to respond sometimes and makes some odd noises on occasion.But generally it provides lively performance and relatively good fuel economy. The electric steering is good with plenty of feedback, but perhaps not as good as BMW's variable ratio steering.OFF ROADYes. Despite its manic urban appeal you can still take yourself seriously off road in this car. Not that most owners would even consider the possibility. It actually has 12mm more ground clearance than the Freelander on which is is based.THREE OR FIVE?The more practical five door costs $1500 less. The roof line is actually 30mm higher than the coupe, but you wouldn't pick it unless the two were side by side.BACK SEATThere's plenty of room back there but getting accessing it can be challenging. The front seats slide forward electrically but they are oh so slow to do so. The resulting opening is okay but still requires some athletic ability to negotiate the opening.PRESTIGEThis model represents the ultimate in Range Rover luxury. It also includes all the latest safety gear, but sadly scores only four stars in crash tests. Comes with 19 inch alloys, xenon/LED lights, and a 380 watt, 11-speaker sound system.The finish inside is first rate with a two tone colour scheme that featuring premium twin-stitched leather and real wood and metal finishes. There's still plenty of options to chose from, like the Prestige tech pack for $5900 that includes such things as satnav, front parking sensors, a reversing camera and power operated tailgate.VERDICTYou know you want to. Goes as well as it looks. This car has way more character than a BMW and we suspect that Land Rover is going to have trouble keeping up with demand.

There are plenty of choices in the compact premium SUV segment from a range of manufacturers including BMW X1, Volkswagen Tiguan, Volvo XC60, Mini Countryman and Audi's Q3. Mercedes-Benz is noticeably absent but that will change.All of them face a serious challenge in the guise of Range Rover's stunning Evoque — possibly the most desirable SUV on the market right now regardless of size or price.Evoque 4x4 five-door pricing starts at $53,395 for the TD4 Pure. Our diesel SD4 (high output engine) mid-spec Dynamic auto with quite a few options rolled over $94,000, that's right, add on-roads and you are talking $100K.It's a big price for a smallish vehicle especially when you consider it gets you into an Audi Q7 3.0TDi, BMW X5 3.0d, two Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo diesels or a Benz ML350CDi.But when a car looks like this, you instinctively reach for your wallet. Value in a distilled form...Gets the expected Range Rover treatment though the coarsely textured dash finish is not pretty. The interior itself is stylish and functional and the test vehicle's optional 820 watt audio system was monumental.There's a large touch screen, Bluetooth and audio streaming. It's a sea of leather inside with comfortable sculpted seats though comment from rear seat passengers suggested they were on the firm side.It's roomy too despite the sloping rear roofline. We were taken aback by the (optional) twin screen panel that shows satnav to the driver on one angle and TV to the passenger on the other side — at the same time.The wheel's chunky and has multiple controls including paddle shift for the auto transmission. They are cheap plastic paddles that are contrary to the Evoque's overall look and feel.The SD-4 uses a 2.2-litre Peugeot-built turbodiesel four cylinder with 140kW/420Nm output.The engine, pretty much the same as in LandRover Freelander, has twin balance shafts and a variable nozzle turbo to deliver strong performance over a wide operating range.It gets out of the blocks fairly smartly, has strong mid-range and will even rev to about 4500rpm without grumbling.It's aided by a slick shifting six-speed auto transmission — not a DSG in this case. Fuel economy is a claimed 6.5-litres/100km - we got close.The test car's drive select offered `sport' mode which not only makes the instruments glow red but alters how the chassis dynamics and engine respond.But it's fairly firm for everyday use. Point it at come curves and the Evoque feels like a sporty coupe, flick it to normal and it's comfortable and controlled.There's also a version of  dial-up Terrain Response for various types of off road driving. The full time 4WD system aids grip on all surfaces with the large 19-inch tyres further improving matters.It has strong brakes and the chassis feels strong. Evoque's a good thing to drive in a variety of environments and surprisingly competent off road.It gets a five star Euro NCAP crash rating but narrowly misses out on the Aussie five star rating because of a pedestrian safety.All the same, Evoque gets the full set of airbags, stability control plus plenty more like hill descent control, hill start assist, auto adjust xenon headlights, auto wipers, headlights and rear view mirror tint.What can you say — a stand out glamour from every angle. People run up to you in the street to talk about the Evoque. It has more cut through than a Ferrari — well almost.And apart from the rough textured dash, the interior is the same — incredible wow factor. The Poms still have it in styling terms.Too much money and extensive gouging on options but the queue begins over here...