2023 Range Rover Evoque vs Range Rover Sport

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.

Electrification has properly arrived in the Range Rover Sport family, and a plug-in hybrid solution makes a lot of sense in this application.

Plenty of power, a big EV driving range and the ability to reduce your working week fuel bill to close to zero all adds to the appeal here, as does the drop-dead gorgeous design at work.

'Tis a little expensive, though, and even more so once you start ticking those option boxes.

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.

Usually we'd say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and that design is subjective, and blah, blah, blah. But not this time.

Because, the Range Rover Sport is the best looking SUV in Australia. Better even than the Range Rover flagship, On this, there's really no argument.

But, if you want yours to look as good as this one, you'll need to pay for it. This spectacular paint, as mentioned, adds $13,531 to the asking price. And these special gloss-black alloys? They're another $2470.

But even without it, this is a seriously special-looking SUV. The Range Rover people have a special skill in making these big vehicles look sexy, rather than bulky, and for mine they've done it again here.

Climb inside, and you'll find a special-feeling space, too. The screen dominates much of the dash space, but it feels polished and of high quality, though the wireless charging pad is madness. With nothing to secure your phone in place, it tends to slide around, and even launch out of the holder, when you're on the move.

Still, we're talking cigar-lounge vibes here, or like someone has fitted an engine to your living room, especially when you deploy the extra armrests and really get comfortable.

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.

At 4946mm long, 2047mm wide and 1820mm tall - and with 2997mm wheelbase - the Range Rover Sport is a sizeable SUV.

And with our vehicle fitted with just five seats, that real estate translates into an acreage of space in both rows, as well as in the boot, instilling a real sense of stretch-out luxury for passengers.

The backseat especially is roomy. I'm 175cm, and I found I had plenty of head room, plenty of leg room, and more than enough room to stretch out sideways, too.

Backseat riders get their own vents and changing sources, too, but quad-zone climate (giving your rear passengers the ability to set their own temperatures) is a cost extra – which seems a little mad, given the $200k price tag.

You'll find 835 litres of luggage space with the Range Rover Sport's second row of seats in place. Fold it flat, though, and that number grows to 1860 litres.

A nifty tow ball emerges from the rear of the vehicle at the push of a button, allowing for a three-tonne towing capacity, while the adjustable ride height unlocks a wading depth of 900mm. There's also proper 4WD with low range, and hill descent control, to help guide you off the beaten path.

It has got an incredibly catchy name – the Range Rover Sport Dynamic HSE P510e Electric Hybrid – and it carries a price tag that's sure to capture your attention, too.

It lists at around $198,000, but once fitted with the features our test car has been equipped with, that number climbs to more like $225,000.

On the very long standard features list is all-digital LED lighting, a clever electrically deployable tow bar and 22-inch alloy wheels.

Inside, there's twin-zone climate control, heated and ventilated seats both front and rear, all of which are lined with pretty fetching leather,  and then there's the very clear 13.1-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a banging Meridian 3D surround system, a head-up display, and a wireless charge pad.

Our test car then adds a sliding Panoramic Roof, the stunning Eiger Grey in Satin Finish paint, which in and of itself costs more than $13,000, bigger 23-inch wheels, a home charging cable, a heated steering wheel, and more, adding more than $25k to the total  sticker price.

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.

It's a clever plug-in hybrid powertrain, in that it delivers plenty of power, and plenty of all-EV driving range.

It starts with a six-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, which pairs with a 105kW electric motor, delivering a total of 375kW and 700Nm.

That power is channelled through an eight-speed automatic and sent to all four wheels, and is enough, Range Rover says, to unlock a 5.4-second sprint to 100km/h (quick for a 2.8-tonne SUV), and a flying top speed of 242km/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.

As always in the plug-in hybrid world, how much fuel you use is largely up to you.

The on-board 38.2kWh battery will deliver a claimed all-electric driving range of around 125kms - which should be more than enough if you plug it in every night, or every other night, to get through your working week without burning any fuel.

Combined, the brand claims a fuel sue figure of a paltry 1.6L/100km (and emissions of 37g/km), but those numbers are often wildly inaccurate when it comes to plug-in hybrids. We found that – when letting the Range Rover Sport choose when to use the engine, the motor, or both – fuel use was more like 10.2L/100km.

The 71-litre fuel tank demands 95RON fuel, which – based on prices in Sydney at the time of writing – should set you back around $155.

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?

I know plug-in hybrids aren't the most popular of the new-technology powertrains in Australia, but the concept is at its very best in a vehicle like this silky Range Rover.

Pulling away from the kerb in smooth silence only really enhances the luxury feel on offer here, while the potent six-cylinder engine waiting in the wings delivers all the grunt you'd expect when overtaking or just pulling off from the light.

What's more, the theoretical 125km driving range in EV mode is pretty substantial, and really should be more than enough to get you through the vast bulk of your working week without needing to recharge.

Most people – whether they drive a PHEV or a fully-fledged BEV – plug in every night, and doing so here will help seriously reduce your fuel bill, which is always welcome in a vehicle this big and traditionally thirsty.

Happily, it also feels smaller and tighter than it looks from behind the wheel when you're on the move, though tight parking spots can prove embarrassing. I'm lightly ashamed to admit that I took not one, not two, but three attempts to ensure all the Range Rover's bits were well inside the white lines in a tricky-angled parking spot.

Those little moments aside, the Range Rover is an easy vehicle to live with, given its size. It's smooth, quiet, and with a suspension tune that irons out much of the world's ugliness before it enters the cabin.

We're talking five ANCAP stars here, and a veritable boat load of active safety technology designed to keep you safe whether you're on the road or off it.

That includes a 3D parking camera, adaptive cruise, AEB in both drive and reverse, traffic sign recognition, a rear traffic monitor and front and rear parking sensors.

There are six airbags total across both rows of seats.

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 Ranger Rover Sport is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, which includes five years of roadside assistance.

You can also buy a service plan, which covers five years or 102,000 kms (whichever occurs first) for $2750.