This is the final test car review of the year, so as the saying goes: let’s save the best till last.
Not too long ago, I couldn’t have imagined saying that I’m test driving a two wheel drive Land Rover, but for the last week that’s exactly what I’ve been doing. The all-new Evoque is available with both 2WD and 4WD, but it probably should be put like this: the Evoque is a 4WD with a 2WD option for those who want the looks but don’t necessarily want to go off-road too often. The 2WD version also has lower CO2 emissions, so would suit the more environmentally friendly drivers out there.
I found a shallow stream and decided to drive through the water to see if the 2WD could handle it. It created a few waves, but it handled just the same as a 4WD in these conditions.
The Evoque we tested had a 2.2 litre turbo-charged 150ps diesel engine that has a 0-60mph time of 10.6 seconds, a top speed of 112mph and a CO2 figure of 129g/km. The equivalent 4WD has a CO2 figure of 149g/km. This engine offers more than enough power and it easily cruised at 70mph on the motorway with the engine just merrily ticking over. It’s quiet and refined, and while there are other engines available on the market that are quieter, the noise level was perfectly acceptable.
The five door hatchback version is a great looking car, but the three door coupe is even prettier. Just about everyone who saw the car really liked it, but there were the odd one or two that did make derogatory comments. I think it’s a superb looking vehicle; the designers have done a first class job on the Evoque.
This car has very wide stance and a low roof, but it’s short enough to park in a relatively small space. It looks very sporty and strangely enough it all manages to look proportional. It attracted attention everywhere we parked it, which is very unusual these days but it proves that Land Rover has come up with a winner here. Sales figures and long waiting lists also back up this fact.
Everything about the Evoque’s interior suggests that it’s most definitely a Range Rover, as it just oozes that RR quality. The fit and finish is superb and the quality of materials used is simply first class. The car we had came with the ‘Lux Pack’ as standard, so this added even more luxury to an already prestigious car. There is leather everywhere and the quality of it is superb; the stitching is bold yet precise and this – along with the metal trim and all the finishers – makes the Evoque’s interior feel like a special place to sit. Due to its width, the car offers plenty of interior space, especially where shoulder room is concerned.
The car we tested had a Dual View screen as standard, which is self explanatory in its function: you press a button and the driver can see one thing on the screen – such as the navigation map or the car’s systems – and the passenger can look at the same screen from their side of the car and see something completely different, such as the TV for example. If the passenger wants to listen to the television but the driver wants to listen to the radio, then there’s a set of headphones for the passenger and the radio goes out over the car’s speaker system. This is a wonderful invention, but it does kill a conversation stone dead. However, the TV does work well; it manages keep a good reception regardless of where you are, how fast you are going or what channel you are watching.
The list of standard equipment on the Prestige model is endless, but add on the Lux Pack for around £4,000 and the car is complete. You couldn’t think of anything else you would want; it even has things you couldn’t dream up!
Land Rover has been brave with the Evoque in terms of its design, the use of materials, its size and calling it a Range Rover. However, everything seems to work and the queues that have been forming at Land Rover dealers is proof enough that the Evoque is a huge success – not only in the UK, but around the world. It has also created some much needed jobs here in Great Britain.
The Evoque made waves going through the stream, but it’s making bigger waves with its German premium competitors. The cost of our test car is by no means cheap at £39,955 on the road, but it’s fully loaded.
