The Evoque has been on sale since 2011 and Jaguar Land Rover have shifted over 750,000 models in those 8 years globally, making it one of the most popular Land Rover models of all time. Now Range Rover are forced to change a winning formula, which can be a risky business, but the Evoque certainly needs a quick refresh, let’s see how they got on.
Aesthetically, the new Evoque hasn’t strayed too far away from the design that made the first generation so popular. The overall silhouette of the Evoque stays mostly the same even though the bodywork is all-new. The real styling changes are borrowed from the gorgeous Range Rover Velar, the Evoques elder sibling, and this brings flush handles that pop-out when summoned. The headlights are now narrower and more eagle-like in appearance and they wrap around the front corners of the car more seamlessly. The front grille has also been carried from the new Range Rover range. In fact, the Evoque is the last model in the lineup to inherit the new Range Rover grille.
Land Rover has also announced that the new Evoque lineup will be electrified and although they expect Diesel models will still dominate the sales figures, there’s a range of ‘mild-hybrids’ and plug-in hybrids available from launch. The diesel engines shouldn’t be scoffed at, the improved ‘Ingenium’ engines can return over 50 mpg on the combined cycle and up to 65 mpg on a motorway run, with some engines emitting less than 150 g/km of CO2 which isn’t bad at all for an SUV.
There have been a few rumours that the Range Rover Evoque Convertible will make a return eventually, however, there’s no definite timeline. Interestingly, Jaguar Land Rover is quietly dropping the 3-door Evoque completely. All the new Evoques will be exclusively available as 5-door models from launch.
Inside, all the old mechanical, analogue dials and buttons are being ditched and replaced with a fully digital and customisable array of high-resolution touchscreens and displays. There are only 3 physical scroll wheels remaining on the centre console, with everything else being controlled via the touchscreen. Great news for gadget lovers but a potentially big turn-off for technophobes.
As you would expect, the cabin is drenched in high-quality materials such as the leather and wool-based fabrics, you’ll do well to find any cheap plastics whatsoever in the cabin.
The Evoque comes with plenty of gadgets too, such as the Clearsight rear-view technology which basically turns the centre console into a high-definition rearview mirror angled towards the ground with a full 180-degree view - eliminating blind spots at the rear. This will prove particularly handy when reversing into a car parking bay at the supermarket or when parallel parking at the roadside. Range Rover has also fitted a ‘Ground View’ camera under the front wheels so you can see under the front of the car, we’re struggling to find a situation where that will be needed out on the roads but it could come in handy if you ever took your Evoque off-roading… which you probably won’t.
The Evoque is on sale now with prices starting from £31,600 and deliveries are expected to start in early 2019.
