Rating 8,5
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Exterior design
The aesthetics and the design are certainly one of the main weapons of the new Range Rover. It has an identical image of the coupe for both 3 and 5-door bodywork. The only external difference is that the 5-door is 3 cm higher than the 3-door one, which is hardly noticeable to a naked eye. The oversized wide front and rear wheel arches give it a muscular look that is reinforced more in aesthetic than in effective term of protection. All this combines to give it a modern, dynamic and elegant look that attract the attention on the road, in the town or when we drive through tracks.
Habitability
At the front seats everything is designed to provide pleasure and comfort to its occupants. The interior gets a lot of light. The appearance, both visually and to the touch, of all materials that make up the interior is of very high quality with modern and luxurious looking.
All controls fall to hand, especially after having placed the steering wheel and seat. It is feeling comfortable from the start. The seats hug the body perfectly without feeling cramped and cost absolutely nothing to feel comfortable inside. The rear seats don’t reach the level of the front ones and are comfortable to accommodate two adults of a good size. These 3 inches more height leaves more space for heads. It also has more than 50 mm with at shoulder height. The trunk without being particularly large or small offers 575 liters. This is also superior to the 550 liters offered by the 3-door version. Folding down the rear seats we get a total cargo volume of more than 1 400 liters.
Mechanics
The engine is a transversal 4 cylinders inline, turbo diesel, 16-valve with a common rail injection and high pressure piezoelectric injectors. It incorporates Variable Geometry Turbocharger (VGT), variable intake system and an improved engine management for a better fuel efficiency. It delivers a power of 190 hp and maximum torque of 420 Nm with a displacement of 2179 cc. It has a permanent Four Wheel Drive with differential Haldex to the rear entrance.
The automatic models benefit from the latest generation transmission AW (Aisin-Warner) F-21 of 6-speed. It has been revised to improve its operational efficiency which includes optimization of the gear train, advanced idling and the inclusion of fluid of low viscosity. However, having this kind of change requires giving up the Start & Stop System which the manual versions have. This is in order to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by an additional 8%. This ultimately costs the automatic advance to the next registration tax bracket and have to “quote” around 3 500 euros more when buying the car. The parking brake is electric and is activated automatically when you remove the contact.
Performance
The first thing that you perceive to start is the low level of vibration and good soundproofing of the cabin. Even above legal speeds, the noise level is very low. The same occurs in the urban traffic where you move with a feeling of isolation.
On the motorway it is a saloon car: comfortable, quiet, powerful and very stable at high radius curves where you notice perfectly plumb. Maintaining composure in an excellent manner and performing on mountain roads with many bends and asphalt surprised me. Its behavior is close to a classic compact SUV with two extras and is rubbing two tons. All this also helps the steering precision with enough support to make it enjoyable and effective. In the same time it is firm enough to convey all that is happening under the wheels.
But as it is 4×4 what intrigued me most is to see how they unfold off-road. The main advantage of the Evoque to the field is its Terrain Response system of traction. This system adapts the response of the vehicle systems such as engine, gearbox, different Haldex, the ABS and DSC to terrain that goes circulating. I decided to test the car in all conditions. Hard dirt tracks, river sand, gravel and grass came under the wheels of the Evoque.
Everything under control
In any case, the most notable is that even under these conditions the hardest part is to make skid. The limit is not in its traction capacity. There are some tires that when you have a look at their flanks and you see the name M+S (Mud and Snow) you understand that they are designed for use on the road. The Terrain Response is limited to making easier what the car is able to do for you and a bit of touch with the accelerator control. The traction of the Range Rover Evoque is 10 out of 10. It climbs with ease thanks to its impressive traction capacity.
As for the engine, its behavior is more remarkable. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h for 8.5 sec. and reaches a top speed that would allow us to see the hit of 200 km/h on the speedometer.
Remarkable is the Parking Assistant System. With the help of ultrasonic sensors and interventions in the direction, it automatically managed to get the car in a parking spot that is only 1.2 times big as the size of the car. In this case the driver only has to press the accelerator and the brake and to see the amazed faces of the passengers.
Security
Loaded with the latest technology, the security section of the Range Rover Evoque can face any opponent:
– Airbag in the front for the driver and the passenger
– Knee Airbag for the driver
– Side Curtain Airbags for the driver, the passengers and the rear seats
– ISOFIX child restraint system
– Adjustable front seatbelts in height
– ABS
– Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)
– Traction Control System (TCS)
– Roll Stability Control (RSC)
– Engine Drag Torque Control (EDC)
– Electrical Distribution Braking Force (EBD)
– Emergency Brake Assistant (EBA)
– Cornering Brake Control (CBC)
– Trailer Stability Assistance (TSA)
– Land Rover SmartKey.
These are the systems that are supposed to help us to correct the mistakes that we make while driving. They ensure our and our passengers security.
Overall Rating
If you want a sporty coupe which allows you to travel on any road with snow, ice, mud or get away on tracks with any type of firm, this can be the car to make you feel satisfaction.
It has the best traction capacity in the market. Those who choose to buy an Evoque would recommend the 5-door version. It is more practical, cheaper and has more consistent set. You should try the manual version. You will purchase it for less, will have slightly less consumption and will go into a lower tax bracket of the registration tax. Land Rover has made an SUV so beautiful, so well done and so modern. It is one of those cars that allow you to hang the label of “I’ll buy it just because”, because I like it and because although nothing is perfect, it has very few flaws…
