 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque. Click image to enlarge |
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Manufacturer’s web site |
Review and photos by Jil McIntosh
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2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
Liverpool, England – There’s something a little unnerving about driving into an unlit abandoned tunnel, climbing over construction rubble and past the remains of a burned-out car, and then realizing that said tunnel is flooded with water almost up to the vehicle’s headlights. It’s even more so when the spotter, standing in the gloom giving final instructions, has a snorkelling mask should a rescue be required. And so I ask the question: will a vehicle that Land Rover says is its smallest and lightest, one whose all-wheel system depends primarily upon the front tires, one with only four cylinders under its hood, make it through?
Of course it will – the automakers never set up press-launch situations that the vehicle can’t handle – but what is surprising is how easily the Range Rover Evoque makes it through. It may look like it’s primarily a downtown dweller, but it has pretty much all the tough stuff that has earned its boxier brothers their reputation as off-road Olympians.
   2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque. Click image to enlarge |
A completely new model for 2012, the Evoque is aimed at those shopping for a crossover or small SUV. Land Rover expects it to become its top-selling model, with many if not most buyers new to the brand. It comes in a four-door model called the 5-Door, which runs through six trim levels ranging from $46,995 to $60,495. Unique to the segment, it’s also available as a sweet two-door called the Coupe, in three trims from $52,595 to $61,195. After much discussion at head office, it was decided to put the Range Rover brand across its nose. Land Rover is considered the name for the trucky models that scour their way across the Sahara Desert; Range Rover, on the other hand, finds one of its largest markets in New York City.
Stunningly styled – although that slit of a rear window is hard on visibility – the Evoque uses a heavily-modified rendering of the platform that underpins the LR2. Its turbocharged 2.0-litre engine is a version of Ford’s Ecoboost (Ford owned Jaguar/Land Rover before selling it to India’s Tata Motors), but with modifications to keep out dirt and water during off-roading, and a special oil pump that ensures the lubrication flows on steep angles. It makes 240 horsepower, while its 251 lb.-ft. of torque peaks at just 1,750 rpm. It’s mated to a six-speed automatic transmission and the combination is impressive. It will scoot like a scared cat when pressed, without any turbo lag, but it’s easy to moderate away from a stop. There’s also no jerkiness to the throttle when it’s asked for a little bit of power to just crest the top of the hill when off-roading without getting away and racing to the top. My only complaint is with the thin exhaust note, which needs to be throatier, especially in the sporty-looking Coupe version. There is a diesel engine available for other markets, but it’s not coming to Canada.
 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque. Click image to enlarge |
The Haldex all-wheel system sends 90 per cent of its torque to the front wheels under normal dry-road cruising. It varies continuously when you’re driving, though, to a maximum of 30/70 front to rear. It includes hill descent control, which can be set to specific speeds via the cruise control buttons. It proved itself on a sharp, muddy incline during one of the many off-road portions that the company had set up during my two-day drive, getting me evenly and safely to the bottom without my having to touch the brakes.
As with other Range Rover models, the Evoque features the company’s Terrain Response, a series of settings that changes the engine, transmission, centre coupling, braking and stability system responses depending on the program selected. Along with General, there is also Grass/Gravel/Snow, Mud and Ruts, and Sand (the Rock Crawl offered in the more robust models isn’t here).
      2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque. Click image to enlarge |
There are no dials for 4High and 4Low as in many other vehicles; this is more “off-roading for dummies,” but it really works well. An optional feature is Adaptive Dynamics, which features MagneRide. The system has been around for a while (with different spellings) and uses dampers that contain magnetic particles in their fluid. A computer constantly monitors the vehicle’s movements and, when required, applies a magnetic field to the particles, instantly softening or stiffening the ride. Evoques equipped with the system also have a Dynamic Mode in their Terrain Response settings.
An electric power steering system is used to help improve fuel economy. The handling is delightfully sharp, but I’d like more weight to the steering. Putting it into the “Sport” setting tightens it up to where I prefer it, but then the suspension buttons down hard and tight as well. My ideal combination would be the tight Sport steering with the more comfortable ride at the normal setting, but since it’s all entwined such a combination isn’t possible, an engineer told me. Pity.
The combination of quick steering response, the vehicle’s relatively light weight (1,640 kilos for the Coupe, 1,670 for the 5-Door) and its smaller size makes it a fun driver that’s far more like a crossover than an SUV. Land Rover’s primary targets are BMW’s new X1, which handles similarly thanks to almost identical engine power and only 20 kilos more on the scale, and Mercedes-Benz’s GLK, which outweighs the Evoque by 180 kg and seems just a bit less nimble. The price advantage goes to those two, though, as the Evoque 5-Door is $3,495 more than the GLK and a whopping $8,495 over the BMW. It’s even $2,045 more than the larger LR2 upon which it’s loosely based.
The interior is stunning, especially with the available two-tone seats and an optional panoramic roof that pretty much means the whole top is glass. The materials are top-notch and the fit-and-finish is faultless. It’s very roomy, including the rear seats, although getting into them is another matter. The Coupe comes with the expected difficulty in squeezing back there, but it’s also a tight fit to get one’s legs between the pillar and the elongated bottom corner of the front seat. Once you’re in, it’s fine, though. The seats fold down to increase the luggage space: it doesn’t look all that big, but its volume is among the largest of its competitors, and of course it’s designed to hold a set of golf clubs.
There’s technology galore, including an available premium stereo system by Meridian, a five-camera surround-view that lets you watch your progress across the off-road trails, puddle lamps that project the Land Rover logo onto the ground alongside the vehicle, and perhaps the niftiest of all, a dual-view centre screen. It can display two systems at once, directing each one to each of the front seats. My passenger found a television signal and was watching a BBC program. I couldn’t see any of it; all that was available to me was the navigation system.
The Evoque started life as the LRX Concept, which debuted at the Detroit Auto Show in 2008; Land Rover said that response to it was positive enough that it decided to go ahead with it. Although production has only started – we’ll see them go on sale here in the fall – the company claims to have 20,000 orders for it already. It has a few things going against it: it’s expensive, the dealer network isn’t as large here as with most of its competitors, and the brand is still trying to overcome its less-than-stellar reputation for reliability. But on the plus side, it’s drop-dead gorgeous, it’s great to drive, and although the vast majority of drivers will never go any more off-road with it than missing the driveway and hitting the flowerbed, it can handle a flooded tunnel or a goat trail with ease. It may look like a city car, but it really is worthy of its badge.
