Range that’s a winner from top to bottom . . . L
OOK at the two cars above - apart from the fact that one is white and the other black can you spot any obvious differences? Well this week we have an interesting comparison as our test car is the top-of-the-range Range Rover Evoque Si4 Autobiography (the black one) while the other is an entry level 2WD SE diesel.
The biggest difference is not something you can see - it is more that £22,000 on the price tag!
Yes, the petrol Autobiography is £55,200 on the road while the diesel SE cost a shade under £33,000 - and that was with a few luxury interior options like premium leather and sat nav (the base car is £30,750).
So how do we get to such a difference in price? Well there is no doubt the Evoque is a great car and a big hit with the motoring public you only have to see how many are on our roads these days.
Performance and equipment lists are the big differences. The Autobiography petrol can do 0 to 60 in 6 seconds while the SE 2WD takes around 10 - but feels quicker.
And the spec list on the Autobiography is long indeed including all round parking aids and camera system, 20” special black alloy wheels, power fold door mirrors with ‘puddle’ lights, panoramic glass sunroof, power gesture tailgate, premium 825W Meridian Surround System, digital TV, heated and cooled memory seats in perforated Windsor grained leather, park assist and Autobiography details and badging.
Performance-wise the 2.0-litre, 290bhp Ingenium turbo petrol engine is also truly impressive with that blistering 0 to 60 time and 144mph top speed - yet it will return up to 43mpg.
The Range Rover Evoque is Land Rover’s most successful ever model – and it’s easy to see why with lots of tech, performance, comfort and style plus that go anywhere Land Rover image.
The Evoque has been around since 2011 and only saw minor updates until the 2017 addition of JLR’s latest 2-litre Ingenium diesel engines.
The Evoque comes in SE, SE Dynamic, HSE, HSE Dynamic and our test car’s range topping Autobiography. Even the basic SE is pretty well equipped, with leather upholstery, alloy wheels, an 8-inch touchscreen, the InControl Touch infotainment system, and auto windscreen wipers.
Most of the range comes with four-wheel drive, but the entry level car’s front wheel drive, while losing a bit of that go anywhere ability, does mean a boost in fuel economy up to 65mpg - so If you don’t value outright speed or plan to go in any serious rough stuff then the 148bhp, 2.0 eD4 diesel engine is well worth considering
It is also quicker than the old 2.2litre engine, despite also being more efficient, and is far quieter and a lot more refined – both on a motorway and around town.
An £850 option on our petrol Autobiography was adaptive magnetic dampers which help the Evoque stay stable and composed in corners, with body roll kept to a minimum.
And Land Rover technology like Hill Descent Control, which gradually eases the car down a steep hill, and Terrain Response, that auto-matically changes the car’s settings for off-road driving, mean the four wheel drive versions are very capable in all conditions.
The 2017 refresh also saw new interior and exterior colours, trims and redesigned badging plus welcome infotainment upgrades, which brought in JLR’s InControl Touch and Touch Pro systems.
Now I am often asked the question about the cars I test: ‘Yes but would you actually buy one?’ Well in this case I can most definitely say yes as the white 2WD diesel is the Extra Special One’s chariot of choice.
In fact it is her second Evoque but one ‘improvement’ over her previous 2014 model has proved a little problematic.If, like her, you are a very low mileage driver (the car is already almost a year old but has yet to hit 2,000 miles) go for a petrol version - otherwise the exhaust filter warning light will be coming on with annoying regularity.
More info at www.landrover. co.uk SILVERSTONE Auctions sold £6m worth of motors at last weekend’s Silverstone Classic event.
One of the most anticipated lots, a 1975 Range Rover with royal provenance, was fresh from an exacting restoration and described as the finest Range Rover ever to pass through the auction house.
The car was hammered away for £101,250, more than £30,000 above its lower estimate.
Another star of the weekend and the headline lot of the sale was an exceptional 1958 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster (above) estimated at £700,000 to £800,000, the highest valued lot of the sale. Pushing well past its pre-sale estimate, the 300SL sold for £860,625 including premium.
Other notable sales included a number of immaculate Jaguar E-Types which sold for between £112,500 and £90,000.