Evoque honors its off-road history
Pricey Range Rover SUV combines sleek looks and brand expectations
The 2020 Range Rover Evoque SUV is a master class in the meaning and value of a strong brand. It’s not the fastest, most powerful or most capable vehicle in its class, but people happily will pay a premium for the new compact luxury SUV. Why? Because the new Evoque nails the look and feel owners expect from Land Rover, and that makes the whole greater than the sum of its parts.
Range Rover read the tea leaves early. The brand was among the first to realize people wanted SUVs in all shapes and sizes. The original Evoque, which went on sale as a 2012 model, was the brand’s first step beyond big boxy off-roaders to offer a full family of vehicles with a range of prices and capabilities.
Full disclosure: I never cared for that first-generation Evoque. I thought it was under-powered, overpriced and had an inconveniently small interior.
The 2020 that just went on sale remedies those issues and more.
How much?
Evoque prices start at $42,650. Allwheel drive, a 2.0L turbocharged engine and nine-speed automatic transmission are standard. The base model has 246 horsepower and 269 poundfeet of torque. Mild hybrid models badged R-Dynamic have a higher output 2.0L engine and 48-volt starter generator to produce 296 horsepower and 295 pound-feet. The mild hybrid allows R-Dynamic models to score the same EPA fuel economy rating as the less powerful base engine. R-Dynamic prices start at $46,600. I tested a loaded Evoque First Edition model that had the base 246-hp engine and features including leather upholstery, 21-inch wheels, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, navigation, dual touch screens, adaptive suspension, adaptive cruise control and more.
It stickered at $58,220. All prices exclude destination charges.
The Evoque’s competition includes the Audi Q3, BMW X2, Cadillac XT4, Infiniti QX30, Jeep Cherokee, Mercedes GLA 250 and Volvo XC40.
Evoque prices are at the high end of the segment.
Every time I walked up to the Evoque, I evaluated its competition and decided it was overpriced. But every time I drove it, I found myself thinking, “Yeah, if I had to spend $60 grand on a small SUV, this is the one I’d get.”
That’s what happens when a vehicle’s design, features and brand align perfectly.
Is it too much to ask for a tuning dial?
The new Evoque retains its predecessor’s modern and distinctive exterior with a smooth profile, rising beltline and long roofline. The high beltline and small rear window would create very poor visibility in vehicles without blind spot alert and video rear-view mirror.
The most noticeable changes are slim LED headlights and flush door handles that pop out for opening when you press a button and retract when the vehicle starts or is locked.
The interior is similarly uncluttered. Twin touch screens and a pair of multifunction dials eliminate many buttons and dials. The layout works well, with a couple of omissions I suspect will grow irritating over time: There’s no tuning dial for the audio system, a maddening oversight automakers continue to repeat. In addition, Apple CarPlay doesn’t start automatically. Every time I started the car, a message asked if I wanted to use Land Rover’s inferior app or CarPlay. I have never preferred an automaker’s jury-rigged interface more than Apple’s, and nothing in Land Rover’s history with advanced electronics says that’s changing today.
The interior is surprisingly roomy for a small vehicle. At 172.1 inches long, the 2020 Evoque is 10.5 inches shorter than a Honda Civic sedan, but the Evoque’s front seat and cargo space are both accommodating. Rear leg room is fine. Head room is excellent for all passengers.
Where are the hybrid’s extra mpg?
The Evoque’s small size makes it easy to maneuver and park. The steering is direct, and the suspension absorbs bumps for a comfortable ride.
Like Jeep, Land Rover builds a little extra off-road ability into all its vehicles. The Evoque’s 8.3 inches of ground clearance is nothing special, but it’s 1.6 more than an XT4 offers, 1.1 more than an X2. It’s 0.4 inches less than a Jeep Cherokee, the other best example of a brand that knows its identity is inextricably intertwined with its off-road heritage.
The base engine provided plenty of power for driving around town and fast highway cruising.
The EPA rates the 2020 Evoque at 20 mpg in the city, 27 on the highway and 23 in combined driving. The Evoque uses premium gasoline.
The 23-mpg combined figure trails all comparable models except the V6 Jeep Cherokee.
The more powerful engine in R-Dynamic models undoubtedly uses its mild-hybrid system to match the base engine’s output, but I’m disappointed that both of them are 2 mpg worse than the model the 2020 Evoque replaces. The 2019 Evoque’s combined rating was 25 mpg.
A Goldilocks SUV
The Evoque’s full name is a mouthful: Land Rover Range Rover Evoque. Try putting that on your vanity plate.
It’s a case of branding run amok. Land Rover, the mother brand that debuted in 1948, split its model line in two a few years ago.
Somewhat outdoorsy models’ names start “Land Rover”: Land Rover Discovery Sport for instance. More luxurious models begin Range Rover, like the Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover Velar.
You have my blessing to forget all that immediately. I would if I could. Maybe I could use that bit of memory for my brother’s anniversary, but Land Rover’s brand strategy seems to be permanently etched on my hard drive.
The name may be an example of overthinking a brand, but there’s little doubt Land Rover gave the 2020 Evoque the combination of slick looks and off-road capability the brand’s fans expect.