RANGE ROVER EVOQUE
Land Rover’s saviour, the Evoque, launched in 2012 and has proved its worth every day since. Sales have hardly dwindled over the past six years, and now there’s a new one, improved in every way. It’s better looking, has more interior space and gets a Velar-derived infotainment system that is a vast improvement on the outgoing model’s.
It’s also on a new platform, Premium Transverse Architecture, which allows for electrification.
For now, every Evoque bar the entry-level diesel is a 48V mild hybrid, but a plug-in hybrid will be introduced within a year. That will pair a 197bhp 1.5-litre threecylinder Ingenium engine with a 107bhp electric rear axle motor and a 11.3kwh lithium ion battery, all of which is expected to deliver 40 miles of electric-only range.
There are some clever offroad driving features – which we were given a chance to test – one of which is claimed by Land Rover to be a world first. Called Clearsight Ground View, it’s the realisation of technology seen in the 2014 Discovery Vision concept and lets you see through the bonnet. The system uses cameras in the front grille and the door mirrors to project a feed onto the touchscreen to show you what is underneath and in front of the car. Even when you’re facing skywards at a 45deg gradient, you can see what is down the other side. In another view, you can see a 3D image of the wheels – something that not only works off road, but also helps navigating high kerbs in cities. We tried both bits of tech: the first for going up a steep ramp and the
second to keep the wheels on a train track. On our first try, it was faultless.
We’ll soon have the chance for a thorough test drive of the latest Evoque but, from our brief, low-speed time behind the wheel, a handful of things were evident: the steering weight is well-balanced, the 2.0-litre diesel Ingenium is refined below 10mph and the steering lock is impressive. Plus, the Velar-inspired interior will win over many buyers, especially those replacing an old Evoque with a new one.