Thabiso Malimela
Let’s be honest with ourselves for a second – the previous Range Rover Evoque was not a real Range Rover in the sense that it shared its underpinnings with the Land Rover Freelander which is based on Ford’s EUCD platform. For what is was, it was already miles ahead of its competitors in terms of comfort, off-road capability and swag factor. But being first introduced in 2011 and going through an update or two ever since, it was only a matter of time before even a car as stylish as that would feel the effects of ageing as everybody else moved on. However, in 2019, the Range Rover Evoque gets a new lease on life and it receives a makeover to bring it closer to full Range Rover status.
The most obvious difference between the first generation Evoque and the now second generation car is the styling. Although it definitely looks like an Evoque (sloping coupe-esque roof, short bonnet, narrow rear window and loud sex appeal), the front bumper and the narrow lights receive a redesign and now use Matrix LEDs which can cast a shadow onto oncoming traffic so as to not blind fellow road users – this car can literally throw shade at other people, amazing! The door handles now remain flush to the bodywork until some higher power deems you worthy of entering (just joking, when the car is unlocked, some door handles will pop out) and Land Rover have adapted the VW Group’s idea of making the indicator lights move sequentially, like that talking car KITT in Knight Rider. The rear taillights are LED too and the whole rear looks like a ctrl+C-ctrl+V job from the Range Rover Velar – you could say its lazy, but it looks nice altogether.
Land Rover put a lot of work into making the new Evoque function more like a true Range Rover. It now sits on an all new platform which it will share with future Jaguar Land Rover cars – they should have called it the Range Rover Genesis instead. Overall, the Evoque easily comes across as a car that has matured greatly in it’s reincarnation. Part of it’s plan to become a proper Range Rover is to bulk up on the off-road and comfort technology that all Range Rovers are notorious for.
Can it go off-road?
Well, we can’t say for sure, but we definitely can tell you that it comes with an army of features that will ensure that any obstacle is conquered without the driver breaking a sweat. The Range Rover Terrain Response 2 system finds it way into the new Evoque. It gives one the capability to select between a range of surfaces (sand, grass, gravel, snow, mud, rut) and the car will configure it’s parameters to make light work of the treacherous terrain – you can also put it on auto and it’ll choose the terrain type automatically and adapt while doing so. The Terrain Response 2 now features a Dynamic Mode too for more enthusiastic driving.
The new Evoque also features Low Traction Launch (for pulling away on slippery surfaces), Hill Descent Control (automatically applies the brakes to control speeds when going down a steep descent), Gradient Release Control (for moving away smoothly on steep inclines), and a wade sensing feature which displays the water level around the vehicle when moving through deep water. The new Evoque can wade water up to 60 cm deep, which is an improvement of 10 cm from the previous model.
Inside, expect to find some of the trademark Range Rover comfort and luxury features that make the brand what it is today. The leather seats are heated/cooled and feature 10-way adjustability. On higher-end spec’ Evoques, expect to find a dual touchscreen setup with each HD screen measuring 10-inches in size. The top screen controls media and navigation while the bottom screen bears controls for the climate control and driver related settings such as the Terrain Response system mentioned above. There is a 12.3-inch instrument cluster which is supplemented, for the first time in the Evoque, by a heads up display (HUD).
Other technological innovations found in the Evoque is what Land Rover calls CLEARSITE Ground View, which effectively uses cameras fitted near the front wheels to display a ground level view of the road ahead so that you don’t hit any hidden obstacles such as rocks, trees or high pavements in affluent areas. If you’re on of those people who get paranoid about rear seat passengers staring at you in the rear view mirror, you will be put at ease by the Evoque’s feature that turns the rear view mirror into a video screen which feeds from a roof-mounted camera to give you a full view of what’s behind you minus the creepy stares. Land Rover also has an app (Land Rover App) for your iOS or Android device (Android Wear and Apple Watch included) which will allow you to locate your car, lock/unlock it, activate the air conditioning or heating before you enter the car and check how much fuel it has. Land Rover also offers the Active Key as an option for their adventurous clientele. This wristband can be thought of as a less stylish but more practical key as it locks and unlocks the car with just a swift touch.
The new Range Rover Evoque will be available with an assortment of 4 diesel and 3 petrol engines, some of which will receive some assistance from an electrified powertrain – yes, the Evoque will come in hybrid flavour too. The entry level 2.0 litre diesel powerplant comes with a manual gearbox and only gets drive to the front wheels while more expensive derivatives receive a 9-speed automatic gearbox along with an all-wheel drive system that features torque vectoring and an active rear locking differential.
The new Evoque initially starts at R734 300, but expect the first digit to rise as you go down the spec’ sheet.
Alternatives
- Jaguar E-Pace
- BMW X2
- Volvo XC40
- Audi Q3
