Range Rover Evoque driven

The Evoque is a Range Rover in every sense. It may look unfamiliar to long-time admirers of Range Rovers of the past but all the brand's core values, including refinement, luxury and comfort are all present and accounted for. The best news though is that the Evoque goes around corners like none of the brand's previous cars thanks to its direct steering and fantastic chassis. And it should also be affordable to run thanks to its efficient range of engines. What's more, this is a car that certainly has the 'want-one' factor in reserve.

It's one of 2011’s most important new cars – and at last, we've been able to drive it! The new Range Rover Evoque is a model that sets out to rewrite the 4x4 rulebook – much like the original Range Rover did in 1970 – and Land Rover has high hopes for the model, predicting 100,000 sales a year. 

Promising Ford Focus fuel economy and emissions, in a package that's actually shorter than Ford's new hatch, the Evoque is charged with turning the firm's image. Land Rover expects up to 90 per cent of Evoque sales to be buyers that are new to the brand - tapping into a whole new market thanks to its head-turning looks and handling that promises to be more hot hatch than off-roader. So how does it shape up? We took a test drive in one of the pre-production prototypes at Land Rover's Gaydon base in Warwickshire to find out. 
 

Video: watch part one of our video review of the Range Rover Evoque

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Watch part two here

 
As you settle into the drivers seat, it quickly becomes obvious that the most impressive thing about the new Range Rover Evoque is the fact that it feels every bit as robustly built, luxurious and classy as a full sized Range Rover. Of course, you sit a bit lower in the cockpit than in the larger car, but the luxurious and surprisingly spacious cabin doesn’t give you the sense that Evoque is the Range Rover experience made “lite”.

While Evoque is small, the choice it offers will be big. Once production is running full steam and deliveries begin this September, the Evoque will offer one of the widest line-ups of any car in Range Rover’s stable. There will be three-door coupe (the white car in our pictures), plus a five-door editions with two extra doors and a roofline raised by around 40mm. Plus there will be front and four-wheel-drive cars too. 

The four-wheel drive, five-door car we drove was powered by a 188bhp 2.2-litre diesel which was whisper quiet on the move and provided plenty of punch. The 236bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine is quicker but only just, so it's worthwhile opting for the diesel for the economy gains. The most economical front-wheel-drive version, which cuts 75kg from the kerbweight, adds stop-start and features a 148bhp version of the same 2.2-litre diesel will be available from January 2012, and emits just 129g/km of CO2.
 

In the corners, the steering feels nicely weighted, and responds crisply and quickly. The all-new electrically assisted arrangement is more efficient and a first for the brand, but it still offers lots of feel. As a result, the Evoque easily offers the best handling of any Range Rover, and would easily show the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport the way home on a winding back road. 

But before we get too carried away with tales of ultra-sharp handling, it’s important to remember that the Evoque is still a big 4x4, and as such still feels quite heavy. The brakes need working hard to scrub off speed and there is still a noticeable amount of roll in sharp bends. 

Range Rover claims the car's handling was benchmarked against coupes like the Volkswagen Scirocco and Audi TT. While there’s no doubt that this machine is every bit as desirable as that pair, it’s not quite as nimble. But then, where the Evoque lacks ultimate on road performance, it should have no such problems off it... This is a properly sorted mud plugger, with extreme departure angles and ground clearance that's only 15mm less than the Range Rover Sport.

Optional MagneRide dampers constantly adjust to offer the best balance between comfort and control, and twinned with Land Rover's famous Terrain Response system (which offers a variety of settings to help you cope in the rough stuff) should mean the Evoque carries on the company's reputation off the beaten track.

On the basis of this brief drive, the Range Rover Evoque is shaping up to be a winner. And if you needed proof of the Evoque's appeal, 5,000 UK buyers have already put down a deposit of £2,000 without so much as a test drive.