Hitting the road
When on the road, it’s instantly noticeable how incredibly quiet the Evoque is thanks to its excellent insulation. The car felt a little on the heavy side, which is to be expected because of the extra high strength steel used instead of aluminium.
Aside from cost-cutting measures, it’s because aluminium sections are bulkier than steel ones and take up a considerable amount of space. But the heaviness definitely made me feel I was driving a sturdier and more muscular car which comes in handy especially when driving off-road.
On the tarmac, the car drives smoothly and precisely, and you can accelerate to 60 mph in just over six seconds. The brakes are sensitive but you soon get used to those.
Venturing off the beaten track
This was truly the fun bit for me as I worked my way through the narrow tracks of the Peckforton Estate. And because the interior displays – bar the entry model – are touchscreen, I was able to select the measure of the off-road traction I wanted.
The automatic setting did the choosing for me. Just as well – I had entrusted the car to manoeuvre its way down an almost near-vertical descent. The intelligent hill-climbing and descending assistant works like a dream.
After the initial fear, I was able to trust it each time I got to the edge of the slope. The Evoque performed exactly like it was designed to do. And wading through water is no mean feat for the Evoque as it can now be immersed up to a depth of 600mm, which is 100mm more than before. Finally, the car has a claim to a world first feature, which is namely a Ground View Camera that projects a picture of the ground ahead of you.
Halewood plant tour
There’s no doubt that the Range Rover Evoque is a well thought out model, and it’s no wonder the company has invested £1 billion in its production facility where more than 6,000 people are employed. The 24-hour production line works to military precision. It is three and a half miles long, and the plant itself is the size of 22 full-size football pitches. Typically, one car takes 48 hours to produce from a sheet of steel to the completed product.
It’s worth going along to take a look, and the factory does public tours for £49 for three hours, or £295 for a bespoke visit where owners can see their car in progress as it makes its way around the production line.
Price
The new Evoque range is available from an RRP of £31,615, and there are options to pay an upfront fee followed by subsequent monthly payments for a three-year contract. The price plans appeal to many because the car retains its value, and as a result, around 70 per cent of Evoques are purchased on finance.
Range Rover Evoque – Specification at a glance:
- Price as tested: £54,705
- Engine tested: ‘P300’ Ingenium two-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged petrol
- Driveline: All Wheel Drive (AWD)
- Power: 300 hp
- Top Speed: 150 mph
- 0 – 60 mph: 6.3 seconds
- Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
- WLTP combined fuel economy: TEL 30.3 – TEH 28.7 mpg
- WLTP combined CO2 emissions: 211 – 223g/km
- Fuel tank capacity: 67 litres
- Close rivals: Audi Q5 and BMW X3
New Range Rover Evoque – Where and How?
For more information on the new Range Rover Evoque, visit www.landrover.co.uk.
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