Evoque: Range Rover goes front-drive!

Land Rover is about to move into a whole new market niche with its small Range Rover Evoque model. Taking the British offroad specialist in an altogether new direction, the Evoque will offer buyers front-wheel drive variants as well as the company's traditional four-wheel drive layout -- something first rumoured as long ago as May.

Based on the LRX concept car and described by Land Rover as a 'cross-coupe', the Evoque will make its debut in Paris from September 30. The front-wheel drive variant has been developed to help the lightweight Evoque cross the threshold for average fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, with tightening emissions restrictions due in the near future.

"This is a highly relevant and contemporary vehicle that will suit the modern needs of our customers," said Land Rover MD Phil Popham. "The Range Rover Evoque will appeal to a new group of customers who may not have considered a Range Rover before."

Powered by a choice of petrol or diesel, the Evoque also features direct injection, electric power steering and auto-stop/start to reduce CO2 emissions below 130g/km, in the case of the front-drive model. The company also claims combined-cycle fuel consumption as low as 4.9L/100km for the FWD Evoque. Developing 110kW, the engine in the front-drive Evoque is a 2.2-litre turbodiesel. A 140kW version of the engine powers the four-wheel Evoque, which returns fuel consumption of 5.6L/100km and emits less than 145g/km of CO2. Land Rover will also offer the Evoque in a 177kW petrol four-cylinder, turbocharged and direct-injected.

Four-wheel drive variants remain a cut above other compact SUVs, the manufacturer claims. Says Land Rover, the Evoque's ground clearance, approach, departure and breakover angles are complemented by the company's TerrainResponse system for better offroad ability than its rivals.

Land Rover will market the Range Rover Evoque in three levels of trim: Pure, Prestige and Dynamic. Each grade is based around its own coordinated interior design and exterior visual cues. The Pure grade is based around soft-touch materials in neutral coordinating colours and aluminium decorative trim. As the luxury level, the Prestige grade offers a full leather interior with bright-finish metallic detailing outside and 19-inch alloy wheels.

Filling a role that's equal parts luxury and sport, the Dynamic variants are set apart by 20-inch alloy wheels and exclusive bumpers, door sills, grille, tailpipes. Coordinating colours can be specified for the roof and spoiler, and inside, contrasting colours are available for the sports seats.

Land Rover claims that the Evoque's designers have found a balance between the traditional 'Command Driving Position' and a lower-mounted seat to ensure adequate headroom in the low-profiled body.

The commanding position oversees a touchscreen for the infotainment system featuring Jaguar Land Rover's dual-view facility, which allows the front-seat passenger to watch a DVD movie while the driver can program a destination in the satellite navigation system, for instance. As with similar systems found in other Jaguar and Land Rover models, the touchscreen provides an intuitive interface with the electronic information and entertainment devices, including Bluetooth connectivity and USB-enabled external music devices.

With the Evoque still a week away from its Paris unveiling, precise specification remains uncertain for the Aussie market, but on the cards either as options or standard in certain variants are the 825W, 17-speaker Meridian audio system, Park Assist, Blind Spot Monitoring, Surround Camera System with five digital cameras, dual-zone climate control, HDD satnav, 10-stack CD audio, TV tuner, DVD player, rear-seat entertainment with wireless headphones, adaptive headlights, auto headlight dipping and heated windscreen/front seats/steering wheel.

Land Rover will build the Evoque at the company's Halewood plant at Merseyside in the UK, with global sales expected to commence from the middle of next year. In Britain, it will be priced from £30,000.

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