Range Rover Evoque eD4 2012 Review

A friend summed it up quite succinctly when he first laid eyes on the Range Rover Evoque Coupe: “It looks like a MINI on steroids!”

He wasn’t far wrong. For all its Land Rover ancestry, and for all the smallest-ever Range Rover hype, the Evoque is, above all else, an exercise in looks, road presence and expanding the Range Rover customer base.

So far, perhaps the only stumbling block has been the pricing. It has been possible to buy other premium SUVs for considerably less than even entry-level Evoques, but that has changed (a bit) with the new starting-point model: The diesel-powered, front-wheel drive, manual transmission-only eD4.

Now it’s possible to step into an Evoque for a pre on-road price of a smidge under $50,000 (a little smidge at that, just five dollars; the base BMW X1 is still $5,000 or so further down the price ladder) and the funny thing is, because Range Rover classifies the three-door Evoque as a coupe, you have to pay more for fewer doors.

And it’s still easy to take the price skywards. Our test eD4 Prestige Coupe started out high enough at $66,995, but with a few options such as premium navigation, front parking sensors, rearview camera, power tailgate, climate control, surround camera system and 20-inch wheels, that jumped to $77,725 and could have gone even further.

Standard gear is comprehensive enough. The Evoque Prestige already comes with seven airbags, 19-inch alloy wheels, leather upholstery, Xenon headlamps, powered front seats and an 11-speaker, 380-Watt sound system.

For all this, the front-wheel drive, 110kW/380Nm eD4 Evoque boasts decent eco credentials: The 2.2-litre common rail twin-cam turbodiesel’s claimed fuel figure is impressive at 4.9L/100km, while the CO2 emissions are just 129g/km.

This is better than the TD4 and SD4 versions, which have more power but are forced to operate all four wheels if the road situation dictates. Though quicker than the eD4, which reaches 100km/h in a relatively tardy 11.2 seconds, they emit more CO2 and sip diesel more greedily.

So how does the 2WD Evoque acquit itself on the road? Does it struggle with the lower torque output, and the lack of rear-wheel assistance when grip becomes tenuous?

The bottom line is that generally, it doesn’t suffer on either account. Although there are times when the traction control is caught out and allows a bit of initial front-wheel slip, the driver is generally left unaware of the more simplistic drivetrain.

And despite having to haul along a weighty 1800kg body, the 2.2-litre engine feels strong, with the qualification that it prefers to have 1700rpm or more on board before getting fully into its stride. A telling point is that it is not really compromised by the manual transmission – normally low-end torque deficiencies show up clearly when there’s not an automatic transmission to disguise them.

Deft, positive changes and a smooth clutch action match well with the dynamic nature of the Evoque. Maybe the lack of an auto option will deter some people, but those who favour manuals should have no problems loving the sweet six-speeder.

With the combination of super-quick steering – just over 2.2 turns from lock to lock – grippy 20-inch rubber and firm ride (though it is absorbent enough, considering the massive 245/45R20 tyres), the little Range Rover really does like a bit of a fling on a winding road.

The eD4 Evoque powers along very nicely, feels tougher than it probably needs to be and is predictable and responsive to the helm. The seats, electrically adjustable on both driver and passenger sides, are good for a long haul too – another thing the Evoque is good at with its well-attenuated noise levels and firm but nicely controlled ride.

From the driver’s seat the view isn’t perhaps as restrictive as might be expected given the Evoque’s squinty-window look, but there are unnecessarily large external rearview mirrors to contend with and, to be honest, the rear three-quarter outlook isn’t exactly best in class.

Nor is access to the rear seat of the Coupe. The front seats move forward slowly on their electric motors and don’t really go far enough forward to enable a gracious entry. Once in place, passengers will find reasonable legroom is available – although if you want a more family-oriented Evoque, the five-door is a much better, and fractionally cheaper, option.

Same goes with the luggage area. There’s space behind the rear seat alright, but it’s not class-leading. Folding the 60:40 seats opens up as much as 1445 litres of space, however.

In the end, the Range Rover Evoque denies its seemingly irrational conceptual approach by the simple virtue of being a well-executed design that embraces driver and passengers with undisputed character and a tangible sense of quality and structural integrity. All the things a Range Rover should be – with the exception of a total lack of off-road ability.

A final point for those who remember the Australian launch of the Discovery 3 in 2005: Where is the “curry hook” inspired by takeaway food loving British customers?

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