Range Rover is Land Rover

When the 2013 model year Range Rover Evoque is released check out the grille for one small but significant change: the addition of a Land Rover badge.

It’s symbolic of a renewed attempt within the company to emphasise that Range Rover is part of the over-arching Land Rover structure and not a luxury brand off on its own.

“For some reason someone decided we were going to keep Evoque completely separate from Land Rover when it was launched so there was no badge on the grille,” Land Rover’s Global Brand Director John Edwards told motoring.com.au.

“Complete, absolute madness.

“We are one brand called Land Rover. We have been very confused and we have confused everyone, but I am passionate that Land Rover is at the centre of everything we do.”

Mr Edwards says Land Rover is split into three segments; Range Rover goes after the luxury market, Land Rover Discovery and Freelander chases leisure sales and Land Rover Defender is all about utility.

So that means sticking a Land Rover badge on the front of the massively popular Evoque – as well as on the back, where it has been since the car’s launch in 2011 – and even issuing some PR photography of the car off-road and muddy.

“The Evoque is so much more than a pretty car,” said Mr Edwards. “Anyone can do pretty cars, but this is a pretty car with Land Rover at its heart. It’s rock hard, it’s designed to be capable. It is massively more capable than its BMW equivalent (X1).

“For me the magic ingredients of our cars are their iconic design and breadth of capability.”

While details of the 13MY Evoque are yet to be announced in Australia, it has broken cover in North America, where a new entry-level ‘Pure’ specification has been revealed.

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