THE Range Rover sub-brand in the Land Rover company has been a product in its own right for many years.
There was one model: the Range Rover, everybody’s favourite large SUV which earned a reputation for being supreme off road and adept on-road.
Things have changed now, which Range Rover offering an all-new model designed to compete with other compact SUV products, such as the Audi Q5 and the X3 from BMW.
Although it hasn’t been around for much time, the Range Rover Evoque has caused quite a stir in the global motoring community – and it certainly looks poised to make an impression on the market.
The Evoque has an undeniable aesthetic value, with contemporary, futuristic looks and an exciting shape that manages to garner stares from all your fellow road users. LED technology features prominently – striking lights are one of the defining traits of the Evoque. The designers seemed to have executed the crossover design style brilliantly, and we love how the Evoque combines SUV and hatchback traits.
Prowess on the beaten track is a must-have feature for any Land Rover or Range Rover product, and the Evoque seems to have cemented a reputation as a tough fighter on the rough stuff – if not perhaps, as serious as its bigger sibling.
On an episode of Top Gear, presenter James May proved the mettle of the Evoque, by driving it over treacherous, rocky terrain in the Nevada Desert.
Powering the Range Rover Evoque is a 2.2-litre diesel engine, which is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. This powerplant delivers 140-kilowatts and Land Rover claim that it will propel the Evoque from standstill to 100km/h in 8.5 seconds. Fuel consumption is rated at 6.5l/100kilometres, on the urban and highway combined cycle. There is also the Si4, which is the 2-litre petrol-engined model, boasting an output of 177-kilowatts.
Inside, the Evoque boasts many innovative features befitting of this modern age. You’ll get niceties like keyless entry, as well as an 8-inch touch screen interface to control the car’s entertainment functions. The ambience is also enhanced by interesting interior illumination, and there are all the luxury trimmings you would expect from a Range Rover – like leather upholstery and plush surfaces.
With the Evoque, Range Rover is also allowing the buyer to configure their own, unique model – with a host of customizable options to choose from. Pick from an interesting choice of colours with the Evoque, from the more subtle Baltic Blue, to Colima Lime; guaranteed to stand out in the parking lot. Also, there are many alloy wheel designs to pick from.
Prices start off at around R582 995 for the Range Rover Evoque Prestige, and the Dynamic model costs R588 995.
