There was a time when Land Rovers looked like boxes on wheels. Eventually, they became more rounded and refined, but still remained boxes nonetheless. Take anything from the Defender to the Freelander, and the underlying stolid, upright, straight cut design elements are apparent to this day.
Now, for the first time, we have a vehicle that looks nothing like anything that has rolled out of Solihull since 1948. This is a Land Rover that breaks away from every design cue that once stood for the brand. The word Evoque itself speaks out to the social media hordes, a fashion statement that is both hip and cool. If there ever was sex on wheels for a 4x4, then the Evoque is quite likely it.
The Evoque falls in as the baby of the series, beneath the Sport and the full sized Rangie. In effect, it is the Freelander of the high end line, a sort of FreeRanger if you like. It is also one of the most important vehicles to have been released by the company, they are banking on the fact that there is a large demand for a stylish, high end small SUV. If the sales figures are anything to go by, they got their market research right. Even in Malaysia, the waiting list is already until mid-2012.
First revealed as the LRX concept at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, the pre-launch hype reached fever pitch with an effective "wire frame" teaser campaign of the vehicle. It could be one of the most anticipated vehicles of recent times. The hype paid off, for the order book speaks for itself.
S4M (naturally) got the opportunity for the first Malaysian test of the Evoque. With only two units in the country at the moment, it was important for us to put the car through a rigorous regime to see if the hype and the looks were matched by how it drives.
The Evoque comes in both two and four wheel drive versions, in four door or 2 door coupe form. Land Rover Malaysia is offering the 4x4 version only, with two trim levels (Dynamic and Prestige) and two engine options - a 2.2 litre SD4 diesel, and 2.0 litre Si4 petrol. We got the four door SD4 Prestige variant.
Exterior
Oh, the shape! There was not one person who looked at the car without going 'Oh my god, I want one!" On this count, the LR styling team have got it spot on.
It sits on angled forward on its haunches, ready to pounce, nose sniffing the road and shows off a sensual pert rump so tasty you could bite it. Too many cars now have saggy fat rear ends, the Evoque is as tempting to look at from behind as a well shaped butt hugged in tight jeans. With wheels pushed out to each corner and short overhangs, it gives the impression that it will handle like a go kart both on and off the road.
The roofline is sharply raked to the rear, with tapering, narrow windows - looking quite Mini-like in a way, but very different at the same time. Thankfully, this time they did not import dubious styling cues from the other models. LR's attempts in the past of trying to incorporate so called modern interpretations of heritage design features ended up to be rather poorly executed and tasteless. Here, the Evoque stands as a completely refreshing and own confident statement in its own right. There are no fussy details to spoil the appeal of the shape, and the thought put into blending everything together gives a uniformity of design that is missing in most of the recent LR family.
The three door coupe looks even more appealing. Unfortunately the common mentality of "four doors better than two" will mean the bulk of sales will go to the former. This is tragic, for the 2 door Evoque is yet another level above in terms of design appeal. The whole package rides on 40 series Michelins mounted on 20 inch spokes alloy rims, themselves perfectly matched to the rest of the vehicle. A multitude of paint colours is available, including white roofs which add to the Mini-esque feel.
In a stroke, this new styling language makes everything else in the LR family looks like dumpy boxes. Its looks are the single biggest aspect in it's "I want one" appeal.
Mechanicals
The Evoque has a similar drive train and chassis set up to the Freelander 2 (FL2). In other words, it is a 104.7 inch wheelbase monocoque chassis with all round independent suspension and an intelligent all wheel drive system. Land Rover did the wise thing again, and left out all the complicated 4x4 stuff, given the target market and type of use.
Under the hood is the same SD4 engine. This is a PSA sourced straight four 2.2 litre alloy head / iron block design with common rail injection, a water cooled turbo and variable valve timing. On tap is 190 horses at 3500 rpm, and 420 Nm of torque at just 1,750 rpm. The other engine option is a much more interesting turbocharged petrol four (derived from Ford's Ecoboost unit), pushing out 240hp and 340 Nm, and capable of much higher revs.
A 6 speed Aisin auto box with paddle shifters receives the power, and feeds it through an active All Wheel Drive system. There is no high/low ratio selection but a simplified version of the Terrain Response system is fitted.
The suspension set up is quite simple - independent all round, with Macpherson struts at the front, and multi link at the rear. Land Rover has done a lot of work to tune the basic Freelander chassis, and the Dynamic Package adds active dampers to beef up handling further. Brakes are 4 pot discs, of course with ABS as standard.
Interior
The same attention to detail seen on the outside is also seen in the cabin. It is rather small, but deliciously equipped to cosset the inhabitants, and is a perfect foil to the exterior design. Leather is used in abundance, along with brushed aluminium cappings that add to the modernist feel. Materials quality, fit and finish were impeccable throughout.
Seating is provided for 5, but it would seem more fitting to class the Evoque as a 2+2. The sloping roofline and narrow windows add to this impression. This might not be a vehicle for a large family, at best 2 adults and 2 children would be fine. If you seek space, look elsewhere.
Having said that, the driver and front passenger enjoy first class accommodation, with fully electric seats that have big side bolsters giving excellent support. Headroom at the rear is surprisingly good even with the low roof. The coupe offers a panoramic roof which will surely enhance the sensation of space. One complaint would again be the strangely hard headrests. Passengers in the Evoque will miss the grandstand seating that its stablemates give, but the driving position is sufficiently high enough to give a commanding view of the road ahead.
The dash layout is familiar yet different. Anyone used to driving current Land Rovers would feel instantly at home. Control logic and setup is the same, but the Evoque adds its own unique features. The instrument pod housing the speedo and tacho is very sports-car like in looks, and gear selection is via a retracting rotary knob ala Jaguar. A full colour touch screen is given as standard, including GPS. One novelty is the ability to choose the colour of the interior ambient lighting in various shades of red and blue.
The mod cons are as expected - full keyless entry with push button start, left/right climate control, Xenon headlamps, cruise control, auto lighting and windscreen wipe, electronic hand brake, hard disk drive and Bluetooth/USB connectivity among others. The alarm fob in itself is a fashion statement, in gloss back and chrome, it looks like a powder compact. Ladies would love it. The 11 speaker ICE rig is excellent, courtesy of British high end hi fi specialist Meridian Audio. A vast list of options for the interior including multiple colour schemes can be specified.
Boot space is a reasonable 575 litres, expanding to 1445 litres with the rear seats folded. There are substantial tie down points in the boot floor, a useful feature. Thankfully, the spare wheel lives beneath the boot floor, not slung like an eyesore under the car. Safety is taken care of by 7 airbags, and of course the usual plethora of electronic aids - ABS, RSC, DSC, ETC, EBA, TSC, CBC et al.
Driving - On Road
Getting in and out is easy, and the seat height is just nice. Adding to the "Wow" list is lighted "Range Rover" wording on the interior sills, and LED entry lights beneath the wing mirrors. These cast a circle of light with an outline of the car on the ground - a conversation piece on its own. With the narrow glass area, visibility is of course nowhere as good as the Discovery or Range Rover, but is acceptable. A comfortable driving position is easily found, and you're all set to hit the starter button.
This is where things get a bit weird. I'd much rather hear the vroom of a fast petrol engine in this kind of car, than a clatter of a diesel. While the SD4 engine is undoubtedly a fine performer in its own right, the rest of Evoque package demands something more fiery. It is a shame then that the petrol unit was not available for testing. What would be really saliva inducing in this car is something like a high revving twin turbo V6 with a tuned exhaust (no room for a V8 obviously).
For a vehicle that is likely to spend 99% of its time on the road, we pushed it hard. With an advertised 0-100 time of 8.5 seconds, the oil burner is no slouch for most users. What it lacks is the instant pick up that you'd get with a petrol - there is noticeable hesitation between hitting the pedal and forward motion. For all the sexy looks and sporting pretensions, this is somewhat a disappointment. However, once up and running, a maximum just under 200 km/h is achievable, and it is very easy to bust speed limits. With the slippery aerodynamics, there is little wind noise, and NVH is very controlled. Ride quality is superb, being well damped and composed even with severe undulations in the road surface. Brakes are very good too, with tactile pedal feel and little fade even after repeated hard stops.
Thrown about on windy roads, the Evoque handles even better than the FL2 we tested earlier. Steering response (via electric rack and pinion) is sharp and beautifully weighted, with just 2.4 turns lock to lock. The gearbox occasionally balks while looking for the right gear, but generally selects the right cogs decently enough. Body roll was negligible, and handling was pretty much neutral with progressive understeer coming in gradually, thus protecting the driver from himself.
The electronic aids all work seamlessly to inspire a feeling of confidence, and in several situations the brakes automatically came into play to bring the car back onto an even keel. Things are much more fun once the stability controls are off, and the car can be worked harder to the limit. I tried very hard to take it sideways or lift a wheel, but the (non selectable) intelligent AWD system fights the driver at every turn - again the self protection mechanism in play.
All told, the Evoque remains composed even on the edge, and would be a superlative driving experience for most owners. The only downside was that the diesel ran out of puff too quickly, and one had to wait for it to spin up again. Switching to manual shift helps to overcome this problem to an extent but in this case it's "right chassis, right body, not so right engine". The petrol version would surely be the one for the adrenalin seekers.
Fuel economy is given as 6.4 litres per 100 km, while on the petrol variant, things of course get more thirstier at 8.7 litres per 100 km. For the kind of performance potential possible, the increased burn rate is a small penalty.
Driving - Off Road
Capability and behaviour in the rough is similar to the FL2. The short overhangs mean reasonable approach and departure angles, but one must be careful with the fragile body and the undercarriage as there are no underbody bash plates whatsoever.
The Terrain Response system operates on a push button selection rather than the usual rotary knob. The solid low down torque available means that climbing steep banks and hills are no issue, while any wheel spin is taken care of by the traction control system. On descents, the HDC works effectively without fuss. As in the FL2, wheel articulation is severely limited, we managed to lift wheels on several occasions while crossing even mildly rutted terrain. This is not an issue, as the electronic power transfer permit the car to move even on three wheels.
Like most of its current ilk, the Evoque is more at home on open dirt tracks, and high speeds can be attained. Obviously, it is not a mud plugger in any sense of the word. There is some skittishness due to the firm suspension, but it is predictable and easily recoverable. For on road tires, the standard Michelins did very well, and tire wear on hard stony ground was impressive.
Wading depth is given as half a metre, well sufficient for crossing flash floods. The all important intake sits on the left top side of the engine bay making it easy to judge how deep the car can go.
Suffice to say, the Evoque performs off the road as expected from anything bearing the Green Oval. For the casual user, there is enough ability here to cover the occasional dirt track, beach or flooded road with ease. The best part of all this is that once back on tarmac, the car wafts back into its sexy self to turn heads all over again. Once valet parked in front of some of the swankiest nightspots in KL, it even becomes a babe magnet - something once unheard of for a Solihull product.
Conclusion
This is a Land Rover which is as non-Land Rover as it gets. For the first time ever, there will even be a 2 wheel drive version available (but not here), for the marketing troops no longer trumpet off road ability as a major selling point (how strange that sounds).
The Evoque charts a completely new course for the brand - one that seems to have made a great start judging from the global sales figures. At RM 353,888 for the 5 door diesel as tested, and RM 363,888 for the petrol version (the couple is another 30 grand extra), it is a tempting proposition for a high end SUV. Taken on the looks department alone, the mainly Teutonic competition comes across as utterly staid and boring.
None of them can evoke (pun intended) the pure "I want one" lust that this hottie exudes.
While the diesel is acceptable enough on most counts, it is tempting to fork out the extra cash for the performance of the petrol engine. This would the proposition for the Evoque as a desirable driver's car complete. It is quite simply the most interesting and innovative product that Land Rover has come out with since the original Range Rover in 1970.
This is one babe of a car you should test for yourself. We all need our senses teased every now and then.
As tested:
Range Rover Evoque SD4 Prestige 5 door
- 2179cc Intercooled turbocharged diesel
- 5 speed automatic gearbox with command shift
- Full time four wheel drive
- All round independent air suspension
- Full seating for 5 passengers
- 0-100 km/h in 8.5 seconds / Max speed 195 km/h
- Consumption 6.4litres / 100 km
No comments:
Post a Comment