Range Rover Evoque review

Driving position

Sitting behind the wheel of a Range Rover Evoque is much the same as sitting in a full-fat Vogue – you’ll feel like the king or queen of the road.

It means you have that classic, high-set driving position and armchair-like front seats.

We did notice that the hooded area covering the instrument cluster sticks out from the top of the dash quite a bit. It serves an important role in blocking reflections, but it does impede visibility somewhat.

Sit up high, as you would tend to in a Range Rover, and you’ll see over it no problem. If you prefer to sit slightly lower, it could cause minor issues.

Outward visibility is good, and the A-pillars connecting the windscreen to the front doors don’t get in the way too much.

The C-pillars, at the back of the car, are quite chunky, but reversing or 360-degree cameras, blind spot monitoring and the optional digital rear view mirror make light work of keeping you in check.

Tech and features

Older Range Rovers were often criticised for their laggy infotainment systems, but one thing the second-generation Evoque does way better than its predecessor is technology.

The 11.4-inch Pivi Pro infotainment system is incredibly easy to use. Its software design and high-quality graphics not only make it better than many rivals, but it also looks and feels premium.

As standard, you get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which does a good job of integrating into the main screen and the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster directly in front of the -r.

Where many car manufacturers have gone all-in on Google, Land Rover decided to use Amazon’s Alexa. It’s just an easier way of interacting with the infotainment system using your voice, rather than prodding away to set the sat nav’s directions like it’s 2010.

Our car had the £630 ClearSight digital rear view mirror, which uses a roof-mounted camera to display what’s behind you.

As with any digital rear-view mirror, adjusting your expectations on distance and perspective is a must, because it doesn’t quite feel the same as a proper mirror.

Still, it’s a worthwhile upgrade if you regularly carry taller passengers or lots of luggage in the back that could obstruct your view.

More importantly, you can flick between normal and digital, too, which we appreciate. Not something you can do in the Polestar 4, which does away with its rear windscreen altogether.

Our mid-spec Dynamic SE model also had plenty of standard-fit tech, like a 3D 360-degree parking camera, keyless entry, a powered boot lid and automatic lights and wipers with automatic high beam assist.

Don’t think you’re sold short in the winter months, either, because the front seats, steering wheel, windscreen and washer jets are all heated on Dynamic SE.

Engines and power

Where many crossovers now come with a simplified engine lineup, Land Rover still offers a wider range for the Evoque.

It starts with the only front-wheel-drive, manual option, the 163hp D165.

All-wheel-drive, automatic and mild hybrid options consist of these engine options:

• 1.5-litre 160hp P160

• 2.0-litre 163hp D165

• 2.0-litre 204hp D200

• 2.0-litre 200hp P200

• 2.0-litre 249hp P250

Most of them sit in the eight-to-10-second 0-62mph bracket, which isn’t particularly sports-car-like, but why would it be in a Range Rover?

We had the 269hp P270e plug-in hybrid, which is a downgrade from the 309hp P300e that was previously available. It’s slightly slower to 62mph (6.8 seconds vs. 6.4 seconds), but hardly noticeable in real-world driving.

Power delivery is smooth, but not as smooth as the bigger 2.0-litre P400e PHEV in the Range Rover Velar.

This is probably because the Evoque uses a three-cylinder engine, which sounds coarser and doesn’t really fit the Evoque’s upmarket vibe, in our opinion. We think a four- or six-cylinder engine would be much more appropriate, but with an electric future ahead, we expect it to stay the same until the full EV comes along.

Handling and ride comfort

For the most part, the Range Rover Evoque offers a really cohesive driving experience – it feels supremely smooth to drive in all scenarios, whether that’s around town, on the motorway or on the muddy stuff.

The steering is also pretty precise, and you won’t get as much body roll as you do in some bigger SUVs.

Our test car had the optional Configurable Dynamics pack, which allows the driver to finetune the gearbox, steering and suspension. It’s not entirely worth it for everyone (mostly because it’s not needed – not that it’s a bad option), but for £235, you may as well add it for that extra flexibility.

4x4 models have the Terrain Response 2 system, which had modes like gravel, snow, sand and mud, as well as comfort, eco and dynamic, but after playing with a few of them, we ended up leaving it in automatic mode to do its own thing.

Boot space

There’s 591 litres of space behind the rear seats, which means the Evoque actually has a pretty big boot.

It’s more than you get in the BMW X1 (up to 540 litres), Audi Q3 (488 litres), Volvo XC40 (452 litres) or Mercedes GLA (up to 495 litres).

The PHEV model has a smaller 472-litre space, but that’s typical of all hybrids because of the added batteries.

The best part? The rear seats each fold down individually, so you can strike the perfect balance of luggage capacity and seating.

Rear seats

Seating in the back is comfortable for two adults, but because of the Evoque’s more compact dimensions compared with bigger Range Rover family members, three adults might prefer shorter stints only.

The Evoque is a perfect car for young and growing families – fitting three children in the back won’t be a problem at all.

The sloping roofline doesn’t impact headroom too badly, and the panoramic sunroof does a good job of making the otherwise fairly dark space feel airier.

Of course, the fixed (non-opening) panoramic sunroof is an option, and an expensive one at that – £1,150. If you can afford it, it’s a nice upgrade to have.

Storage solutions

Land Rover has done a good job of utilising interior space, with deep door bins that can fit bigger bottles, a wireless charger tucked beneath the screen and a large centre console.

The split storage under the armrest feels suitably premium, but we wish it would open sideways (like BMW or Peugeot), not upwards.

It means you’ll have to do a little dance to wiggle your arm out of the way, so it’s not particularly ergonomic.

Safety

Naturally, this premium car managed the full five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP, but what does that mean?

For children, you get power-operated child locks to prevent accidental door openings and ISOFIX in the rear. And for adults, front headrests that have been designed for optimal safety in the event of an impact.

Anybody worried about Range Rover’s recent bad press surrounding theft (which has already been addressed) will appreciate the £340 Secure Tracker Pro option.

With this, the key has extra authentication so the car knows it’s you who’s unlocking it, and if someone else tries to get in, the Stolen Vehicle Tracking Centre will get an alert.

You’ll need to be in an area where there’s mobile network coverage (which is generally not a problem), and it lasts the car’s full warranty period.

On that, you get a three-year warranty (industry-standard and on par with premium rivals) and 24/7 roadside assistance.

Fuel economy

The diesel models claim MPG figures in the mid-40s, and there’s not a huge saving when buying the front-wheel drive model because it does away with the mild hybrid system of the AWD models.

These will probably be the most popular for that reason, because the 2.0-litre petrols claim little more than 30mpg.

Go for the 1.5-litre, three-cylinder engine for mid-30s, but you don’t want that engine because it’s the least powerful and doesn’t feel as smooth as the bigger options.

Land Rover claims 187mpg for our test car with the P270e PHEV powertrain, but we all know those figures are hugely inflated.

We ran the battery down and couldn’t even manage 40mpg, putting it in line with the other petrol engines.

Keep it topped up and it comes into its own, with a range of around 37 miles – or more in the city at slower speeds.

Better still, it was one of the first plug-in hybrids to have CCS charging support, so you can use rapid chargers out and about for a quicker top-up.

It’s only 32kW (which is very, very low), but remember that it’s a small battery, so you’ll get 0-80% charge in around 30 minutes vs. over two hours for a full charge with a 7kW home charger.

Reliability

There’s no hiding from Land Rover’s patchy reputation for reliability, but things have come a long way.

And credit where credit’s due, the new Pivi Pro infotainment system is a huge improvement over previous systems (which got a lot of stick).