MOTORING: New Range Rover Evoque: Tech-heavy, street savvy By Deon Schoeman Deon_Schoeman
The ramp is so steep that all you see ahead as you grind your way up the incline is a black, velvety sky. It’s after dark on a clear autumn Jozi evening, and spotting the Southern Cross through the windscreen is more than a little disconcerting.
This is the all-new Range Rover Evoque, arriving eight years after the first-generation model broke new ground by becoming the world’s first design-focussed urban SUV. Back then, it seemed to represent a radical departure from the SUV norm – but 770,000 global sales later, the Evoque is now very much on solid ground.
Those changes are mirrored at the rear: narrower, more elegant LED taillight clusters, and a near-vertical tailgate culminating in a bold rear apron endowed with a curved scuff panel. The launch fleet cars were endowed with more traditional leather, and my guess is that all but the most adventurous of SA Evoque buyers will still prefer that execution to any of those new-fangled options.
The tech doesn’t end there, though: the rear-view mirror can be switched to HD video mode if the actual mirror view is obscured by poor weather, a dirty rear screen or an interior loaded to the roof. There’s also Apple CarPlay, a 4G Wi-Fi hotspot, six USB ports and rear-seat tablet holders with charging facilities. Vehicle system software updates now happen wirelessly, too – just like your smartphone.
However, Evoque II comes with all-wheel drive and Land Rover’s do-it-all Terrain Response 2 system, as well as gung-ho credentials such as a 212mm ground clearance, and a maximum wading depth of 60cm. Even so, the reality is that very few Evoque owners will dare to – or want to – tackle the rough stuff. In image terms, the Evoque remains resolutely urban and upmarket in appeal and application.
The petrol model is badged P250, and is credited with 183kW of power and 365Nm of torque. The D180 has a claimed 132kW on tap, but matches that to a crunching 430Nm of twist.
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