2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
Now it's spawned the 2012 Range Rover Evoque, and finally, at long last, it makes hot sexy sense.Erase some of the Rover-bred notions you've applied to the Époque’s performance, the ones that imply truck handling and rustic V-8 torque. There's less room than the LR2, but the Evoque is wider, so overall interior volume isn't intolerable. Land Rover's tackling the brand-stretching Evoque launch with three models and those two body styles. The five-door comes in Pure, Prestige and Dynamic models; the two-door skips Prestige trim. All versions have the standard-issue power features, entertainment features like Bluetooth, USB, and an LCD touch screen to drive the Meridian audio system as well as phone and optional hard-drive navigation systems.
It's toyed with hybrid concepts, but now Land Rover can lay claim to the greening of SUVs, since the Range Rover Evoque’s slimmed-down body and downsized drive train pay it forward with better gas mileage and, by extension, a happy planet.
The 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque ranks 2 out of 8 Luxury Compact SUVs. According to automotive journalists, the 2012 Land Rover Evoque doesn’t shake up the class with an exceptionally powerful engine. The Evoque is a first for Land Rover. The Land Rover Evoque has a 2.0-liter turbo inline four-cylinder engine, and is much smaller in body size compared with its competitors. No matter what you call the Land Rover Evoque, reviewers say the Evoque is expensive, and is for shoppers who want to make a statement. The 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque starts at about $44,000 and with optional packages and trim upgrades, the Evoque can easily cost more than $50,000.
The all-new 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque is available as a two-door or four-door SUV. The Époque’s powertrain separates it from the competition. Like the Q5, the Evoque has standard all-wheel drive.
This summer, we had the chance to drive the Range Rover Supercharged, the alpha dog of the Range Rover lineup. The Range Rover was conceived as a luxury vehicle to take you from your Scottish country estate to the theater and back again in total comfort, but lately, the Range Rover has been the mode of choice of wealthy urbanites. Range Rover knows which way the wind is blowing, and with the Evoque, it has adapted its formula accordingly.
Inside, it’s clear to seasoned veterans that Land Rover (which operates the Range Rover brand as its “premium” line) has been dipping into the parts bin in a big way. The Range Rover Evoque’s road manners were largely solid, but the combination of big wheels and low-profile tires, an unavoidable concession to the automotive aesthetics of our era, delivered the usual harshness over less-than-perfect pavement. The Époque’s seats were especially comfortable on long jaunts, and we found the driving position excellent – just high enough to give drivers that SUV feel without compromising the interaction that we crave.
Ditto for 3 passengers in the back – we suspect that the typical Evoque buyer will be an empty-nest couple, or have children riding in car seats. Cargo room was also diminished by the Époque’s evocative styling. Range Rover will sell every Evoque it can produce, perhaps at the expense of the brand’s standing (in 5-10 years, every nightclub-attending wannabe will be driving a used, white "Range Rover Evoque", and you can quote us on that), but the vehicle’s platform and components have been paid for long ago, making it an absolute cash cow for Land Rover, and parent company Tata.
For those just outside the top 1 percent that want a stylish crossover, the Range Rover Evoque is perfect.
