Introduction

The Range Rover Evoque is only one of the most fashionable, desirable cars around – it may be compact, but its badge has the same cachet as the bigger, more expensive Range Rovers and this one was (partially, at any rate) designed by Victoria Beckham. Honest, it was. One of Land Rover’s best-selling cars of all time, and the bedrock on which the firm’s recent success has been built, the Evoque is ageing a bit now, but shows no signs of stopping.

Did you know? The Evoque was inspired by the original Land Rover LRX concept car, which was only designed to have three doors at first. 

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Verdict: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (7.9/10)

The Evoque has been with us since 2011, but shows no signs of its success slowing down. It’s a car that sells primarily on looks, which is fine as far as it goes, but underneath there’s a solid base of traditional Land Rover capability. It’s impressive off-road (yes, even the front-wheel drive models) and genuinely comfortable and agile on the tarmac. The Ingenium 2.0-litre diesel engine is good and there’s little wrong with its quality either. On a practical basis, we prefer the Discovery Sport, but the Evoque’s appeal is hard to beat in design terms.

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Design & Exterior: ★★★★★★★★★☆ (9/10)

You could, I suppose, argue that the Evoque's design is starting to age a bit now, and that the 2016 update was not what you’d call comprehensive. And yet, the styling remains utterly appealing and still distinctive (even though pretty much every other model in the Land Rover range now draws on the Evoque for inspiration) and the facelift did bring more distinctive, modern-looking lights and grille and the option of improved infotainment.

The sheer brand appeal of the Evoque is all but impossible to beat – after all, for a relatively affordable price, you can turn to your significant other of an evening and say “shall we take the Range Rover this evening, darling?” With a combination of (relative) practicality and (relative) frugality that’s pretty hard to beat.

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Interior & Comfort: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ (7/10)

The cabin of the Range Rover Evoque is, like that of the Discovery Sport and most other Land Rover models, a touch on the plain side. There’s little of the multi-faceted styling that you’d find in a rival Audi Q5 or Mercedes GLC – instead, there’s a plain slab of upholstered dash, some rather disappointing main instruments and a central touch screen that is good if it’s the new 10-inch unit, but bad if it’s the old 8-inch one.

Even so, the Evoque’s cabin works well because, while it lacks some of the style of rivals', it’s fundamentally good with terrifically comfortable seats, a good driving position and, in spite of the sloping roof and small rear glass, decent all-round visibility. Quality is generally very good (some cheap plastics, but they’re in the minority) and overall refinement is decent too.

Practicality

You approach the Evoque, with that sharply angled roof and shallow glass, assuming it cannot possibly be practical inside, and yet it just about manages to be. Space up front is fine, and the Evoque’s occasionally awkward broad girth means that there’s ample room between the front seat passengers. Space in the back looks mean at first, but then you get in and realise that legroom is actually fine and headroom is only compromised if you’re well over six-feet tall. Kids will be fine back there, even if they’ll complain about the angled window line not giving them enough of a view out.

The boot, at 575 litres, is the same for both front-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive models, and is pretty generous considering again the styling. For three-door ‘Coupe’ variants, that does shrink slightly to 550 litres, and for the Convertible it’s down to a measly 251 litres. All models get the option of a power-operated tailgate with under-bumper gesture control that allows you to open it when your hands are full.

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Technology & Connectivity: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (8/10)

The basic eight-inch In Control Touch screen is a little behind the curve, certainly relative to the Evoque’s premium-club opposition, but things improve markedly if you upgrade to the newer ten-inch In Control Touch Pro screen, which is slicker by far and comes with more functions.

Those include online connectivity, a Wi-Fi hotspot, a smartphone app that allows you to access vehicle status data online, transferable maps that can link from the car to your home computer and back again, connection to a Tile app that can remind you when you’ve forgotten important items before leaving the house, and a 380-watt Meridian high-end sound system. There’s also the option of a head-up display and a dual-view touchscreen that allows your passenger to watch a movie while you concentrate on the satnav screen.

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Performance & Handling: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (8/10)

If it can ever be said that a tall SUV handles like a hot hatch, then it’s the Evoque. The steering is sharp and very quick-witted, and the Evoque can be cornered with both confidence and relish on a twisting road. Really, its dynamic performance is only limited by the fact that it’s quite wide, which tends to make you more cautious on narrow, twisting roads.

As with the closely related Discovery Sport, there’s a penalty in ride quality, however. It’s not outrageously stiff, but when you start loading the Evoque up with bigger optional alloys, the ride does start to suffer and it can be quite jittery at urban speeds.

Overall refinement and comfort is pretty good though, thanks especially to the Ingenium 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel engine. It can be a touch noisy on a cold start, but given a chance to warm up it’s decently refined, and has good performance too. The basic 147bhp version has 280lb.ft of torque, which is sufficient to make the Evoque feel quite fleet-footed. The 177bhp version has a solid 317lb.ft so that feels really quick. There is a little-seen 237bhp 2.0-litre petrol turbo version, too, but very few of those will ever be sold here, thanks to high emissions and poor fuel consumption. The six-speed manual transmission is fine, but most buyers will go for the smooth nine-speed automatic instead.

Don’t forget that, for all it being a stylish car with Victoria Beckham connections, the Evoque is still a Land Rover and can do the off-road thing with aplomb. It can be equipped with Terrain Response, All Terrain Progress Control (which gets you moving on slippery surfaces), Hill Descent Control, and a wade-sensing system that can detect how deep any standing water in front of you is (and the Evoque can wade through an impressive half-a-metre of water as standard).

Recommended engine: 2.0-litre TD4 Diesel 177bhp 4WD Automatic

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Safety Features: ★★★★★★★★★☆ (9/10)

Tested by Euro NCAP in 2011, the Evoque received a full five-star safety award, with an 86 per cent adult occupant protection rating, 75 per cent for child protection, 41 per cent pedestrian protection and 86 per cent for safety assist.

As well as seven airbags and a full suite of stability control, roll stability control, lane departure warning and autonomous emergency braking all as standard, the Evoque can be specified with a lane-keeping steering system, radar-guided cruise control that can take over full control in heavy traffic at speeds of up to 37mph, adaptive LED headlights, a blind spot monitor, a surround-view camera system, traffic sign recognition, an automated parking system, a trailer reversing assistant, and an emergency SOS call function that rings for the emergency services in the event of an accident. ISOFIX mounting points for child car seats are standard on the two outer rear seats.

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Specs and Trim Levels: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (8/10)

Colours

There’s just the one solid paint finish – Fuji White – and then there are metallic options in Yulong White, Indus Silver, Baltoro Ice, Corris Grey, Kaikoura Stone, Scotia Grey, Aintree Green, Loire Blue, Santorini Black, and Firenze Red. There are also ‘Premium Metallic’ finishes in Phoenix Orange, Silicon Silver, Aruba, Waitomo Grey, Carpathian Grey, and Farallon Black. All colours can be ordered with a contrast grey or black roof. The Convertible only comes with a black fabric roof for now, but more colour options for that are expected to be introduced.

Trim Levels

The basic SE model Evoque comes with a grey-finish grille and side vents, rain sensing wipers, auto-dimming rear view mirror, front parking sensors, 18-inch alloy wheels, eight-way electric front seats finished in leather and the eight-inch In Control Touch screen.

SE Tech adds automatic high beam assist, satellite navigation, front fog lights, black finish grille and vents, heated windscreen, Xenon lights with LED daytime running lights, upgraded 18-inch wheels, and higher-quality leather on 12-way adjustable electric seats.

HSE Dynamic models get more body kit, a perforated leather steering wheel, 20-inch alloy wheels, backlit aluminium tread-plates inside the doors, aluminium interior trim, and the In Control Touch Pro screen with Meridian sound system.

HSE Dynamic Lux adds a panoramic glass roof, full parking assistant, surround-view cameras, blind spot monitor, keyless entry, powered tailgate, lane keeping steering assistant, driver alertness monitor, and a traffic sign recognition system.

Autobiography models get adaptive LED headlights, ‘Oxford’ leather trim and upholstery, All Terrain Progress Control, premium carpets, 14-way electric memory front seats that are both heated and cooled, heated rear seats, and more In Control Pro functionality.

The Convertible model comes with a unique body kit, Xenon lights, 20-inch wheels, In Control Touch Pro, 12-way adjustable seats with ‘Oxford’ leather, ambient interior lighting, Meridian sound system, and All Terrain Progress Control.

As with most Land Rover products, you can spend half your life and all your fortune going through the Evoque's list of optional extras, so we’d suggest keeping it relatively simple by going for a well-equipped HSE Dynamic model and spending a little bit extra to get the best safety and driver assistance options (such as the surround view cameras, parking aid and lane-keeping assistant). To be honest, you really don’t need more than that, but make sure it has both four-wheel drive and the nine-speed automatic.

2.0si petrol servicing interval: 10,000 miles or one year.

Size and Dimensions

Although it’s relatively low-slung and not that long, the Evoque is quite broad across its beam, so make sure your driveway or garage is wide enough for it to fit.

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Running Costs & Fuel Economy: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ (7/10)

Upon hearing the Range Rover name, you’ll be assuming that the Evoque is both thirsty and heavy on emissions. But it doesn’t have to be. There’s an 'e-Capability eD4' model that mixes a 147bhp diesel engine with front-wheel drive, stop-start and brake energy recuperation to achieve figures of just 109g/km (for the coupe – 113g/km for the five-door) and official fuel economy of 67.5mpg. That’s hugely impressive for a style-oriented SUV.

For the more mainstream Evoque models, those figures rise to a still-respectable 125g/km and 58.9mpg for a five-door four-wheel drive 177bhp model, or 134g/km and 55.4mpg for the same engine with an automatic transmission.

The heavier, less aerodynamic Convertible does a little worse, at 149g/km, while the rarely-seen 237bhp 2.0si turbo petrol model scores a dismal 181g/km and 36.2mpg (worse still at 210g/km and 32.9mpg for the 2.0si Convertible).

Reliability and servicing

The Evoque has been recalled for possible fuel leaks, faulty passenger airbags, engines cutting out unexpectedly, electrical short circuits, and a fault with the steering. It's fair therefore to say that Land Rover’s reliability reputation is improving, but still behind that of rivals. The Evoque, being based on the well-regarded Series II Freelander, should be mostly better in quality and reliability terms, though, and it is built in a very modern factory, so that bodes well in the longer term.

Land Rover offers an inclusive servicing package that covers the first five years’ scheduled servicing for up to 50,000 miles.

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Pricing: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ (7/10)

No car with a Range Rover badge is ever going to be cheap, but the Evoque does at least approach affordability, with prices starting from a little over £30,000, and well-equipped SE Tech models staying under £40,000.

HSE models sit between £40,000 and £50,000 while Autobiography models tip over into £50,000 territory. Convertibles start at just under £50,000.

Don’t forget that, although the Evoque is quite well-equipped as standard, the options list is long and frequently expensive, so it’s not hard to start adding five-figure sums just on the extras.

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