The style-conscious Range Rover Evoque is used to success. 800.000 copies of the noble compact SUV have been built since 2011, 40 000 found their buyers in Germany alone. There was no reason to shake things up for the second generation of the best-selling Range Rover. A few retouchings on the lines, the retractable door handles known from the Velar, narrower taillights and LED headlights, that should be enough. For the British donated the Evoque now a new platform with space for electric drives, a new chassis and plenty of new technology. Except for the door hinges, everything is new, according to Land Rover.
Photo: Tobias Kempe
Give the technology confidence
Granted, the ride on the artificial off-road course in the new Range Rover Evoque is far less fast than the roller coaster on the Hamburg Cathedral. But not less exciting. Stoically, the almost two-ton 4,37 meter SUV pushes up the 30% slope of the steel frame within sight of the harbor area. This is not a challenge for the standard equipped with Neungangautomatik and all-wheel 240 PS strong diesel. The Terrain Response 2 recognizes which surface you are currently on and adjusts all vehicle systems accordingly. But despite all the confidence in the vehicle technology, the adrenaline level is just increasing, because left and right of the wheels remain on the metal ramp only a few inches of leeway.
But now and also for the later moment of tipping towards the ground, the new “Clear Sight Ground View Camera”, which allows a 180 degree view under the vehicle, is very helpful. Although it cannot completely prevent the tingling in the abdomen, it, together with the instructions from the instructor, at least provides reassurance as to where the wheels are and in which direction to turn.
Wool-blend or eucalyptus textile fabrics allow vegans to breathe a sigh of relief
A short stop to breathe in before the next "obstacle" allows you to take a closer look at the interior of the Evoque, which remains elegant and tidy. It looks more spacious than before, although the wheelbase has only increased by 20 millimeters. The space in the luggage compartment Range Rover has increased by 16 liters on 591 to 1383 liters. Vegans can breathe a sigh of relief, instead of using animal skins, they can resort to sitting in a wool mix or eucalyptus textile fabric.
New selection lever and infotainment update
Apart from the new and more handy gear lever, which replaces the predecessor's automatic knob, the two high-resolution glass touchscreens that catch the eye-catching Evothe first-generation infotainment equipment of the Evoque are eye-catching. The number of controls has been reduced, up to eight mobile devices can finally be coupled via Apple Car Play or Android Auto. At the touch of a button, the rear-view mirror displays a pin-sharp camera image that, with an 50 degree angle, allows you to look back over the head of passengers in the rear.
Apart from the entry-level diesel, mild hybrid technology has found its way into all available four-cylinder petrol engines (200/250 and 300 hp) and diesel engines (150/180 and 240 hp) under the hood of the Evoque. The 48-volt electrical system with belt starter generator recuperates energy and goes one step further when accelerating via electric boost. By using the system, the British promise more efficiency and note around six liters per 100 km for the diesel and around eight liters for the petrol engine. After our trip with the neatly coordinated SUV on asphalt and a mix of highway and country road in the outskirts of the Hanseatic city, the on-board computer for the 200 PS petrol engine showed about three liters more.
The base model of the smallest Landy, which is expected to be only a four-door and no longer as a two-door or as a convertible, is equipped as standard with a comprehensive assistance package with automatic emergency brake assist and active lane keeping system from 37.350 Euro in the list. The most expensive model with the big petrol engine and the sporty R-Dynamic version starts at 69.550 Euro. In addition to the diesel and gasoline versions, Land Rover promises a plug-in hybrid with a three-cylinder petrol engine later this year.
Text: Solveig Grewe
Photos: Solveig Grewe, Tobias Kempe, manufacturer
