Range Rover Evoque Review

The Range Rover Evoque was in the vanguard of premium small off-roaders when it first arrived in 2011. The latest generation, launched in 2019, took the model further down the premium route to fend off rivals like the Audi Q3 and BMW X1, which both seem more like awkwardly jacked-up hatchbacks rather than scaled-down off-roaders. To find out more, read our review of the Range Rover Evoque.

When the Range Rover Evoque first rocked up, it was a revelation. Among the awkwardness, suddenly here was elegance. The bold, angular details and crisp lines of the baby Range Rover made it stand out a mile against pretty much any car, let alone the humdrum competition, and pretty much anyone who gave a hoot about cars at that time wanted one. 

In truth, it wasn’t that brilliant a car in a lot of other ways, but its jaw-dropping looks ensured it was an enormous success nonetheless.

Fast-forward to the present and small SUVs - prestige or otherwise - are all the rage. The competition from Audi and BMW, plus many others, has seriously upped its game, in terms of its styling and in a whole host of other areas, and the popularity of this type of car means that there are more contenders than ever before. That means the second-generation Evoque has its work cut out in keeping the affection of a spoiled-for-choice public.

It’s just as well, then, the current Range Rover Evoque is an absolute cracker of a car. The competition may have upped its game, but don’t go thinking that Land Rover has rested on its laurels.

Where the first Range Rover Evoque was rather lacklustre on both ride and handling, the latest car rides with a plushness to match most other cars in the class, and also deals with corners in an impressively secure and controlled way. Big strides have also been made on refinement, with quieter, smoother engines and really good suppression of exterior noises.

The Range Rover Evoque now has what it takes to match most rivals on practicality too, with a roomy cabin and a very decent boot. Quality is also kicked up a notch, with really impressive cabin materials, and on Dynamic SE trim and above, you get an interactive driver display. What’s more, most versions come with all the luxury and safety kit you need.

Yes, it’s not a cheap car, costing more than most of rivals. However, for style-conscious buyers - which SUV customers most certainly are - the glamorous Range Rover Evoque might well be the only choice.

For most buyers, the Range Rover Evoque D200 in Evoque Edition trim is likely to be the best fit. The diesel’s torque and relaxed nature suit the car well, while the mid-spec trim gives you the visual impact and equipment that make the Evoque feel worth its premium.

If your mileage is lower and you can charge regularly, the P270e plug-in hybrid is worth serious consideration. It is smoother around town, makes the most of the Evoque’s premium feel and can cover shorter journeys on electric power alone.

Trim-wise, S is no longer a sparse entry point, but the Evoque Edition looks and feels more like the car most buyers will picture when they think of an Evoque. Autobiography is more indulgent still, but it is a big step in price.

The current Range Rover Evoque range starts at £44,430 for the D200 S and rises to £53,765 for the P270e Evoque Edition. Special editions and optional extras can push the number higher still.

That places the Evoque above many direct rivals on price. You are paying a premium for the design, the badge and the sense of occasion, and not everyone will see that as money well spent.

The Audi Q3 is one of the clearest alternatives if you want something premium, polished and more rational. The Porsche Macan is a pricier but more driver-focused option if handling is high on your agenda, while the Porsche Cayenne is really a class up.

The BMW X1 is a strong rival if practicality matters more than style, and the Mercedes-Benz GLA remains in the mix if you want something plush and badge-led. The Volvo XC40 is also worth a look for its comfort and design-led feel, while the Discovery Sport makes sense if you want something from the same broader family with more emphasis on practicality than glamour.

The Range Rover Evoque does a thoroughly respectable job in this area. There’s loads of space in all directions up front - as you’d expect - and in the back, there’s a very similar amount of headroom and legroom to what you get in rivals.

Six footers will fit comfortably, and because the rear of the cabin is also a little wider than in rivals, things won’t feel quite so pinched when you have to sit three across the rear bench. A pair of child seats will fit in no problem, and there are ISOFIX tetherings to secure them with. That said, the back seats don’t slide or recline or anything clever like that, which they do in some rivals.

The boot is a very decent size. Land Rover claims it can carry up to 591-litres with the seats up and 1383-litres with them down, although this is measured from the floor to the roof so isn't a comparable figure with rivals. 

Nevertheless, it should cope with most of what a family needs from it, including the ability to swallow pushchairs or golf clubs, depending on your day’s activities. It is marginally smaller than those of rivals, though. The rear seats fold down in a versatile 40-20-40 configuration, and they go down more or less flat, leaving you with a flush load area. There’s no boot lip to contend with when loading heavy items, either.

The Range Rover Evoque measures 4,371mm long, 1,996mm wide with mirrors folded and 1,649mm high.

That makes it slightly shorter than a BMW X1 or Audi Q3, but taller and wider in feel than a conventional hatchback-based crossover. It is compact enough to work well in town, yet large enough to feel substantial.

All current Evoques use an 11.4-inch curved central touchscreen running JLR’s Pivi Pro system. It includes navigation, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth and connected services.

It looks far more modern than the earlier dual-screen set-up and brings a cleaner, more upmarket feel to the dashboard. The graphics are sharp and the system boots quickly, but the menu structure still is not quite as intuitive as the best German alternatives, and some responses could be faster.

Digital driver display tech is also available across most of the current line-up, which adds to the premium feel.

Material quality is strong. The Evoque cabin feels every inch a premium product, with soft-touch surfaces, rich-looking finishes and a general sense that more thought has gone into the details than in many rivals.

Leather remains a key part of the current line-up, but Land Rover also offers more sustainable trim choices. Whichever route you take, the Evoque feels expensive inside, which is exactly what buyers at this level will expect.

The current new Range Rover Evoque range centres on two engines.

The D200 is the more natural fit for the Evoque’s laid-back character. It has enough torque to move the car around without effort, and it feels like the easier companion on longer journeys.

The P270e plug-in hybrid is the quicker and smoother option at lower speeds. If your routine includes lots of urban or suburban driving and you can charge at home, it can feel like the more modern version of the Evoque.

This was an area in which the previous Range Rover Evoque was merely so-so, but this version does much better, providing an impressive balance of abilities. The suspension is absorbent, so it can deal with most potholes and sharp-edged bumps with minimal fuss, yet the ride is still well controlled and the body doesn’t bounce around wildly over crests and dips.

Things feel settled and serene on the motorway, too, making this a comfortable way to munch through the miles. We’d certainly advise sticking with smaller wheels, as things get appreciably more lumpy if you specify the big 20-inchers, but even then, the Evoque isn’t an uncomfortable car.

The handling is assured and capable rather than electrifying, but that’s fine in a car like this. You do feel the body leaning over a bit in corners, but there’s lots of grip and traction on hand, especially in the four-wheel drive models. The steering is responsive and nicely weighted, so placing the car where you want it is always easy.

You’d expect any Range Rover - even a little one like the Evoque - to be good when venturing off the beaten track, and sure enough, it’ll take you where rivals from Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Volvo fear to tread thanks to its clever off-roading system. The four-wheel drive diesels will also tow up to 2000kg, although that figure can drop to 1600kg on some of the plug-in hybrid models, so check before you buy.

A Dynamic Handling Pack adaptive suspension is available as an optional extra, but we haven’t had the chance to try it. All but base models have Terrain Response 2 to help tailor the four-wheel drive system to the prevailing conditions and find grip where you might not otherwise expect it.

The Range Rover Evoque holds a five-star Euro NCAP rating from 2019. Standard safety equipment is generous and includes autonomous emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance, traffic sign recognition, a reversing camera and front and rear parking sensors.

Higher trims add more kit such as blind-spot assistance, upgraded camera systems and better lighting.

The D200 mild hybrid returns up to 44.6mpg officially, which is respectable for a premium SUV with four-wheel drive and an automatic gearbox.

The P270e plug-in hybrid claims up to 201.8mpg on the official cycle, but as always that only makes sense if you charge frequently and use the battery properly. Its official EV range is up to 37 miles, with an expected real-world electric range of around 29 miles according to Land Rover’s own current technical sheet.

Charging times are competitive enough. Land Rover quotes 2 hours 12 minutes to 100 per cent on a 7kW home charger, 30 minutes to 80 per cent on a 32kW DC charger and 6 hours 42 minutes on a domestic plug.

Land Rover covers the Evoque with a three-year manufacturer warranty in the UK. That is less generous than the warranties offered by some mainstream alternatives and does not look especially standout at this price.

The service record will matter a lot on used examples, especially given the brand’s patchy reliability reputation.

Current insurance groups broadly sit in the low- to high-30s depending on version. That makes the Evoque more expensive to insure than some mainstream SUVs, though not out of line for a premium-badged compact SUV.

From the second year onwards, a Range Rover Evoque costs £200 a year in standard VED form.

The Expensive Car Supplement is the bigger issue. Because the Evoque starts above £40,000 new, current versions attract the extra £440 a year from years two to six. That means a new Evoque will cost £640 a year to tax over that five-year period before dropping back to the standard rate afterwards.