All-new Range Rover Evoque 23 | 11 | 2018

THE ALL-NEW second-generation Range Rover Evoque has been revealed. Available to order now at Scottish Land Rover dealerships, prices start at £31,600. First deliveries are scheduled for Spring. And you can specify your own Evoque by clicking here. (Related: Roadtest — Range Rover Evoque)

Complete with a new platform and cleaner, sharper, sophisticated look — which picks up from its big brother, the eye-catching Velar — the newcomer is available with a choice of three- and four-cylinder Ingenium petrol and diesel engines, Hybrid-electric power, 48-volt MHEV and a 3-cylinder PHEV. (Related: Land Rover teases 2019 Evoque)

Significantly, the designers have listed to feedback from current owners; as a result there’s more room in the cabin, more rear knee room, plus a bigger boot. It also ditches the three-door ‘coupe’ model to become five-door only.

Highlights include:

Effortless: New architecture technology delivers smooth, quiet and refined drive

Charismatic drive: Agile handling and responsive character ideally suited to tight city streets

Efficient: Three- and four-cylinder Ingenium petrol and diesel engines, Hybrid-electric power, 48-volt MHEV and a 3-cylinder PHEV

Go anywhere: Innovative Terrain Response 2 technology meets your needs from the city streets to the mountain tops, ensuring your destination is reached no matter the conditions

Connected everywhere: Apple CarPlay connects you to your smartphone, 4G Wi-Fi hotspot connects you to the internet, while InControl Remote connects you to the vehicle

Modernist Design: A precise exterior design will turn heads, while the luxurious crafted interior offers a calming sense of wellbeing with sumptuous, sustainable materials

Spacious: Compact 4.37m footprint, now with more kneeroom for rear passengers and greater luggage space

Command visibility: World’s first ground view technology making the bonnet invisible, while a high-definition video screen revolutionises the rear view mirror

Self-learning: Smart Settings uses artificial intelligence algorithms to learn driver preferences and readies the cabin for your journey

The new model — which is designed, engineered and manufactured in Britain — has a lot to live up to. The original sold more than 772,096 (20% sold in the UK) and harvested more than 217 international awards.

It’s also one of the most technologically advanced cars Land Rover has built. In addition to the established gizmos, the new Evoque introduces Command visibility. This is the world’s first ground view technology making the bonnet invisible, while a high-definition video screen revolutionises the rear view mirror.

In addition, self-learning Smart Settings uses artificial intelligence algorithms to learn driver preferences and readies the cabin for your journey.

Externally the car is most definitely an Evoque, with the unmistakable clamshell bonnet interrupted by the bulging front wheelarches, and the ultra-slim rear glass area retained. However, along the flanks the newcomer boasts a much cleaner look; there’s flush door handles (as seen on the Velar) and a less complex surfacing on the doors, with none of the horizontal creases of the Mk1. And while 17in alloys are standard on entry models, options include 21in wheels.

The introduction of jewel-like elements such as super-slim Matrix LED headlamps provide a more sophisticated front and rear lamp graphic, while sweeping directional indicators create a purposeful signature. Optional R-Dynamic details and burnished copper accents add to the unique appeal.

Inside, there’s now a luxurious, minimalist, digital cabin. Technical textiles that use recycled plastics are offered as premium alternatives to leather, such as a Kvadrat wool blend and Miko Dinamica suedecloth, as well as Eucalyptus and Ultrafabrics options.

CABIN AND DIMENSIONS:

According to Land Rover, the cabin is “designed to be a calm and serene space, ensuring comfortable, healthy and happy occupants”. They’re helped by  technologies such as the twin touchscreen Touch Pro Duo system, featuring new, faster software, 16-way seat controls and cabin air ionisation that complement the increased interior space.

At 4370mm in length, the new Evoque has an almost identical footprint to its predecessor. But built on Land Rover’s new mixed-material Premium Transverse Architecture, there’s more interior space than before.

A longer wheelbase yields 20mm extra rear kneeroom and an increase in small item stowage – the larger glove box and centre cubby can now fit tablets, handbags and bottles with ease. The luggage space is 10% larger (591 litres) as well as much wider and easily fits a folded pram or set of golf clubs, with space increasing to 1383 litres when the flexible 40:20:40 second-row seats are folded.

PLATFORM, ENGINES AND HYBRID TECH:

The new architecture has been developed for electrification, with a 48-volt mild-hybrid available at launch and a plug-in hybrid model to follow in around 12 months afterwards. The mild hybrid powertrain is a first for Land Rover and works by harvesting energy normally lost during deceleration thanks to the engine-mounted belt-integrated starter generator, storing it in the under-floor battery.

At speeds below 11mph (17km/h), the engine will shut off while the driver applies the brakes. When pulling away, the stored energy is redeployed to assist the engine under acceleration and reduce fuel consumption. The result is a refined, quiet and efficient drive in built-up traffic heavy areas, in addition to efficiency savings.

Available across the range (when specified with automatic gearbox) of four-cylinder Ingenium petrol and diesel engines, the mild hybrid delivers CO2 emissions from as low as 149g/km and fuel economy from 50.4mpg (based on the new NEDC Equivalent WLTP test procedure).

If the customer chooses the 150PS diesel engine with front wheel drive, Evoque only emits 143g/km. An even more efficient plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) model and three-cylinder petrol Ingenium engine will also join the range next year.

OFF-ROAD DRIVING:

Every bit a Range Rover, the compact SUV combines all-terrain capability with all-weather assurance. New Evoque features All-Wheel Drive, as well as a second-generation Active Driveline with Driveline Disconnect to enhance efficiency and Adaptive Dynamics to deliver the optimum balance of comfort and agility.

Terrain Response 2 — technology first found on full-size Range Rover — automatically detects the surface being driven on a adjusts the set-up accordingly, while Evoque can now wade through water up to 600mm (previously 500mm).

NEW TECHNOLOGY:

The famed Range Rover command driving position has jumped into the digital age, with a segment-first ‘ClearSight rear-view mirror’ that transforms into an HD video screen. If rear visibility is compromised by passengers or bulky items, the driver simply flicks a switch on the underside of the mirror and a camera feed from the top of the car displays what is behind the vehicle in crisp high definition. The screen provides a wider (50-degree) field of vision and superior visibility in low light.

The new Range Rover Evoque is also the first in the world to feature Ground View technology, which effectively makes the bonnet invisible by projecting camera imagery onto the upper touchscreen to show the driver a 180-degree view under the front of the vehicle. This is useful when negotiating difficult parking spaces, navigating high city centre kerbs or tackling rough terrain and is the realisation of the Transparent Bonnet technology previewed by Land Rover in 2014.

Evoque is also the first Land Rover with Smart Settings, which uses artificial intelligence algorithms to learn the driver’s preference and acts as an onboard butler. In addition to seat position, music and climate settings, Evoque can also control steering column preferences to maximise comfort and convenience.

"The Range Rover Evoque has been a phenomenal UK success over the past seven years,” Rawdon Glover, Managing Director, Jaguar Land Rover UK said. “It's proven very popular with customers from a broad range of segments with more than 60% of them being new to the Land Rover marque.

"With a fifth of global retails being in the UK, I am extremely confident this will be a great second album taking Evoque to a new level of refinement, luxury and sustainability while preserving all the charm of the first model which defined the compact SUV market back in 2011."

Related: Land Rover teases two-door coupe

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Jim McGill