TMW REVIEW - 2015 Range Rover Evoque Dynamic SD4.

With a range of cars that were not that exciting, Land Rover were in need of something that would both wow the buyer and bring in some much needed funds, the Discovery 3/4 was aging, the Freelander 2 was well past its sell by date, the Defender was creaking along to a well deserved pension, and the Daddy Range Rover was a limited proposition for the buyer due to its rather large price tag, which left the Range Rover Sport.

The Sport was undoubtable a great car, and was giving JLR some serious street cred, and income, but they needed something more, or in this case, less, and the car that came was the Evoque, in three and five door models, with front and four wheel drive, it was heavily based on the underpinnings of the Freelander 2, giving this all new (ish) car cost advantages, but with a look that made the world go mad for the car.

When the car was launched at the July 2011 the sales just flowed and flowed, and even today nearly four years later, they are still struggling to keep up with demand, the model has also become the most successful in Land Rover history with nearly 400,000 units sold up to the end of 2014,  and with the introduction of the 2016 models, and a just announced convertible version, as well as an overdue extended wheelbase version, the sales will continue to grow.

Which brings us to the model tested here, the Range Rover Evoque SD4, five door, four wheel drive, a car that has a presence about it, no matter what colour combination, at first look, you are struck by the sharp incline of the windows, which draws your eyes to teh back of the car and a very thin rear window, which to be honest is as much use as having a letter box, and that rear wiper is so small, that it would work equally as well on a pair of glasses.

The over sized wheels are as much a part of the Evoque as the thin light signatures front and rear, they are all part of what makes this car different, and why so many have taken it to their hearts, minds and driveways, but is really any good ?

Being registered disabled, the access is a very important thing for me, and the car wins this hands down, you can just sit on the seat, and fall into and out of the car without any effort at all, and the raised ride height helps to give a decent view around the front and sides of the car, rear view is hopeless, as was trying to look out the rear three quarter window.

The pillars are so thick that getting any view from that angle is virtually impossible, making reversing out at an angle quite tricky, even with the reversing camera showing you the way, the keyless start and press button action is simple enough and the rising of the gear knob, which started life in the Jaguar XF, gives the car a little sense of theatre.

The engine fires into life with a silence that belies its price point, and once you place the car into drive, the near seamless gear changes again showcase the quality of the car,  my only issues with the gearbox are that there is so many gears, nine forward, that in reasonable traffic the gearbox is up and down like a yoyo, and that can't be too good for the car, can it ?

The ease of driving this car is a great plus point, and if you are, in anyway, in need of a car that would be ideal for someone with special requirements, the Evoque is one that can fulfill a number of those requirements, however, its not all good news, as with all cars there are positive points and negative, but will the negative ones outweigh the positive.

The fuel consumption of the SD4 Dynamic was far far FAR less than the quoted mpg on the LR website, the numbers quoted are 39.2/53.3/47.1 our test on reasonable roads with a decent test drive attained a figure closer to 30mpg overall rather than the 53.3 that Land Rover would have you believe, but we all know that the manufacturer figures are a touch on the generous side.

As with ALL Land Rover products it has unrivalled off road ability, this test did not include any off road driving, however on a recent visit to Solihull, we did take an Evoque on the huge Land Rover Off-Road facility and like all the other cars it just did everything that we asked of it,  and more, and it enjoyed it too.

Getting into the back of the Evoque is not an experience anyone would enjoy over the age of 12, it can be, and it definitely feels very cramped in the back, especially with the small windows and black leather upholstery and black headlining, so, if you feel very claustrophobic, then the back of this car is not for you, likewise the boot space, is not the best in class, and with a very high lip getting heavier things in can be an issue, the flat boot space right to the bumper is a help, but the height does hinder.

The switchgear, and central console are very familiar places to be if you are aware of Land Rover products, but that can also be a hindrance, as the central screen is quite busy with too much info to digest as you're driving along, this can be dangerous if you're not used to such display's, however the Nav system is very good, and very quick, we had no issues in choosing a destination and within a very short time frame, it was chosen and off we went.

Moving the Terrain option across one space and the dials in front of you turn a rather nice shade of red, and give the driver a sense of speed and evilness, not that you should treat the car any differently just because it has the shade of the devil in front of, you.

The Evoque is one of those rare cars that can fit nicely in whatever environment you put it, whether it be the School run, shopping, off road, Royalty or celebrity, or just your next door neighbour, it offers everything that its bigger brother does, in a smaller package, with style and flair, and even after a few years it still looks the business.

OVERALL

The Evoque is a great car, thats not in dispute, but it does have its faults, some worse than others, the fuel consumption of our test car was not that good at all, and for some that would be a big deal breaker, the rear view from the C-Pillar, around the back to the other C-Pillar is pointless, you can see hardly anything, which in this car is eased with the rear view camera.

The car is comfortable, if a little firm, and has great road and off road capability, nothing can beat the Land Rover range for that, the original design was so good that nothing has been needed to keep it fresh, even the latest midlife nip and tuck has not changed anything exterior, with the exception of the light signatures, and tweaks to the bumpers.

The car is a good one, but it has issues, if you can live with those issues you will not be disappointed, if you are one of those that likes to be able to good all round vision, or great fuel consumption, or a big boot space, then maybe this is not the car for you. The Evoque has been one of teh biggest hits of the decade for any motoring brand, and it is therefore not a surprise that LR are milking it for all its worth, expect a bigger seven seat version, convertible and a smaller baby Evoque, with the convertible definately coming, the other two, well, we will wait and see.