Rolls Royce Dawn - Inspired by Fashion, releases its Spring/Summer collection details, the combination of two worlds in one.

The House of Rolls-Royce has announced its Spring/Summer 2017 Couture collection. Signature detailing in vibrant colour will complement palettes of classic white as Dawn is Inspired by Fashion.

Rolls-Royce and the world of Haute Couture have long been bound by a common philosophy – taking the very finest materials and crafting them into the most exquisite and desirable luxury goods as expressions of their clients’ taste and lifestyle.

Under the stewardship of Design Director Giles Taylor, a team of talented designers were hand-picked from the worlds of fashion, fine textiles and luxury accessories including textile specialist Cherica Haye from the Royal College of Art and leather technologist Michelle Lusby who previously worked at Mulberry. 

Their work has seen the incorporation of fine silks and unexpected textures into the interior environment of truly bold and distinctive Bespoke commissions. They have conceived and executed Bespoke commissions with a depth of inspiration befitting to the world’s leading luxury brand.

In creating ‘Dawn – Inspired by Fashion’, these designers selected the neutral canvas of white upon which to base three vibrant colours that will set the tone for 2017’s Spring/Summer collection; Mugello Red, Cobalto Blue or Mandarin. Subtle accents of these colours adorn interior aspects of each Dawn, whilst the ‘Silent Ballet’ of the roof as it rises to provide shelter from the paparazzo’s lens unleashes a brushstroke of colour to catch the style-spotter’s eye.

“Our clients are the very arbiters of fashion, tastemakers who sit in the front row of the Couture shows, themselves influencing evolving trends,” comments Giles Taylor, Director of Design for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. “To them, the commissioning of fine luxury objects represents a deeply-involving curatorial process – with different forms of luxury design, craft and execution serving as inspiration for the other. ‘Dawn – Inspired by Fashion’ beautifully expresses the notion that inspiration for truly personal objects is drawn from the passions, tastes and lifestyle of its patron.”  

Like the finest Bespoke garments, individuality is forged in the subtlest details. On opening Dawn’s coachdoors, a contemporary Arctic White and Black interior colour scheme is accented by one of the three vivid colours: Mugello Red, Cobalto Blue or Mandarin. The Arctic White leather of the seats is accented through the embroidery of the headrests, as well as the stitching and piping of the seats. Seamless stitching, a highly-complex craft technique from the world of fine tailoring, is applied to the steering wheel to ensure the perfect line joins the two colours of leather around the rim.

Tactility, comfort and quality are important attributes of the piece itself. Rolls-Royce’s designers took inspiration from this approach in appointing the car’s front and rear door pockets with fine silks, adorned with an abstract representation of the Spirit of Ecstasy with each emblem set precisely at 55 degrees to complement the lines of the door.

The legendary Rolls-Royce craftsmanship and attention-to-detail is apparent through the exquisite dashboard created in Piano White with aluminium particles resulting in a silk-like appearance, with the lacquering process alone taking nine days of meticulous work.This is completed elegantly with the integration of a Bespoke clock, set as a piece of jewellery, styled exclusively to emit a silver on silver effect, evoking the metallic fabrics seen on this year’s catwalks in preparation for next year’s season.

Dawn’s exterior colour scheme of Andalucian White is beautifully accented by a hand-painted coachline which drapes over the curve of the car’s hip as the line flows backwards along the car, reflecting the identical splash of colour provided when the soft-top roof is in place.

Clients are invited to commission their personal style statement from this November to ensure they appear wrapped in the latest couture offering from the world’s leading luxury goods house for the new season next year.

BAC enjoyed a glorious 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed with success on and off the famous hill climb

• BAC enjoyed a glorious 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed with success on and off the famous hill climb
• Official BAC test driver Oliver Webb thrilled the crowds with some stunning runs up the hill, in a competitive class that was new for this year
• With a sub-50 second final run, the BAC Mono was fast enough to take an unofficial podium position in the last-day shootout for all comers
• The weekend proved a phenomenal success for BAC, with a record number of cars for a Goodwood weekend being sold, with new customers hailing from all around the world
• BAC showed a new carbon hybrid wheel at the Festival, demonstrating the company’s innovative and industry leading approach to new technology
• The stand played host to a record number of visitors on all four days, with fans, customers and celebrities all enjoying the atmosphere and the BAC Mono

The BAC team has enjoyed a phenomenally successful Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2016, thrilling fans on the hill climb and at its popular stand.

Official BAC test driver Oliver Webb braved all weathers to storm up the hill in a fantastically competitive time in the Mono’s newly formed class – Race Cars for the Road. Despite tricky, wet and changeable conditions throughout the weekend, Oliver kept the Mono consistently at the top of its class.

The weather finally cleared up for the last run of the weekend, even if it was still slightly greasy on the track, which allowed Oliver a chance to really attack the course. The result was a time under 50 seconds, which would have been good for a place on the podium in the final shootout, behind the 46.29sec of the hill-climb special 806bhp Subaru Impreza ‘Gobstopper II’ and the 47.07sec of the McLaren P1 LM. The time was particularly impressive given the Mono was set up for road use and was wearing standard road-legal tyres.

BAC also enjoyed a busy and entertaining time on the stand, with fans, famous faces, media and owners all soaking up the atmosphere, getting up close to the car and meeting the team behind it. The Red Arrows team, Gumball founder Maximillion Cooper, World Rallycross driver Andreas Bakkerud, and Monster athletes ‘Buttsy’ Butler and mountain bike star Sam Reynolds all spent time with the team.

The weekend proved fantastically successful for BAC, with customers coming from all around the world to look at the car, meet the team and place orders. This resulted in a record number of sales over the weekend, while a significant number of UK demonstration days were booked, which will allow more people to experience the thrill of driving a Mono. The cars ordered over the weekend will be heading to a diverse range of countries, including the Lebanon, Belgium and the UK, showing BAC’s global appeal and international growth. Stand visitors were able to take a close look at the customer cars on display, which were on show before heading off to their new owners in Japan, the UK and Hong Kong.

The stand was the largest in BAC’s history at the Festival of Speed, with three cars on display, and a large outdoor area where guests were able to soak up the sun. A Mountune engine also proved a great hit with guests, allowing people to study the bespoke Alunox titanium exhaust. BAC’s new hybrid carbon wheels were also on show on the stand’s main car. BAC revealed the new wheels for the first time on the first day of the show, and the lightweight rims proved popular with onlookers.

At the end of each long and entertaining day, BAC kept the atmosphere going, with a VIP party and DJ Ninja keeping the stand buzzing into the evenings.

Ian Briggs, BAC’s co-founder and Design Director, said: “The Goodwood Festival of Speed is one of the greatest events in the international automotive calendar, and this year was the best yet as far as BAC was concerned. The stand was buzzing throughout the weekend and it was great to meet so many Mono fans, owners and customers.

“Lots of people came to us knowing about the car, but the show allowed them to really get up close and learn more about it and what truly makes it one of a kind. That so many of them went away having ordered a car, and with more orders hopefully following in the coming weeks, it has proved a wonderful few days.

“At the heart, Goodwood is still a motor sport event, and it is all about how the car performed up the hill. As you can see from our on-board footage, our sub 50-second final run was a thrilling ride, and one that was a real achievement given the conditions, the competition and the road-legal tyres the car was wearing. We can’t wait to come back in 2017.”

HRH Queen Elizabeth II visits BAC, the company behind the bonkers MONO sports car.

• BAC has played host to the Queen at the Exhibition Centre Liverpool
• Her Majesty was visiting the International Festival for Business, meeting with key company bosses and founders
• She had a chance to see the BAC Mono up close, and declared it to be terrific

The team at BAC has played host to a very special guest, with Her Majesty the Queen meeting the team and getting up close with the company’s single seater supercar, the Mono.

Her Majesty was visiting Liverpool on 22 June to meet the key companies and businessmen involved with the International Festival for Business, which is running in the city from 13 June to 1 July.

Neill Briggs, BAC’s co-founder and Director of Product Development, and Duncan Lee from BAC Hong Kong represented the company at the reception, with Neill introducing Her Majesty to the Mono and showing her around the car.

The Queen was very impressed with the single-seater supercar, and, in a private conversation with Neill Briggs, said how it was wonderful to see a car that was so different. She was also delighted to see such a remarkable car that had been designed, created and made in Britain. As a memento of her day, BAC was pleased to present Her Majesty with a Mini Mono – a scale model replica of the car.

Neill Briggs said: “It was a real honour to meet the Queen and represent BAC and the city of Liverpool at the International Festival for Business. I was especially proud to show Her Majesty the Mono on behalf of all our colleagues and employees in all 25 of our markets around the world.

“The city of Liverpool is a place that is very dear to our hearts, and we are proud to be part of its flourishing business community. This is a truly special day for me and for the company, and one that we will remember for years to come.”

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were visiting Liverpool to visit the International Festival for Business (IFB), formally open the Pullman Liverpool hotel before visiting Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.

Notes to Editors

Bespoke sports car manufacturer BAC (Briggs Automotive Company) is based in Liverpool and was co-founded by brothers Ian and Neill Briggs. It produces the fast and highly acclaimed Mono sports car, a single-seater formula style car that provides a visceral and exhilarating driving experience.

Since its launch in 2011 it has been going from strength to strength and is now sold in several markets around the world. It launched with great success and fanfare in Hong Kong at the end of 2015, with eight cars sold in a single night. BAC dealers can also be found in North America, Japan and London.

The 2016 model year version of the Mono comes with an all-new four-cylinder 305bhp 2.5-litre Mountune engine, which takes the 580kg car from 0-60mph in just 2.8sec. It made its global debut at the 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed, where it set an unofficial record up the event’s famous Hill Climb.

Despite its global appeal, BAC Mono remains proudly British, with parts sourced from its home country wherever possible.

GOODWOOD - BAC will showcase an all new wheel being offered as an extra for the MONO, the weight saving is huge.

• BAC reveals all-new carbon-composite wheels, to be shown for the first time at the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed
• The BAC team, led by BAC’s co-founder and Design Director Ian Briggs, designed the carbon-composite wheels in collaboration with British performance wheel manufacturer, Dymag
• As well as revolutionising the look of the BAC Mono, the new wheels bring weight and performance improvements
• The latest version of the Mono also comes with the new, wider chassis that adds as much as 56mm of interior space without changing the looks or external dimensions of the car

BAC has revealed a stunning upgrade to the looks of the Mono supercar, with a brand new set of hybrid carbon-composite wheels now available for new and existing cars. The new wheels will be shown in public for the first time at the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The new wheels typify BAC’s innovative approach to new technology, and show how the ground-breaking company is able to take bold steps in collaboration with its suppliers and to take new developments to market.

BAC’s co-founder and Design Director Ian Briggs led the design of the wheel, which was created to perfectly complement and enhance the car’s looks. BAC put the performance very much at the forefront, as the design was led by the function of the wheel. As part of its quest to use British suppliers whenever possible, BAC has teamed up with elite performance wheel brand Dymag.

The innovative 17-inch wheels are an advanced carbon composite construction, and are made using the latest technology from Dymag. The rim, which features soft curved corners to aid strength, is made of carbon composite to lower the rotational weight of the wheel.

The spokes, where stiffness is a crucial requirement, are crafted from a solid billet of aluminium, while the wheel is secured to the car with five pairs of titanium bolts, adding further strength and lightness. With each wheel bolt weighing just 30.2g, this amounts to a 212.5g saving per wheel.

As well as adding to the dynamic and purposeful look of the Mono, the new wheels boost the car’s handling and performance due to being notably lighter than the standard wheels. The total weight saving on the front axle is 23.5%, where the 7.5-inch by 17-inch wheels weigh 5.7kg each. The 9-inch-wide rear wheels each weigh 6.0kg, despite being half an inch wider than the standard rims, amounting to an overall 22.9% reduction in weight on the axle.

On a wheel with fewer spokes, the rim has to be heavier in order to take the increased load between the spokes. By using five pairs of spokes, BAC has achieved the clean look of a five-spoke rim, but with the structural and weight saving benefits of a 10-spoke wheel.

Visually, the wheels evoke the spirit of high-end sports equipment, thanks to the large graphics on the rim, which give the wheel a strong, bespoke look. The design of the wheel means that the extent of options as part of the BAC Bespoke programme can be increased. As well as choosing to colour match the spokes with the body of the car, the customer will also be able to tailor the colour of the logo and the wheel’s finish.

The wheels cost £9950 when chosen as an optional upgrade on a new Mono. They can also be fitted to existing cars, and cost £12,500 for those that want to make the upgrade on their current car.

BAC co-founder and Design Director Ian Briggs said: “We wanted a lighter wheel and a wheel that’s visually complementary to Mono. By working with an innovative British company like Dymag, we were able to be bold and create something that is genuinely cutting edge.

“We also wanted the wheel to enhance and complement the Mono’s looks and, through the personalisation options, offer a further extension to BAC’s ‘One of a Kind’ design approach. As with the rest of the car, the wheel is inspired by the world of extreme sports, as the Mono is very much designed for the sport of driving.”

Neill Briggs, BAC co-founder and Director of Product Development, said: “This new hybrid wheel is a world first, and typifies the bold approach that BAC embraces, and shows how we are able to take a lead in developing and showcasing new technology.

“BAC’s agility, innovation and ability to work with the speed and flexibility akin to motor sport mean that it is perfectly placed to work with market-leading suppliers like Dymag to showcase new technology and bring it quickly to market. This then plays a key role in taking these developments to the wider market. These new wheels represent a genuine performance upgrade, further enhancing the car’s ride and handling, in a tangible way.”

Chris Shelley, CEO of Dymag, said: “We are very excited to be involved with a high spec niche supercar manufacturer such as BAC, as our first project using Dymag’s new design philosophy and manufacturing process.

“Working on an exclusive luxury supercar like the BAC Mono is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate the benefits of our latest technology, offering improved handling, performance and ride on a vehicle that is designed to be equally at home on road and track.

“This is the first of a new generation of carbon wheels for Dymag and the first product to be developed with the National Composites Centre, Bristol, through the £7.1m Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative (AMSCI) funding secured by Dymag to produce next generation durable, lightweight carbon composite automotive and motorcycle wheels.”

The new carbon wheels for the BAC Mono are available to order now for delivery in July 2016.

BAC at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2016

The latest version of the Mono that will be on display at Goodwood also comes with the new wider chassis that adds 56mm of space in the cockpit. The chassis adds more space inside but without altering the weight, external dimensions or looks of the Mono.

BAC will be at the Goodwood Festival of Speed all weekend, and the Mono will be taking part in the newly created ‘Race Cars for the Road’ class, where it will be driven by BAC’s official test driver, Oliver Webb.

One off Paul Smith designed Land Rover Defender, 27 exterior colours and lots of quirks, I like !

• Defender fan and owner, Sir Paul Smith, collaborates with Land Rover on a ‘one off’ creation of the global automotive icon
• Bespoke Defender features hand-finished artwork, specially crafted by Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations
• Sir Paul Smith’s Defender features colours inspired by the British countryside and Defenders used by the Armed Forces, as well as playful design details chosen specifically by the designer

British designer, Sir Paul Smith has collaborated with Land Rover to create a bespoke Defender, which was revealed today at the designer’s shop at No. 9 Albemarle Street in Mayfair.

A longstanding fan of the Land Rover Defender, Sir Paul Smith has owned several of the vehicles over the years. “The Defender is a British icon, which is something I’m exceptionally proud of,” says Paul. “I keep a Defender at my home in Italy which is in the middle of the countryside, so it’s the perfect vehicle to cope with the rugged terrain.”

Paul Smith worked closely with Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) design team – which is able to fulfil individual customer commissions and personalisation. Together they created a unique vehicle, built entirely to Paul Smith’s own specification. With guidance from Land Rover’s Design Director and Chief Creative Officer, Gerry McGovern, he was able to realise his uniquely personal version of a global automotive icon.

The vehicle features 27 different colours used on the exterior panels, all of which were chosen by Sir Paul Smith. Taking inspiration from the British countryside, as well as colours historically seen on Defenders used by the Armed Forces, he says, “I wanted deep rich colours, but at the same time, I wanted them to work together yet be surprising.” In order to achieve the look he wanted, Paul gave the SVO team a set of Pantone colour references, which were then mixed specially for this vehicle.

Further adding to the vehicle’s bespoke design, Paul worked with Land Rover to ensure that the interior stayed true to his vision. “This is a complete one-off; I wanted to give this Defender a feeling of luxury, so I used a mix of leather and fabric for the seats. I actually used the fabric that I design for Maharam, the American upholstery company. The vehicle features lots of special Paul Smith touches.

“Inside, black leather contrasts against blue stitching and there are lots of little hidden details throughout. For example, there is an image of a set of keys printed inside the glove compartment. Then there is a hand-painted bee on the roof, which is another little tongue-in-cheek reference to the countryside and the heritage of the car. Also, the traditional Defender clock has been replaced with a Paul Smith fascia. My designs are known for their attention to detail, so I didn't want this Defender to be any different.”

While Paul has added many playful and personal touches, the Defender retains traditional elements, such as the wing mirrors, door handles and wheels - something that was of paramount importance to the designer. These were then given a satin finish, to create a contemporary feel.

Gerry McGovern, Design Director and Chief Creative Officer of Land Rover, adds: “I felt it would be a fitting tribute to the iconic Defender, that one of Britain's most distinguished designers worked with the Land Rover team to recognise his creative vision.”

This exclusive Defender joins together two icons from the British automotive and design industries and forms part of a year-long celebration of the famous Defender as it enters its final phase of production at the Solihull manufacturing plant.

The new Range Rover Evoque - Can you spot the difference ?

• 2016 model year Range Rover Evoque to make its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2015
• Ground-breaking exterior design refined to give even more distinctive appeal
• The most efficient production Land Rover ever: New Ingenium diesel engines deliver best-in-class CO₂emissions of 109g/km* and fuel consumption of 68mpg (4.2 l/100km)
• Sector-leading residual values and extended service intervals (21,000 miles**) contribute to lower running costs with estimated savings of up to approx. £3,700 over three years^†
• 2016 model year Evoque is now 18% more efficient than the top-selling original
• First Jaguar Land Rover to feature full-LED adaptive headlamp technology
• Three trim levels and multiple option packs allow customers even greater personalisation of their Evoque
• 3000 new jobs created at Halewood driven by Evoque over past four years

Land Rover has strengthened its fastest-selling model, the Range Rover Evoque. The luxury compact SUV features a comprehensive range of new design features and technologies to reinforce its status as the market leader.

Range Rover Evoque’s cutting-edge exterior design has been further enhanced with a selection of carefully chosen revisions. These updates include a new front bumper, two new grille designs, all-LED headlamps and three new alloy wheel designs.  These changes will enhance Evoque’s unique design to a broad range of customers.

Interior changes include new seats and door casings, new infotainment system, accessed via an eight-inch touchscreen, and the introduction of new colour and materials such as Lunar Ice, Vintage Tan and Dark Cherry (Autobiography only) complementing Evoque’s bold architectural forms.

Land Rover’s advanced new diesel engine also debuts. The new EU6-compliant four-cylinder Ingenium unit brings a class-leading combination of performance, refinement and efficiency. The cutting-edge engine, which is designed, engineered and manufactured in the UK, provides up to 180PS, fuel economy of up to 68mpg (4.2l/100km) and CO₂ emissions as low as 109g/km*. That makes the class-leading Evoque the most efficient Land Rover ever produced.

Gerry McGovern, Land Rover Design Director and Chief Creative Officer said: “The Range Rover Evoque first established and then dominated the luxury compact SUV sector generating worldwide acclaim and sales success. Our challenge has been to evolve the Evoque design without diluting its distinctive character.”

Jeremy Hicks, Jaguar Land Rover UK Managing Director said: “The Evoque has proven to be an enormous success in the UK with sales of 62,000 since its launch back in 2011. Clever design, class leading residuals and competitive cost of ownership have all been contributors to its success.

“The 2016 model year Evoque builds on this achievement with a new engine line up delivering outstanding CO₂ emissions down to 109g/km and for the first time; an all-wheel drive version under 130g/km. This combined with intelligent and relevant technology will ensure that the Range Rover Evoque is an attractive proposition to both private and fleet & business customers.”

Exterior Design

Evoque’s highly desirable design is a hallmark of this luxurious compact SUV. The introduction of the slimline LED foglamps and a noticeably wider tow-eye cover enhance the new front bumper design. The enlarged air intakes allude to its sporting character and create a more planted stance and further emphasise Evoque’s assertive road presence.

Two new grille designs are available in a range of premium finishes. Evoque’s standard grille is distinguished by two bold horizontal bars and a new fine-mesh grille pattern. Dynamic derivatives feature a hexagonal design, and its more prominent mesh area lends a suitably performance-oriented character to these sporting derivatives.

2016 model year Evoque is the first Jaguar Land Rover to be offered with full-LED adaptive headlamps, providing superior visibility at night. This advanced technology has been pivotal in creating a signature headlamp and tail lamp design, working in harmony with Evoque’s dramatic exterior. 

Enhancing safety and creating an even more striking visual statement, the indicator function is now integrated into Evoque’s distinctive LED daytime-running lights (DRLs), sweeping across the full width of the light clusters. As an additional benefit, energy-efficient LED technology reduces the demands placed on Evoque’s electrical systems.

Elsewhere, the distinctive bonnet vents previously fitted only to coupé models are introduced on five-door HSE Dynamic and Autobiography specification, bringing the sporting character of coupé to the most versatile derivative. A new tailgate spoiler integrates a wider, slimmer high-level LED rear brake light and optional eye-catching new roof fins feature an integrated 3G antenna, for improved mobile phone signal.

With three new alloy wheel designs with two finishes and an extensive palette of exterior colours with available contrast roof designs, the possibilities for creating an Evoque to a customer’s individual specification are now almost endless.

Interior design

New seats and door casings combined with a redesigned instrument binnacle promote a sophisticated ambiance to the overall interior. New premium soft-touch materials create improved levels of quality with a broader specification range than ever before.

Standard models feature Taurus grained leather and powered eight-way adjustment while flagship models feature new unique-in-class front massage seats (optional) with 14-way electric adjustment. 

Owners can choose from up to 12 colourways – two of which are new (Lunar Ice and Vintage Tan) – while customer configurable  ambient interior lighting provides additional visual drama on the inside.

New engines

The new aluminium Ingenium diesel engine brings class-leading efficiency to the 2016 model year Range Rover Evoque, making it the most efficient production Land Rover ever. The new engines are manufactured at the company’s advanced new £500m Engine Manufacturing Centre in the West Midlands, UK.

The all-aluminium Ingenium TD4 engine, 20-30kg lighter than its predecessor with stiff cylinder blocks and decoupled injectors ensuring low levels of vibration and noise intrusion, is available in two power outputs: 150PS (eD4 2WD) offering fuel economy of up to 68mpg* (4.2 l/100km) and class-leading CO₂ emissions of 109g/km*, while the potent 180PS unit offers 59mpg* (4.8 l/100km) and CO₂ emissions from 125g/km*. The 150PS unit is 18% more fuel efficiency versus the Evoque’s previous diesel engines.

A range of advanced features have been applied to the Ingenium engines to ensure outstanding environmental performance, including variable valve timing and a series of low friction technologies. Selective catalytic reduction and a new low-pressure exhaust gas recirculation system significantly reduce NOx emissions.

Service intervals for the TD4 engine have been extended from 16,000 miles to 21,000 miles to reduce running costs on the new lightweight engines.

The 2016 model year Evoque is also offered with Land Rover’s existing advanced 240PS Si4 petrol engine. Delivering strong performance, Si4 derivatives can accelerate from 0-100km/h (0-62mph) in just 7.6 seconds and achieve a top speed of 217km/h (135mph), and return fuel economy of 36mpg* (7.8 l/100km) and CO₂emissions of 181g/km*.

Efficient Capability

The 2016 model year Range Rover Evoque will be the first Land Rover vehicle to be designated as an ‘E-Capability’ variant. The most efficient models will wear a blue ‘Evoque’ badge, applied to the eD4 109g/km (coupe) and 113g/km (five-door) front-wheel drive   derivatives, highlighting the status of Land Rover’s most efficient vehicles.

Advanced consumer-centric technology

The range of improvements engineered into the 2016 model year Range Rover Evoque includes a series of new convenience features, with an all-new eight-inch InControl^TM Touch touchscreen infotainment system providing a more intuitive experience.

InControl^TM Touch is fitted as standard equipment on SE Evoque models, featuring easy-to-navigate menus and allowing users to swipe between screens just like a smartphone. InControl^TM Apps allows owners to access many popular smartphone apps using the centrally-mounted touchscreen on the central console.

Additionally, the six-speaker stereo system can be upgraded to include SD-card based satellite navigation, with DAB radio featuring as standard across the range.

InControl^TM Touch Plus, standard on HSE Dynamic and Autobiography, can also be specified, comprising HDD-based navigation, a rear-seat entertainment system complete with a pair of eight-inch video screens and wireless digital headphones, and an 11- or 17-speaker Meridian audio system.

An innovative hands-free tailgate function also adds a new dimension to the convenience of Evoque ownership. It allows owners to automatically open and close the tailgate by waving a foot beneath the rear bumper, whilst not compromising security. The handy feature is even compatible with a tow bar and greatly improves access to the luggage space when returning to the vehicle with bags of shopping.

Class-leading capability

The 2016 model year Range Rover Evoque’s class-leading capability has been enhanced by the introduction of Land Rover’s innovative All-Terrain Progress Control (ATPC), first seen on the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport.

The stress-reducing technology maintains a pre-determined speed (selected using the cruise control function) in forward or reverse gears between 1.1mph and 19mph (1.8km/h to 30km/h), allowing the driver to concentrate on negotiating tricky terrain. ATPC makes Evoque’s class-leading off-road capability more accessible and enjoyable than ever.

Safety features

A range of innovative new features enhance 2016 model year Evoque’s comprehensive array of safety features. Lane-Keeping Assist uses the stereo digital camera to prevent unintended lane changes by monitoring road markings. If the vehicle begins to drift into an adjacent lane without the driver signalling beforehand, Lane-Keeping Assist applies a gentle steering correction to maintain its lane position.

Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) prevents or greatly reduces the severity of accidents in the event of the driver failing to take preventative action.

Using an advanced forward-facing stereo digital camera, the system can identify potential hazards ahead. If a collision risk is detected, the driver is alerted by visual and audible prompts and, if the driver fails to take evasive action, the system helps to avoid collisions below 32mph (50km/h), and reduces the severity of an impact at speeds below 50mph, (80km/h).

Attention Assist Estimation completes the trio of advanced new safety systems fitted to 2016 model year Evoque. It monitors steering inputs to detect when a driver is at risk of falling asleep at the wheel. Audible alarms and visual warnings signal when drowsiness is detected. 

Evoque: the most desirable luxury compact SUV

The 2016 model year Evoque’s trim levels have been realigned to match those of the Range Rover Sport so customers have the choice of three highly-desirable models: SE, HSE Dynamic and Autobiography.

More than 400,000 Evoques have been produced globally since its introduction in 2011 making the premium compact SUV the fastest-selling Land Rover of all time. Last year, 2014, marked the Evoque’s most successful year to date, with 125,364 global sales.

This sales success has been accompanied by critical acclaim, as Evoque has won more than 165 international awards since launch. The hugely successful model will also be the most efficient car in its class when deliveries begin in August 2015, in over 170 markets worldwide.

Specific pricing by market will be announced closer to launch. Indicative pricing for the 2016 model year Range Rover Evoque will be comparable with the current model.