Range Rover Evoque is an indication that the British 4WD maker understands the reality of the so-called soft-roader vehicle. For many years, Range Rover and its parent company, Land Rover, insisted on making only genuine 4WDs.
The burgeoning compact SUV or soft-roader market initially saw Land Rover moving down in size with the Freelander. But it retained the sort of off-road ability Land Rover owners deemed essential.
Land Rover then displayed a stunning-looking concept vehicle that eventually became the Range Rover Evoque.
Our road test vehicle was a four-door Evoque with a turbo-diesel engine and the newly introduced 2WD system.
Evoque’s 2WD was launched midway through 2012 as a lower-cost option for buyers who have no plans to take their little Range Rovers off-road.
The engineers have given the 2WD Evoque the same ground clearance as the 4WD, so it can tackle dirt tracks and the like. It also maintains the macho look desired by SUV buyers. The design and quality of in-cabin materials is impressive. Boot space is good.
The four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine in the Evoque we drove had decent performance without too much turbo lag.
Fuel consumption around town was impressively low at seven to nine litres per hundred kilometres.
Range Rover Evoque’s use of 2WD may anger some purists, but the 2WD option makes a lot of sense.
