2014 Range Rover Evoque - Photos by Jeremy Cliff

2014 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque

Half the Range Rover for half the price.

By: Andrew Krok

Web2Carz Contributing Writer

Published: July 17th, 2014

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You've likely seen several Range Rover Evoques parked at the mall, or at the grocery store, or maybe even on a rock pile or two. However, aside from knowing that 20 percent of the Spice Girls really like the Evoque, do you know what makes it such a good purchase? Does anybody know?

Well, there are quite a few reasons why the standard Range Rover's squat little brother is catching on like gangbusters. It's an attractive package. It's actually capable of going off road. Furthermore, it's rocking a decently-efficient four-cylinder engine.

Those are all good reasons, but most importantly, buying an Evoque allows you to own something with a Range Rover badge on the hood. Consider it starts at $41,100 - that's roughly half the amount of money you'd need to buy the Big-Gulp Range. Talk about a value buy! However, do you actually get the Range Rover experience at this price point?

Interior

The first thing you'll notice is that it feels (and looks) a little cramped. It is. Most of that is perceived in the visual alone, due to a high belt line - the body line where the door ends and the window begins. There's actually plenty of space to sit, with headroom for six-foot-tall occupants, and it will seat three adults in the rear, albeit with a little shoulder-touching. However, there's significantly less room for cargo, thanks to the vehicle's small-ish dimensions. Even with the rear seats folded, this isn't going to be the best crossover to use when moving.

One way to reduce the cramped nature of the interior is to opt for the panoramic glass roof. It's fixed, but it's absolutely massive, and it adds some much-needed openness.

The dashboard is similar to the big-boy Range Rover's dash, and if you're familiar with any other late-model Land Rover or Jaguar, you'll recognize the rotary shift knob and infotainment system immediately. Much like the big Rover, though, the interior feels nice and luxurious. It's a place you don't mind spending time.
Exterior

The look will grow on you. When you see the Evoque on paper, it's got the shaping of a piece of high-tech military equipment, and so you think it would be rather large. (Given the size of the regular Range, we don't blame you.) However, in person, it's positively diminutive. It's short - in both length and height - and it's not terribly wide, either. That said, the low belt line we mentioned earlier gives it a good deal of aggression. It's a much more polarizing look than, say, an Audi Q5, which is more or less an egg on wheels.
On the Road

Let's be honest - most Range Rover Evoques won't ever see a mountain, or a stream, or even a picture of a gravel road. Instead, they'll be used as transportation to and from work, shopping, and extracurriculars. In this microcosm, the Evoque is in line with many other crossovers, like the BMW X3 and the Audi Q5. Its suspension does a good job of soaking up bumps and potholes, the body does a good job of isolating the passengers from wind noise, and given its small size, it's super easy to maneuver and park.

The turbocharged four-cylinder is torquey and willing to display its powerband like an overconfident peacock. Paired with the ZF-sourced nine-speed transmission (the same that's in Chrysler's 200 and Jeep's Cherokee), it's a good match for the road. The transmission can take a little bit of time to figure out what it wants to do, but on the whole, the programming is leagues ahead of Chrysler's efforts.
Off the Road

Let's be honest - most Range Rover Evoques won't ever see a mountain, or a stream, or even a picture of a gravel road. Instead, they'll be used as transportation to and from work, shopping, and extracurriculars. In this microcosm, the Evoque is in line with many other crossovers, like the BMW X3 and the Audi Q5. Its suspension does a good job of soaking up bumps and potholes, the body does a good job of isolating the passengers from wind noise, and given its small size, it's super easy to maneuver and park.

The turbocharged four-cylinder is torquey and willing to display its powerband like an overconfident peacock. Paired with the ZF-sourced nine-speed transmission (the same that's in Chrysler's 200 and Jeep's Cherokee), it's a good match for the road. The transmission can take a little bit of time to figure out what it wants to do, but on the whole, the programming is leagues ahead of Chrysler's efforts.
Final Thoughts

Of course, British cars are occasionally interested in acting like stereotypical British cars, and our Evoque tester did exactly that. On every third-or-so jaunt in reverse (leaving garages, parking spots, etc.), the infotainment system would shut down completely and take about 10 or 15 seconds to restart. In that time, there's no backup camera and no beeping from the parking sensors. We tried to find a specific way in which this problem could be triggered, but alas, it seems an entirely random issue. Odd, right?

Aside from that, the car exhibited very few negative traits. It's easier than one might think to undercut the fuel-economy estimates, but otherwise, it's a properly-capable small crossover. Is it worthy of the Range Rover badge? Yes, but only when you acknowledge that with half the MSRP, you're only going to get half the experience. Once you move past that, though, it's damn good for its size, and it gives the competition a run for its money.
Specs & Price

Engine: 2.0-liter, direct-injected, turbocharged inline-four

Transmission: Nine-speed automatic

Drivetrain Layout: Front-engine, all-wheel drive

Power Output: 240 hp / 250 lb-ft

Fuel Economy (mpg): 21 city / 30 highway

Base Price: $41,100

As Tested: $57,590

Available Features:

Pure Plus Package: Power leather seats with memory, fixed panoramic glass roof with power sun blind, front fog lights, headlight washers, power tailgate

Climate Comfort Package: Heated front and rear seats, electric-heated front windshield, heated steering wheel, heated windshield-washer jet

Pure Premium Package: Pure Plus Package, plus blind-spot monitoring, 360-degree exterior cameras, adaptive front headlights, navigation, 825-watt 17-speaker Meridian surround-sound system

Prestige Package: Pure Premium Package, plus Climate Comfort Package, plus Oxford leather-wrapped interior, parallel-parking assist, satellite radio, alternate interior-design themes, premium carpet floor mats, ventilated front seats

Dynamic Package: Climate Comfort Package, plus larger alloy wheels, adaptive dynamic vehicle settings, sport exhaust tips, sport-themed interior and exterior accoutrements

Individual Options: Adaptive cruise control with forward alert and semi-autonomous braking