Since entering the market for the first time in 2011, the Range Rover Evoque has been elevated to an icon of luxury SUVs, especially among female drivers.
If you think about it, the Evoque can be likened to a designer handbag. It is beautiful and attention-grabbing but there’s more than meets the eyes – it is also practical and versatile.
The Evoque is now in its second generation with better chassis, design, and technology. The facelift version launched in Malaysia earlier this year brings forth sharper looks and a minimalist cabin space.
In other words, Land Rover has made the Evoque a more tempting proposition than before but the compact SUV does have some drawbacks, somewhat spoiling its reputation:
Tight cabin space
The Evoque is a compact-sized SUV, evident in its relatively small interior space, particularly in the back. There’s enough room for two adult passengers in the rear, but it will start to feel a little cramped should another passenger decide to hop in.
As for the boot space, 591 litres may sound ample but for some reason, it doesn’t feel as spacious. Clearly, this is not meant for those with large families.
Inferior infotainment system
Apart from the more minimalist interior design, the most recent revision gave the Evoque a new 11.4-inch curved touchscreen.
It provides users access to the Pivi Pro infotainment system, which looks quite aesthetically pleasing, but fails to impress when it comes to speed and smoothness. Fair to say it’s not as remarkable as what the Germans offer.
Additionally, users control the temperature and fan speed of the air conditioning system through the touchscreen and only the touchscreen. This is how you cause driver distraction.
Somewhat lethargic engine
The beating heart of the Evoque is the Ingenium 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel-drive system.
The engine generates 249 PS at 5,500 rpm and 365 Nm of torque from 1,300 to 4,500 rpm – neither impressive nor disappointing but the powertrain could use a lot more vigour especially when accelerating. Its reluctance to show urgency often leads to aggressive inputs on the accelerator pedal.
Fuel efficiency
With a rather aggressive driving style, the Ingenium mill unsurprisingly shows a relatively high fuel consumption rate for both city and highway use.
Throughout several days of driving, this writer could only achieve readings around 10.3 to 10.5 litres per 100 km. That’s quite high but it should be kept in mind that the Evoque weighs around 1.8 tons and has an AWD system.
