Motoring review: Ranger Rover Evoque

The smallest of the Range Rovers is a delight to drive, writes Frederic Manby

On the one hand, the Evoque could be seen as a Range Rover version of the Land Rover Freelander. On the other hand, little attracts the attention the Evoque currently enjoys. It is almost a sensation.

No other British vehicle has had the kerfuffle of pre-launch puffery bestowed by Land Rover on the Evoque. This is the smallest car to carry the precious Range Rover badge. It is the first Range Rover to be offered with just front-wheel drive – and by far the most economical on paper, with the front-wheel-drive model rated at less than 130g/km of carbon dioxide. It weighs 75kg less than the 4x4 model.

Mine was the 4x4. I drove it into the English Midlands on motorways, I drove it in the northern hills on byways and I went logging up a cart track, and couldn’t fault anything it did. Almost: the bulky door mirrors combine with the roof pillars to cut visibility at intersections.

The ride comfort is remarkably good, with no serious intrusion from the familiar ridges and potholes. It handles curves without much body roll and sticks on the road valiantly if you persist at hard cornering.

My demo car was the Dynamic, with the more powerful of the two diesel options, and sells at £37,380 – which for me is an ouch, ouch moment, but the money is out there and the Evoque is being produced at full tilt.

It was fitted with the £4,325 LUX pack. This includes a full-length fixed glass roof and an 8in touchscreen for the navigation and TV – the latter can be watched by the passenger on a split screen which does not distract the driver. There was a surround-view camera with parking guidance, blind-spot warning, keyless entry and better audio and climate control.

You can have automatic gears, but mine had the six-speed manual gearbox. The official fuel consumption figures range from 42mpg in town to 54mpg out of it. The highest mpg I saw on the trip computer was around 38 to 42mpg on the motorway. The nipping here and there stuff, or the 30-mile typical commuter journey on flattish roads was around 10mpg lower. I do not imagine the typical owner will be bothered about running costs, but these figures are disappointing.

Ecological concern has long been voiced and practised by Land Rover, but green thinking is not something that comes to mind regarding Range Rover owners. They are, almost by definition, wealthy, unconcerned with fuel economy, willing to overtake everything in sight and happy to use a massive 4x4 for shopping or the school run. Some of them even drive off-road.

Evoque is a new face-saver. It is built in the suburbs of Liverpool, alongside the Land Rover Freelander, with which it shares some underpinnings. Freelander is a more functional shape than the Evoque and costs much less money – the last affordable Land Rover.

Verdict: I prefer the Freelander’s less fussy shape and its honest functionality but there is no doubt that the Evoque is a much slicker, smoother, quieter ride.