The Business Exchange Swindon & Wiltshire Edition 41: Feb/March 2019 | Page 34
REVVED UP
First look at the new Range Rover Evoque
NEW EVOQUE
The highly regarded original luxury compact
SUV has, say the company, got even better
and at first look they may well be right.
Now more sophisticated by design, this
car resembles more closely its bigger
Range Rover sibling. For both the city and
the country, the new Evoque in its various
versions will offer the efficient, four-cylinder
‘Ingenium’ petrol and diesel engines plus a
choice of hybrid-electric engines. As before,
drive will be either two or four-wheel drive,
depending upon need.
The mild hybrid delivers lower CO²
emissions and fuel economy from 50.4 mpg,
we learn. An even more efficient plug-in
hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) model and a
three-cylinder petrol Ingenium engine will
also join the range in 2019.
Every bit as capable as the Range Rover
itself, the compact SUV combines all-terrain
capability with all-weather assurance. The
new car features all-wheel drive, as well
as a second-generation ‘Active Driveline’
with Driveline Disconnect (at speeds below
11mph when the driver applies the brakes) to
enhance fuel efficiency. Adaptive Dynamics
deliver the optimum balance of comfort and
agility. Terrain Response 2, once only found
on the full-size Range Rover, automatically
detects the surface being driven on and
adjusts the set-up accordingly. Evoque can
now wade through water up to 600mm deep.
ON THE INSIDE
This new model is a Range Rover at
heart so the interior design integrates
uncluttered surfaces and simple lines with
carefully selected materials to create a
luxurious and surprisingly minimalist and
very digital cabin. As is to be expected for
The Evoque from Land Rover could be said to be the first SUV
of its type to drag the mud-plugger of old into the modern
world of mainstream motoring. It is one of the brand’s best
sellers and deservedly so, but times move on and the new
model Evoque has now made a first public appearance.
a prestige vehicle the cabin is designed to
ensure comfort for all occupants with the
benefit of advanced technologies like a
twin-touchscreen ‘Touch Pro Duo’ system,
featuring new, faster software, 16-way
seat controls and, interestingly, cabin air
ionisation that complements the increased
interior space.
THE TECHNOLOGY
Technology, as mentioned, is to the fore.
The Evoque jumps into the digital age with
a sector-first ‘ClearSight rear-view mirror’
that transforms into an HD video screen. If
rear visibility is compromised by passengers
or bulky items, the driver simply flicks
a switch on the underside of the mirror
and a camera feed from the top of the car
displays what is behind the vehicle in crisp
high definition. At a guess, it seems likely
that this will swiftly end up as the default
position. The screen provides a wider (50º)
field of vision and superior visibility in low
light.
The latest Range Rover Evoque is also
the first in the world to feature Ground
View technology, which effectively makes
the bonnet invisible by projecting camera
imagery onto the upper touchscreen to show
the driver an 180-degree view under the front
of the vehicle. This is useful when negotiating
difficult parking spaces, navigating high
city centre kerbs or tackling rough terrain.
This remarkable advance is a realisation of
the ‘Transparent Bonnet’ technology first
previewed by Land Rover in 2014, apparently.
We’ll be driving this car at the first
opportunity but buyers can inevitably expect
a wait for the early deliveries.
Written by Geoff Maxted
www.drivewrite.co.uk
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THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2019
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