RANGE ROVER EVOQUE HSE DYNAMIC
by Tony Yates
We all know that some consider the original Range Rover
to be the best 4x4 on the market and it has been this way
for many years – but as a motoring journalist - this does
cause me a bit of a problem every time I test a newer
version of these incredible machines – because, I always
end up writing the same final sentence that I did when I
tested the previous model – which is; ‘The Range Rover is
utterly brilliant in every single way’.
Now, I know you won’t all agree - because over the last few years, we
have been constantly banging on about saving the planet so much that
suddenly everybody is wanting something a little bit smaller and that
little bit more economical. So, for all of you who don’t want a full size
Range Rover, then you are in luck – because this month I’ve just tested the
Evoque HSE Dynamic.
Power and Efficiency
My test car was fitted with a brilliant 180HP - 2.0L TD4 diesel engine
and a 9-speed automatic transmission along with 430Nm of torque which
is more than enough grunt to pretty much pull anything that takes your
fancy. Fuel consumption is also good achieving around 49mpg. Flat out
you can expect to achieve a max speed of 121mph and a 0-62 time of
around 9.7sec. For those of you who are all about emissions – the Evoque
easily comes in at around 149g/km, which will also help you save a few
more pennies in road tax charges.
On & Off-Road
The Evoque does off-road brilliantly! No matter how rubbish you are on
the muddy stuff; it just keeps going. All you really have to do is arrive at
a boggy field – press a few buttons and off you go, it really is that simple.
It’s the same when you have the Evoque on the tarmac too. To be honest
though, I have no concept of what Low or High Range means or what
a diff lock actually does - and I certainly have no idea how any of this
works. What I know about off-road, you could write on a match head.
This of course is not uncommon, because I have one friend who has a
Range Rover and the other who has a Discovery - and both have about
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the same knowledge as me when it comes to off-road. One thing we all
do agree on though is that if you do buy a Range Rover or a Land Rover,
it will be brilliant.
On the road, the Evoque is a peach to drive, there is plenty of feedback
through the wheel, and with those 20” wheels - it’s glued firmly to the road
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