On the face of it, the new Evoque from Range Rover looks…..well, pretty much like the last one. Actually there are a lot of discreet visual clues which to the expert eye reveal this 2016 version as the latest of Land Rover’s fastest-selling vehicle ever, with global sales heading for half a million in only six years of production.
The most distinctive on the test car were the double fins atop the rear spoiler – a first on the new Evoque. It’s not just styling. One is for the satnav and the other is an integrated 3G antenna, for improved mobile phone signal and wifi. Apparently they had originally considered incorporating all the technical stuff in just one big fin but it would have looked ridiculous and so the twin design was adopted and I think they made the right decision.
But look closely and there are quite a few other subtle design tweaks, while maintaining the now classic Evoque profile.
At the front end, there are full LED adaptive headlamps, the first Jaguar/Land Rover to have them fitted. Not only do they give great visibility at night but also help contribute to the overall style of the vehicle.
The indicators are now integrated into the LED daytime-running lights which sweep across the full width of the light clusters. They don’t just look good and work brilliantly, they’re energy efficient and reduce the demand on the electrical system.
There are also slimline LED foglamps and although an owner would hope it wouldn’t be needed, a wider tow-eye cover is part of the new front bumper design. Enlarged air intakes and two new grille designs make their appearance in the 2016 model. The standard grille has two horizontal bars and a mesh grille pattern. Dynamic models have a hexagonal design, and a more prominent mesh area.
Bonnet vents which in the past were fitted only to coupé models are now on five-door HSE Dynamic and Autobiography models.
The new tailgate spoiler has been trimmed down a bit with a wider and slimmer high-level LED rear brake light alongside the twin fins.
There are five new wheel designs giving a total of 16 alloy choices and two new colours making no fewer than 14 paint options.
But these are just the obvious changes with the new Evoque. Under the surface there’s been a lot going on.
Most significant is the appearance for the first time in a Land Rover of the advanced new four cylinder Ingenium diesel engine which is being brought out across Jaguar/Land Rover’s range.
The all-aluminium advanced engine, which is designed, engineered and manufactured in the UK, is a superb unit with a class-leading combination of performance, refinement and efficiency. It’s up to 30 kgs lighter than the previous engine and power goes up to 180PS, as in the test car, with fuel economy of up to 68mpg and depending on the version, CO2 emissions as low as 109g/km. It makes the Evoque the most efficient Land Rover ever produced and certainly brings to an end the myth of 4x4s being dirty gas guzzling urban tractors.
There’s also the option of the existing advanced 240PS Si4 petrol engine, which can send the vehicle to 62mph in just 7.6 seconds but still return fuel economy of 36mpg.
The most efficient models will wear a blue ‘Evoque’ badge, applied to the eD4 109g/km coupe and 113g/km five-door front-wheel drive derivatives.
One other benefit is that service intervals have been increased to 21,000 miles up from 16,000 which along with some of the best residual values mean the lower running costs will bring savings of around £3,800 over three years. For business users there’s a 5% saving in Benefit in Kind which makes the new Evoque 18% more efficient than the original version.
Inside, there have been just small changes alongside new grained leather powered seats which are standard from the base model upwards and in the top range versions, they come with a massage function. There are new door casings, a redesigned instrument binnacle and a bit of drama at night from configurable ambient lighting.
There’s a new eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system fitted as standard equipment on SE models, featuring menus which can be swiped between screens like a smartphone.
The six-speaker stereo system can be upgraded to include SD-card based satellite navigation, with DAB radio standard across the range.
They’re not the first with it, but Land Rover are very pleased with their hands-free tailgate function which allows owners to automatically open and close the tailgate by waving a foot beneath the rear bumper…..especially handy when returning to the vehicle with hands laden with bags of shopping.
There are also three new safety systems fitted to the latest Evoque.
Lane-Keeping Assist uses the stereo digital camera to prevent unintended lane changes by monitoring road markings. If the vehicle begins to drift into an adjacent lane without the driver signalling beforehand, Lane-Keeping Assist corrects the steering to maintain its lane position.
Autonomous Emergency Braking prevents or greatly reduces the severity of accidents in the event of the driver failing to take preventative action.
Using an advanced forward-facing stereo digital camera, the system can identify potential hazards ahead. If a collision risk is detected, the driver gets visual and sound prompts and, if they fail to take action, the system helps to avoid collisions below 32mph and reduces the severity of an impact at speeds below 50mph.
The third is Attention Assist Estimation which monitors the steering to detect when a driver is at risk of falling asleep at the wheel. Alarms and warnings alert the driver for the signs of drowsiness.
The Evoque has always been considered one of the ‘softer’ offroaders but the latest model is remarkably tough. I took it over some demanding terrain and it never faltered, even with often only three wheels – and sometimes just two – on terra firma.
The All-Terrain Progress Control which was first seen on the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport is now on the Evoque too. It maintains the vehicle at a pre-determined speed using the cruise control in forward or reverse gears between a slow crawl and 19mph, allowing the driver to concentrate on negotiating tricky terrain. The test car also had the depth display which shows how far water is creeping up the bodywork when wading through a river or pond.
Without doubt the Evoque has been a huge success and buyers seem happy to pay what is a pretty hefty price tag. One in three of all Land Rovers sold now is an Evoque, dwarfing the rest of the brand, including Range Rover, Discovery and Defender and outselling by miles, the entire Jaguar line-up.
It’s sold in more than 180 countries, but the UK is still its biggest market with more than 120,000 on our roads.
Over its short life it has picked up no fewer than 165 awards and has helped create more than 3,000 jobs within Land Rover. The company struggles to keep up with worldwide orders and the biggest complaint I hear is the waiting time for delivery. With this latest version, I can’t see that demand reducing in any way.
CAR: Range Rover Evoque HSE Dynamic 2.0 Td4 AWD auto
PRICE: £47,800
ENGINE: 1998cc Ingenium 4 common rail diesel 9 speed auto
POWER: 180PS
TORQUE: 430 Nm
PERFORMANCE: Top speed 121 mph  0-62 mph 9 secs
CONSUMPTION: 55mpg
CO2: 134 g/km
TT Rating:Â 
