The Evoque formula seems so obvious now: make a car that has all the desirability of a Range Rover, with a beautiful interior and the styling turned up to 11, yet at a more affordable price.
It wasn’t so clear-cut at the start, given that the concept version was called Land Rover LRX. But, now that it has arrived, it all makes sense. The Evoque – offered in five-door form or, as tested here, a three-door whose looks befit its coupé tag – is an SUV right at the premium end of the compact 4x4 market.
It is powered by turbocharged four-cylinder engines and, at the bottom of the range, runs with a price of just under £30k. The meat of it will be closer to £40k, as represented by our diesel test car before you start adding options. That buys a prestige coupé with a 187bhp 2.2-litre turbodiesel, mated to an auto gearbox driving all four wheels.
Front drive is an option. So, too, are manual gearboxes, a petrol engine, one trim level lower and one higher than our test car, and a host of other trim, styling and refinement features aching to take an Evoque towards £50k. To find out if it is worth that – or any – kind of money is our purpose today.
