Even without adaptive dampers, even on 20in alloy wheels, and even carrying the extra mass that can corrupt the dynamic compromise of so many other PHEVs, the Range Rover Evoque P300e rides and handles like a polished, refined and really agreeable downsized luxury operator.
The manoeuvrability and urban agility that Land Rover claims for it are there to be appreciated too; this is a Range Rover that you can easily swing around within the confines of a typical B-road T-junction without resorting to a three-point turn, and it’s well capable of dashing neatly around a traffic island, or being threaded through a gap, when occasion calls for that. Out of town, there’s a level of dynamic verve and handling precision that’s half a cut above what most compact SUVs offer.
The car steers with plenty of dependable and consistent weight. There is a sensible rate of gain in the incisiveness of the rack as you add lock off-centre that lends a pleasing sense of bite to the handling around tighter bends but never takes you by surprise. It rolls a little as lateral load builds, but the car’s rate of roll only ever betrays the car’s weight through tighter S-bends. Due to the fairly supple way it’s set-up, the car needs slightly longer to settle onto its loaded side than some rivals, but had decent outright lateral grip levels even on slippery, chilly Tarmac thanks to the Pirelli Scorpion Zero tyres.
