Launching the Range Rover Evoque in 2011 put Land Rover ahead of the curve, because this premium compact SUV now finds itself competing with countless rivals.
As I've mentioned before, the Evoque needs a new generation to keep pace, but it's faring well given its age (seven years for the Mk2).There are several obvious competitors from BMW, Audi et al, but arguably the most notable entrants over the past couple of years have come from China.
One such car is Chery's Jaecoo 7, which colleague Alastair Clements is currently running. It's particularly relevant here, because plenty say its looks are somewhat Evoque-inspired.
The 7 is already a common sight on UK roads, which is a significant development for an early model from a new brand. Alastair and I brought the two cars together to ponder how they sit alongside each other.
RB I quite like my Evoque's styling, but the Jaecoo has something of JLR about it which might not be a surprise in light of the various Chinese copycat controversies over the past decade or so. What do you think of the Jaecoo's design?
AC My daughter called it a Shein Range Rover when it landed, and there is no doubt that there is a very clear inspiration from JLR. To me it blends all three of the Range Rover products into a surprisingly cohesive whole.
I can totally see why people are seduced by it particularly when you consider that my car is more than £10k cheaper than the entry-level Evoque, and if you loaded the Range Rover to a similar level the difference would be £20k-plus.
RB That's a great reference point from your daughter. It's interesting looking at them side by side. Some of the Jaecoo's elements clearly are very closely aligned to the Evoque for example, the steering wheel design, door handles and sweeping rear window lines. But the Jaecoo is clearly bigger and feels more spacious inside.
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Not a high bar I admit as Evoques are notoriously unreliable.
You forget the warranty and the reliability of these. I've had 3 Land Rovers, one being a Velar, and 2 Evoques. All cost a fortune in repairs. Never again. Got a Omoda 9 with long manufactures warranty (from same company that produces the Jaecoo), stress free driving. JLR I'm done with.
The Jaecoo is NOT 25k cheaper!!, why not pick the Jaecoo with the most expensive engine and compare it with the cheapest engine'd Evoke.
The difference is 11k'ish and you'd probably get most of that back come resale in 4 years, oh and you'd actually enjoy driving the Evoke far more in that time which is what spending 44k on a new car is often about. Just read the reviews if you don't believe me.
And don't forget the Jaecoo will be way more reliable so that's another glaring difference.