2015 Range Rover Evoque review, test drive

What is it?

The Range Rover Evoque may draw attention wherever it goes, but recently it’s been in the news for a different, albeit welcome reason. Land Rover (read: Tata) has just started assembling the Evoque in India and that has brought down the price of the five-door version of the SUV by around Rs 6.2 - 8.8 lakh depending the variant you opt for. To add further value, Land Rover has made a few former cost options now part of standard equipment. Satellite navigation and parking sensors have become standard across the range while the top Evoque Prestige sees the inclusion of rear entertainment screens and surround camera. Priced between Rs 48.73 - Rs 56.21 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai), the Evoque is still not the cheapest of luxury SUVs in this size, but the price is a lot more digestible now. Let’s not lose sight of the fact that this is not a very large SUV. Still, the Evoque’s cabin is more spacious than you’d expect and it’s beautifully appointed as well. There’s a feel of richness to everything in sight and the seats are comfortable too. If there’s something to complain about, it’s that the small-ish windows don’t offer that typical Range Rover-commanding view out. Oh, we also wish Range Rover had updated the infotainment system since it looks a touch outdated in today’s world of far higher-res systems.

As before, the Evoque comes powered by a transversally placed 188bhp, 2.2-litre diesel engine. However, since last year, Evoque’s has featured a ZF nine-speed automatic gearbox in place of the earlier six-speeder. The move to a nine-speed gearbox was prompted by the quest for lower emissions and better efficiency — both being factors which have a bearing on rate of tax in a few countries elsewhere in the world.