Range Rover Evoque facelift review, test drive

The smallest and most affordable Range Rover gets a cosmetic upgrade, but little else.

Published on Jan 04, 2016 07:30:00 AM

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Range Rover Evoque facelift review, test drive

Make : Land Rover

Model : Range Rover Evoque

What is it?

Land Rover took the wraps off the facelifted Range Rover Evoque in February 2015 at the Geneva Motor Show, so you can imagine our disappointment in March 2015 when the ‘updated’ car launched in India wasn’t this one. That was a locally assembled version of the old car, with the new nine-speed automatic gearbox and a bit more standard equipment. Now, however, just eight months on, the ‘proper’ Evoque facelift has been launched.

Trouble is, since so many updates were added to the previous car, nothing substantial has been added this time around. The obvious change is the look, which has been brought in line with the bigger Range Rovers, and consequently, now looks a little more different from the lesser Discovery line of SUVs. You’ll find RR’s new signature W-shaped LED running lights, a glossy black grille and a front bumper with two massive faux air intakes, similar to the functional ones on the powerful Range Rover Sport SVR. The rear has a more aggressive looking diffuser and a new design for the tail-lamps. And finally, a new design for the 18-inch alloy wheels on top-spec cars and this fetching new Phoenix Orange paint shade round off the visual changes.

What’s it like on the inside?

Absolutely nothing has been changed on the inside, save for the introduction of new upholstery colour options. But don’t fix what isn’t broken, right? The soft-touch, textured leather surfaces is just sublime, and though some of the plastics could be a little more substantial, the overall sensation of luxury combined with robustness, as with any Range Rover, is abundant here too. All the great equipment from before returns too, with 360-degree cameras, ambient lighting, a heads-up display and an exemplary 825-watt, 17-speaker Meridian sound system, but nothing new. Interestingly, while the home screen of the touchscreen infotainment system resembles JLR’s new ‘InControl’ interface, it’s merely a skin, under which lies the clunky interface from before. The model range is now split into four variants rather than three, with the base Pure trim now costing a little less than before.