Range Rover Evoque 2016 Review

2016 Range Rover Evoque Si4 HSE Dynamic
Road Test

The new top-of-the-line Range Rover Evoque HSE Dynamic has a lot of everything going on. Stunning looking, with a polished interior, the Evoque epitomises luxury SUV ownership but with new entrants in the medium luxury SUV segment including the tech-laden Mercedes-Benz GLC, can it maintain its appeal in the face of growing competition?

Range Rover has updated its stylish Evoque luxury medium SUV range for the 2016 model year with four trim levels that align with the Range Rover Sport line up.

Starting from $51,995 for the entry level eD4 PURE six-speed manual transmission to $80,605 for the Si4 HSE Dynamic with nine-speed automatic transmission, and in choice of five-door or three-door body styles, the Evoque offers in-vogue motoring whether your budget is high-street or high-fashion.

We’ve been test driving the range-topping five-door Si4 HSE Dynamic model, which has a good level of standard equipment, but with $19,000 added options, you’re going to need to stretch that budget to $99,055 to get behind this fine leather steering wheel.
Standard technology for the HSE Dynamic variant includes an 11-speaker, 380W surround-sound system with touch screen and voice control, head up display, HDD premium navigation, keyless entry and gesture tailgate, lane departure warning with autonomous emergency braking, front and rear parking sensors and rear camera including hitching guidance.

The test vehicle adds a $4400 front seat entertainment pack, featuring 17 speakers including sub-woofer, CD and DVD player, digital television and wireless headphones. It offers good quality audio playback through selectable Dolby or Meridian surround sound, but the 20cm touchscreen operation is not quite as user-friendly as the dial operation of the Mercedes-Benz COMAND or BMW’s ConnectedDrive systems.

Design-wise the Evoque has everything going for it and it’s all well-executed. The five-door HSE Dynamic now features sporty bonnet vents previously only available on the coupe model, and as standard fitment includes a 19-inch split-spoke style alloy wheel, power-fold exterior mirrors with puddle lamp and funky projected Evoque graphic in the dark, and xenon headlamps with the Evoque’s signature LED lighting.

The stylish details continue inside with tread plates that illuminate “RANGE ROVER” as well as configurable mood-lighting. The Evoque features a beautifully finished cabin with console and seats trimmed in black leather.

The options list has also had a work out here with full Oxford leather interior at a $1920 option cost and extended leather pack at a further $1920. A panoramic, non-opening sunroof adds a further $1800 to the purchase price.

The interior offers spacious accommodation both front and rear, with plenty of storage options. We found good legroom in the rear seat and were surprised with the amount of head room for adult passengers, given the compact exterior styling of the Evoque’s rear end.

Boot capacity at 575 litres is adequate and easily accessible via the gesture tailgate, however the high beltline of the car and smaller rear windows compared to more traditionally styled SUVs, compromises travel space for pooches.

Range Rover upped the ante still further when specifying our test vehicle, adding a knock-out $4650, Black Pack which includes an upgrade to 20-inch wheels finished in satin black. The Firenze Red body colour is the pick of the colour palette and was well complemented by the Santorini black contrast roof – a further $920 option.

Resplendent in its many styling options, Evoque certainly cuts a mean figure on city streets but with those larger wheels and super skinny 245/45/20 Continental Cross Contact tyres, that’s probably where it’s destined to hang out most, as they’re not the kind of rims you’d want to punish by venturing too far off the beaten track.

Nor is the wheel and tyre package the optimum choice for dynamic driving. The Evoque’s suspension tune is already on the stiffer side and combined with the large wheel and thin side wall of the tyre, the ride doesn’t feel particularly compliant on country roads or under cornering.

Even with the $1850 optional adaptive dynamics package, the Evoque is not as assured into corners as some of its luxury SUV rivals or its sister SUV, the Land Rover Discovery Sport which I’ve driven, and enjoyed, on a smaller tyre and rim package.

The Si4 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine produces 177kW and 340Nm yet the Evoque seems a little slow off the mark, hampered somewhat by turbo lag and a hesitant gearbox.

However at higher speeds there’s plenty of available power and it fair romps along.
Unfortunately, the nine-speed auto is not optimised for Australian road speeds, and during regular cruising has a tendency to hunt for gears. Shifting the gearbox dial into Sport mode improves the drive immensely, the paddles doing their bit to give a more engaging experience.

One of the prime reasons for the appearance of more cogs in automatic transmissions is to deliver an improved fuel economy figure. In the case of the Evoque, we didn’t see such a strong result, in fact over 730km of combined urban and rural roads, we returned just 10.6L/100km. That’s a fair way off the claimed fuel economy of 7.8L/100km.

As the 2.0-litre petrol engine carries a price differential of $3610 more than the HSE Dynamic model featuring the new Ingenium TD4 turbo-diesel, I’d be considering the new diesel powerplant to make savings at the bowser.

While the new engine generates less power at 132kW, it officially sips just 4.8 litres per 100km making it worth serious consideration to maximise your fuel budget.

But if you’re in the market for a $99,000 SUV, perhaps fuel economy isn’t a huge factor in your decision making process.

If design is more of a driver for you, then the Evoque HSE Dynamic is a winner. Attention to detail is magnificent and the finishes are largely superb, one notable exception being a persistent and jarring squeak from the rear seat latch, which I’m sure was easily-remedied once returned to the dealer.

Features-wise you’re getting a reasonable amount of kit for the price, including driver assist technology such as forward collision alert and autonomous emergency braking but adding lane-keeping assist is a further option which would take the sale price of this Evoque to over $100,000. That’s technology which competitors such as Mercedes-Benz are now including as standard at a much more affordable price point.

If you’re cross-shopping premium SUVs at the moment then the stylish Evoque is well worth a look – it’s definitely the sharpest dressed luxury model in its segment. But if you’re intending to traverse more than the traffic-laden tracks of Toorak, it’s best to avoid ticking the box for the 20-inch wheels.

As the best fashionistas say less can most definitely be more.

2016 Range Rover Evoque Si4 HSE Dynamic pricing and specifications:
Price: $99,055 as tested (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 177kW/340Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic with paddle shift and sport mode
Fuel: 7.8L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 181g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP

Also consider:
>> Mercedes-Benz GLC 250 (from $67,900 plus ORCs)
>> Porsche Macan S 95b (from $93,100 plus ORCs)
>> BMW X4 xDrive35d (from $89,900 plus ORCs)