Range Rover Evoque Si4 - Sports car
As for the appearance, Evoque (Icon Wheels test here) is one of the most beautiful cars of 2011. The high belt, sloping headlights and sloping roof are all legacy of the concept and even if the idea Range Rover Coupe it seemed strange when Land Rover introduced the LRX concept in 2009, now it feels completely natural.
What makes it special and why we love to drive it is that Land Rover went to great lengths to create the Evoque. attractive not only for the viewer. With her, the skilful hands of the Jaguar Land Rover design team (including Mike Cross) tried to bridge the gap between small four-wheel drive cars like the Freelander (on which the Evoque is based in part) and compact sports cars like the Audi TT. and Mini.
After spending all morning walking around the Cotswolds with this Si4 four-wheel drive from 241 CVThe Evoque sounded very fast and completely at ease on these roads. It responds gently to initial steering commands, follows clean and precise trajectories and stays connected to the road at all times. She is tense, reserved and agile. The bumps in the middle of the curve don't shake her in the least, and she never loses control.
The Evoque is even more fun when the streets get narrower and more winding. Change direction instantly and with ContiCrossContact it also has good grip. The steering (electric rather than hydraulic) is a little slow due to the small angles, but this feeling that lasts for a while actually harmonizes perfectly with the Evoque's character and the response of the tires and frame.
If you drive the Evoque in the style of a sports compact car, you'll soon discover the limits of the front tires, especially due to its large 55 shoulders.ESP it never fully disengages - you can feel it squeezing the little brakes if you corner the car too aggressively - but you can eliminate understeer on corner entry by taking your foot off the gas pedal at just the right moment without alerting the stabilization system too much . At low speed, the Evoque is poised and interesting, but impressive even when you pick up the pace a bit. Its weight, along with its center of gravity and tires, reminds you that you are not in a sports compact car, but in a car. SUV slender and rough.
The car we're testing doesn't have MagneRide's optional adaptive dampers, but from what Barker told us - who tested them - they make the Evoque more convincing and fun to drive to the limit. Even the tires do their job: with better performance tires (we saw a sample with 245/45 20 Michelin in the press park), the Range Rover takes good care of even the toughest roads.
The Motor 2 liter turbo petrol (one of the new Ecoboost) is always ready and cool in all modes. It doesn't have much character, it's true, but it is fluid and efficient. In addition, he is quite clean, with his 199 g / km... Good performance: yes 0-100 is 7,6 seconds и maximum speed di 217 km / h... It's certainly lively enough to put more overtly sports cars in trouble.
This top-end petrol version has an automatic transmission and is paired. In D, the changes are smooth and fast enough. In the S, on the other hand, the Evoque is more aggressive, even if a little out of breath, so if you want a sportier ride it's better to use the paddle shifters behind the wheel.
Defects? Well, given the audience the Evoque is targeting, very few. With sloping roofline and letterbox-sized rear window la rear visibility It's certainly not the best option, especially when you need to park, but a parking assist system with a combination of sensors and an optional rearview camera makes all the difference. There's plenty of trunk and space for rear passengers, and folding the front seats isn't easy. If you plan to go around 3 or 4, then we recommend five doors.
At the level qualitative The Evoque is great. However, this does not justify price: 40.551 euro for a top-end coupe like the one we tested, there aren't many. Not because the Evoque isn't worth it, but because you can buy a better performance car for the same price. Probably not suitable for the Evoque audience though.
The Evoque will not be strictly an EVO car, but you have to hand over to Cesare what belongs to Cesare: Land Rover has done a great job. It is an original and stylish car that defies convention in appearance and driving. The impeccable performance and precision with which it was designed and manufactured make the idea of a small, fast, sporty and overall charming Range Rover a reality. This opens up a whole new world of possibilities for the Land Rover brand. I'm the only one who thinks the Evoque will be good at WRC?
