If there is any car that I have been rooting for it’s, the Range Rover Evoque. When I saw it in 2009 as the LRT concept I knew that it was going to be a game changer and it was. What I also really liked is that they really didn’t change much with regards to the exterior of the car when it eventually came into production. We test drove the convertible version two years ago and now Range Rover is introducing the all-new Evoque to the people. When it comes to cars, looks are very important because no one goes out of their way to buy an ugly car. This is a beautiful car and yes, it looks like the baby Velar which personally I don’t really mind much.
The people of Jaguar Land Rover invited me to the Jaguar Land Rover Experience which is just outside of Lonehill, Johannesburg. When we got there we were introduced to some of the insights of the Range Rover Evoque user which were interesting; 70% of the people who own an Evoque don’t have children and about 76% of the people who bought the Evoque, it was their first Range Rover vehicle. Which makes sense because it’s the brand’s entry-level car. At the Jaguar Land Rover Experience, we got a chance to do a few activities which included going on top of a hill, crossing a river, driving down a steep hill and basically doing everything off-road with the car. The trick was we had to do it at night and with lights off, with only instructors as our guides, which was interesting and fun.
We then drove to the Capital Hotel in Sandton for dinner and to check in, this was my first time at the Capital Hotel. We had dinner at a Penthouse which costs about R16 Million and I understand why, the place is beautiful. The food was amazing and the presentation of everything was well thought out, we were given iPods to listen to some soothing music while we ate salmon. For some reason, the music made all the difference to the food as well. Eventually, after food and drinks, we had to call it a night.
In the morning we went for breakfast and got ready for the road tripping for the day; we were going to the North West. We picked the Range Rover Evoque P250 for the first drive and the only thing I don’t like is the gear of the new Evoque, I still prefer the old one that pops up out of nowhere. The new Evoque is still as beautiful as ever and also very similar to the Velar, but I understand that this is the new design language going forward and I am not mad at all. Besides the fact that 70% of Evoque’s owners are new to the brand and also they don’t have children is such an interesting insight that gives you an idea of the customer for this car. I love that they brought in the technology from the Velar to the Evoque and this will give those who can’t afford the Velar a similar experience. The drive was magnificent and soothing – obviously, the car catches everyone’s attention when you do your quick stops to take pictures.
I love what they have done with the car from the design, the two screens for the InControl Touch Pro Duo infotainment System and also there is a feature that you can use to see what is happening underneath your car as you drive slowly. After lunch, we switched cars and then we got an opportunity to get in the D180 which is the diesel version. This one had the massage option as well so you can imagine how my drive was in this car. Also, I prefer diesel cars because nowadays they don’t sound like diesel cars and they have nice options that accommodate your lifestyle. I passed by Mathopestad in Magaliesburg, this is where my grandmother and my mother are from – my grandmother is laid to rest there and we visit her gravesite as much as possible. The road that we were using was familiar to me and it gave me the opportunity to see what the new Evoque can do and from what I can tell this one version will be as much of a hit as the previous model. One other smart feature I like is the iPhone charger that comes with the car as well, I thought that was thoughtful of Range Rover in case you don’t have a charger.
Engine: 2,0-litre, 4-cylinder, turbodiesel
Power: 132 kW @ 2 400 r/min
Torque: 430 N.m @ 1 750 to 2 500 r/min
0-100 km/h: 9,3 seconds
Top Speed: 205 km/h
Fuel Consumption: 5,8 L/100 km
CO2: 153 g/km
Transmission: 9-spd automatic
Maintenance Plan: M5/100 000 km
New Range Rover Evoque pricing:
Range Rover Evoque 5 Door 2.0 D 132kW D180 R734300
Range Rover Evoque 5 Door 2.0 D 132kW D180 S R784300
Range Rover Evoque 5 Door 2.0 D 132kW D180 SE R843800
Range Rover Evoque 5 Door 2.0 D 132kW D180 R-Dynamic S R813000
Range Rover Evoque 5 Door 2.0 D 132kW D180 R-Dynamic SE R872500
Range Rover Evoque 5 Door 2.0 D 132kW D180 R-Dynamic HSE R920200
Range Rover Evoque 5 Door 2.0 D 132kW D180 First Edition R945900
Range Rover Evoque 5 Door 2.0 P 183kW P250 R776300
Range Rover Evoque 5 Door 2.0 P 183kW P250 S R826300
Range Rover Evoque 5 Door 2.0 P 183kW P250 SE R885800
Range Rover Evoque 5 Door 2.0 P 183kW P250 R-Dynamic S R855000
Range Rover Evoque 5 Door 2.0 P 183kW P250 R-Dynamic SE R914500
Range Rover Evoque 5 Door 2.0 P 183kW P250 R-Dynamic HSE R962300
Range Rover Evoque 5 Door 2.0 P 183kW P250 First Edition R987900