Range Rover Evoque 2012 first drive

The Range Rover Evoque evokes a new feeling for Land Rover, as they meet this need with the lightest and most fuel-efficient Range Rover ever produced. In a class where standout features sell vehicles, Range Rover Evoque delivers. Land Rover’s goal of reeling in German sedan buyers doesn’t seem quite so far-fetched after all. Although the Evoque was finished after Land Rover was sold to India’s Tata, plenty of ties to former owner Ford remain.

Performance is brisk, owing heavily to the Evoque’s trim proportions. Stretching 17 inches shorter overall and standing 18 inches closer to the ground than the big V8-powered Range Rover, the Evoque is really a distant relative to what most Land Rover buyers will recognize. Thanks to careful weight-saving techniques, Land Rover says it was able to trim about 1,600 lbs. from the Evoque to a svelte 3,700 lbs.

The Range Rover Evoque's voluptuous curves also give it a presence beyond its dimensions. At 171.5 inches, the Evoque is nearly 17 inches shorter than a Range Rover Sport and 10.7 inches shorter than a Q5. Sometime around the face-lift of the Range Rover Sport, Land Rover discovered how to do interiors. Inside, the Evoque feels like a proper Range Rover.

Everybody Is Going Turbocharged. There is nothing cut-rate about the Evoque's engine either. Land Rover claims it weighs 88 pounds less than the 3.2-liter inline-6 it replaces and develops a healthy 237 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 251 pound-feet of torque at 1,750 rpm. Land Rover reckons it's good for zero to 60 mph in 7.1 seconds, which feels about right. It's a nicely tuned engine but we reckon there's still room for an Evoque R with a dollop more thrust.

Land Rover claims that more than 60 percent of the parts in its 2.2-liter turbo diesel have either been replaced or redesigned for its debut in the Range Rover Evoque and the Jaguar XF. Engineered for the Road

The 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque is built around a steel monocoque, but the carmaker's engineers have worked hard to minimize the mass. In Europe, Land Rover will offer a front-wheel-drive Evoque fitted with the diesel engine, but all Evoque for the U.S. will have an all-wheel-drive system with an electronically controlled Haldex center coupling. In Dynamic trim the Evoque will also boast an Adaptive Dynamics system that features MagneRide continuously variable dampers just like the ZR1 Corvette and Ferrari 599.

The standard, passive system picks a spot somewhere between comfort and Dynamic. It Can Go Off-Road; Sort of Land Rover describes the Range Rover Evoque as offering all-weather, all-surface capability, which is a hallmark of the brand." Compared with most fashion-focused SUVs, the Evoque packs some significant off-road toys. The Terrain Response system offers different settings for different terrain, tweaking the throttle response, gearbox, center coupling and braking/stability systems to suit. It's hard to imagine that Land Rover, starting with a clean sheet of paper instead of the LR2 platform, would have created an SUV quite as small as the Evoque. With a base price of $44,995 for the coupe, the 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque is playing in nearly the same league as the midsize LR4, not to mention any number of compact luxury rivals.

Land Rover would argue, though, that the comparison is irrelevant and that the whole point of the Evoque is to target customers who would not normally be drawn to the marquee. Given the huge growth in the compact SUV market, Land Rover may well have a point. The  Range Rover Evoque won't pay the bills on its own either, but don't be surprised if it becomes the best-selling Range Rover ever There is the choice of five door Evoque versions or the more radical three door Evoque Coupe. The Evoque and Evoque Coupe eD4 2WD variants go on sale in the first quarter of 2012 with CO2 emissions from 129g/km using the 2.2-litre, 150hp/380Nm turbo diesel four cylinder engines.

Finally after all the hype, high profile reveals, ‘Pulse of the City’ marketing, promotional  events and early consumer and media test drives are completed, the stylish Range Rover Evoque five door and three door Evoque Coupe models are ready for delivery.