The second generation Range Rover Evoque has landed in Australia but don't be fooled by
the similar skin.
This, we're told, is the grown-up version of Range's smallest offering.
If you think of Evoque take one as a groundbreaker with a point to prove, the second generation
takes itself as a more serious competitor to vehicles like the Audi Q5 and BMW X3.
It does so riding on a new platform and despite looking similar to the predecessor and employing
more or less the same exterior proportions, virtually everything except the door hinges
are new.
The Evoque is available across 13 different derivatives with the entry price set at $62,670
plus on-road costs.
There are three diesel and three petrol offerings with standard features including dual zone
climate control, push-button start, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay along with SatNav.
The changes are probably most pronounced inside.
There is a two centimetre extension in rear leg room, the boot is 10% larger and there
are some really nice new displays laid around the cabin that you might recognise from some
of Range Rover's other offerings.
In addition, you can now option your Evoque with vegan approved leather.
I promise you, that is a thing.
And within some of these displays there's some truly clever tech.
The bar is raised for safety as well.
Each Evoque now comes equipped with low speed autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assist,
reversing camera and traffic sign recognition.
But as ever, many other safety features are found on the optional extras list.
Behind the wheel the Evoque feels a little bit more mature and resolved.
The cabin for one is a lot quieter than before.
The NVH levels have really been improved.
And there's a little bit more feeling, weighting and feedback from all the key controls.
It's not particularly segment leading on the road but it's a lot more enjoyable to drive
than that first generation model.
Equally the drivetrains have come a long way from those Ford sourced engines that were
first found in the Evoque back in 2011.
In Australia all diesel engines are mated to a new 48 volt mild hybrid system which
captures braking energy to power a rear mounted electric motor.
Only the top spec P300 petrol shares the same feature.
The system is very much a passive one, making benign interventions to aid in acceleration
and bringing claimed fuel savings of about 5%.
Irrespective of petrol or diesel, the engines here work really well.
They compare with nine speed automatics, they are largely devoid of turbo lag and they've
got a really nice linear spread of power.
It might be a moot point to many buyers but we also ventured off-road with the Evoque
where it fared surprisingly well.
Okay, so the Evoque is never going to have the off-road ability of a Land Rover Defender
and nor should it, but there are some really impressive hardware and software at play underneath
here.
For one you've got the latest generation of the terrain response system but on top of
that there's a 600 millimetre water wading depth and this really cool new tech called
ClearSight Ground View which uses a camera that's mounted underneath the car to show
you exactly where the front wheels are tracking.
Now, that's handy for off-road but equally it could be really handy in car park situations
as well.
Stepping back, it's clear the second generation Evoque is much more rounded and mature than
the original.
Interior space still isn't a strong point, neither is value, and two of our test cars
already had a disconcerting rattle emanating from the B pillar.
But that longstanding style versus substance question that has long engulfed the baby Rangie
is no more.
The Evoque really has come of age.