By Jared Rosenholtz
Has copying some EV brands worked for the new Evoque, which now lacks physical controls in the cabin?
Land Rover must have some geniuses in its marketing department because the Range Rover Evoque has somehow always been popular - a stroke of marketing brilliance. The full-size Range Rover and Range Rover Sport have huge brand cache, so it makes sense for the automaker to deliver some of that prestige at a lower price point. Now in its second generation, the 2024 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque continues to be the most affordable way to drive a vehicle that says "Range Rover" on it.
The "baby Range" was just recently given a facelift for the 2024 model year, subtly updating the styling to bring it more in line with its bigger siblings. Inside, the changes are more noticeable; Land Rover deleted virtually every button and knob on the dash, essentially making the Evoque's dash look more Tesla-like than ever before. Lovers of physical controls will be outraged over this change, but moving almost every function to the touchscreen ended up better than we could have predicted. Still, Land Rover's recent changes to the Evoque aren't all positive and there are some fixes we'd like to see in the near future.
Exterior: Baby Range
From the time it hit the market in 2011 until now, the Range Rover Evoque has always been a pretty vehicle. The second generation arrived in 2019 as an evolution of the original design, much like how Porsche never radically changes the 911. In all honesty, the modifications in the 2024 facelift are so subtle, that you'd have to study them next to the previous model to spot any changes. There are some new colors available, like our tester's Tribeca Blue, and new contrast roof options including Narvik Black or the Corinthian Bronze shown on our test vehicle.
If style is your number one priority, the Evoque still looks fantastic. The base 18-inch wheels are plain, but larger 19-inch, 20-inch, and 21-inch designs are available. Our tester rode on 20-inch wheels that seemed appropriately sized without hurting the ride comfort.
Interior: Where'd The Buttons Go?
Last year's Evoque came with a 10-inch touchscreen accompanied by a lower touchscreen with knobs to control climate and other vehicle functions. For 2024, everything moves to a new 11.4-inch Pivi Pro infotainment touchscreen with no buttons or knobs in sight. Aside from the steering wheel and stalks, the only physical buttons are for park and the hazard lights.
We thought this change would be an utter disaster, but Land Rover cleverly integrated commonly-used functions into permanently visible edges on the screen. Functions like audio volume and temperature are quickly reachable by sliding up or down on the left or right edge of the screen. Some tasks like adjusting the fan speed require a separate menu, but this is easily one of the easiest ways we have seen these controls manages via touch. You can also voice command the car to change functions like the fan speed, but it takes a few seconds to respond.
By deleting most of the physical controls, Land Rover created a clean cabin that reminds us a lot of a Tesla or a Volvo. It's aesthetically pleasing if not a bit boring, but the materials are clearly a lower grade than the bigger Range Rover models. Also, for how much the Evoque costs, ventilated front seats should be optional at least. On the plus side, the 15-speaker Meridian sound system is crystal clear.
Practicality: Shrink Rover
Before buying an Evoque, you need to be realistic about how you plan to use it. This is the smallest Range Rover model, and even compared to other compact luxury crossovers, it's pretty small. The rear seats offer just 34 inches of legroom, which is more than two inches down on the Audi Q3 and three inches less than the BMW X1. Those back seats can at least be heated optionally, though.
The story is similar in the trunk, where the Evoque packs 21.4 cubic feet with the seats up or 50.5 cubes with the rear bench folded. BMW's smallest crossover bests the Land Rover in both measurements while the Audi only loses in overall capacity. The Evoque is a crossover that prioritizes style over interior space, which is worth nothing - and it's more off-road capable than the competition with a standard Terrain Response system and an excellent 360-degree camera system, which may sway some.
Powertrain: The Weakest Point
Copying the less-is-more interior philosophy turned out way better than we expected, but we wish Land Rover would have taken some cues from the electric vehicle brand for the powertrain. There is only one engine option in the Evoque range: a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder from Land Rover's Ingenium series dubbed the P250. With 246 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque on tap, it's far from the most potent vehicle in its class. Fortunately, a more powerful P300 is rumored to arrive next year, rated at 296 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque.
In our independent testing, we struggled to achieve Land Rover's seven-second 0-60 mph claim, hitting that mark in a sluggish 8.67 seconds. We blame the Evoque's porky 3,935-pound curb weight and clunky ZF nine-speed automatic transmission for its unwillingness to get off the line in a hurry.
It's not quick, nor is it efficient with fuel economy ratings of just 20/27/22 mpg city/highway/combined. Other entries in this segment can get over 28 mpg combined. Land Rover offers a more powerful, more fuel-efficient plug-in hybrid model in Europe, but it's not coming to the US market, sadly.
Driving Impressions: Lacking Charm
Though it wears a Range Rover badge, the Evoque lacks the charm of its larger siblings. The powertrain feels coarse and underpowered in certain driving scenarios. Land Rover tuned the pedal and transmission to make the Evoque feel quick when you first press your right foot down, but the juice quickly runs out the more you squeeze the accelerator. We also noted that it was difficult to be smooth while driving the Evoque, both during acceleration and braking. Chalk that up to jerky shifts and a mushy brake pedal that is difficult to modulate. Taking the car out of its Comfort mode and into Eco helped a bit, numbing the controls and thus making the inputs less prone to sudden changes.
Ride comfort is soft for the class - one of a few areas where the Evoque earns its keep as a luxury crossover. It's also quiet on the highway, as you'd expect of a Land Rover product. Oddly, when it's time to park and get out of the Evoque, the cooling fans are extremely loud to a truly disconcerting level; it sounds like a generator is running under the hood. We could hear it from inside the house with the door shut.
Verdict: An Affordable-Ish Status Symbol
After spending a week with the Range Rover Evoque, we can't help but remember Will Ferrell's famous line from the movie Step Brothers, "I wanna make bank, bro... and I wanna drive a Range Rover." There is something to be said about the Range Rover's premium status, and the Evoque S lets you achieve that dream starting at just $49,900 before a $1,175 destination and delivery fee. Stepping up to the Dynamic SE trim brings the price to $54,900, adding a Dynamic Exterior Pack, 19-inch wheels, and Dark Anodized trim.
Land Rover does a good job of making most of the important equipment standard, but our tester still had some options that brought the as-tested price to $62,930 with destination. That's around the same starting price as the large Range Rover Velar, and it's more expensive than even the fully loaded alternatives from Europe. Unless you just really want to "make bank and drive a Range Rover", there are cheaper options in this class that do things just a little better.
