New Range Rover Evoque revealed ahead of LA debut

Land Rover has taken the covers off the newest iteration of the Range Rover Evoque SUV. A much-needed update, the first-generation Evoque has been on sale in international markets since 2011 with only minor updates along the way. Land Rover has not strayed too far from the recipe of the much-loved previous model.

The new Evoque receives a host of updates that are aimed to increase its appeal for customers. On the mechanical front, the new car receives a new platform that has been built from ground-up with electrification in mind. It is powered by JLR’s Ingenium range of 2.0-litre engines available in both petrol and diesel. The new motors come in varying states of tunes which include 148hp, 178hp and 237hp turbo-diesels, and 197hp, 246hp and 296hp turbo-petrol units. Almost all variants come equipped with four-wheel drive as standard, with only the base diesel receiving a two-wheel-drive layout. The new engines are mated to a 9-speed ZF automatic gearbox. All the four-wheel drive versions are equipped with a 48V mild-hybrid system. Land Rover will launch a plug-in hybrid model later. It will mate a new three-cylinder, 197hp, 1.5-litre Ingenium petrol engine to an electric driver motor, and offer a yet-unspecified electric-only range.

Coming to the styling, the new car is easily recognisable as an Evoque, but with sleeker styling and more stylistic tie-ins with its larger sibling, the Velar. The new car has a completely redesigned front-end, new rear styling, new LED headlamps and tweaked wraparound tail-lamps. It is also equipped with pop-out handles that are reminiscent of the larger Velar.

On the inside, the new Evoque looks more modern and luxurious than the outgoing model. It also makes use of new colours and textures, including a durable and luxurious wool-blend textile called ‘Kvadrat’ that is designed to appeal to buyers who prefer non-leather trim materials. The Evoque also comes with a new dual touchscreen layout seen on its more expensive siblings.

There is no word yet on when the new model will come to India. The current Range Rover Evoque competes with the likes of the Mercedes GLC, Audi Q5 and Volvo XC60 in our market.