Range Rover Evoque 5dr revealed

Here is the five-door version of the Range Rover Evoque, unveiled in Autocar photoshoot ahead of its public debut at the Los Angeles motor show.

When the Evoque was unveiled as the Land Rover LRX concept in 2008, the idea was to combine the sportiness of a two-door coupé with the capability of a compact soft-roader. But after bosses decided the acclaimed “white space” concept was worthy of production, they decided a more practical, family-friendly version would be needed to maximise sales.

The five-door is identical to the three-door in most dimensions and details, including the same aluminium roof pressing. The big difference ¬– apart from the number of doors – is the roof height. The five-door’s roof is 30mm higher and set flatter than the three-door’s, which slopes gently towards the rear. To allow the roof changes, the windscreen is lengthened by 60mm and the five-door gets an all-new, slightly deeper, composite tailgate. The higher roof improves headroom by 30mm in the front and 40mm in the rear cabin.

In common with the three-door Evoque, the five-door’s driving position is quite different from the Freelander’s. The driver’s seat is around 30mm lower, while the gearchange is about 60mm higher. The taller model weighs around 30kg more than the three-door.

Land Rover has announced for the first time that all Evoques get MagneRide adjustable shock absorbers to improve on-road handling without compromising off-road performance. The five-door Evoque gets the same engine line-up as the three-door; 148bhp or 187bhp 2.2-litre turbodiesels and a 237bhp 2.0 petrol turbo. It will be available in both two and four-wheel drive.

 

Steve Cropley