House and Leisure – August 2019

AUG 108 SEP

helaunchofthehighlyanticipatedRange
RoverEvoquein 2011 wasgreetedwith
excitementfromthewho’swhoofthe
premiumcar-buyingmarket–especially
whenrumoursemergedthatVictoria
Beckhamwasinvolvedinthedesign
process.ThisluxurySUVwenton
toclaim 217 globalawardsandbecome
thefastestsellingRangeRovermodel,
withover 700000 salesin 116 countries.
Now,thenewRangeRoverEvoqueis
continuingthelegacyofitspredecessor,
withanexteriorthatlooksrelatively
similartothatoftheoriginalEvoque,
butboastingnewbodywork,narrower
head-andtail-lights,asleekerdesign
andanupdatedcabin.There’sadistinct
influencefromitsbiggersiblingtheVelar,
especiallyintheflushglazingalongitsside
profileanditshandles,whichdiscreetly
disappearintothecar’sdoorswhenlocked.
Inside,high-resolutionscreensand
ambientlightingreallybringthecabinto
life.Plush,quiltedleatheradornsmost
ofthesurfaces,andthere’salsoavegan,
leather-freetrimoptionthatfeaturesa
lightweightperformancetextilemadefrom
eucalyptusfibres.Thankstoanincreased
wheelbase,thenewEvoquehasmoreleg
roomandstowagespaceinthecabin,while
thebootcanholdupto 591 ℓofluggage.
AstandoutfeatureistheClearView
Rear-viewMirror,whichcanbeswitched
toanHDvideoscreentodisplayeverything
that’shappeningbehindthevehicle.When
flippedfromaregularrear-viewmirrorto
HDVideoMode,thepassengerheadrests
andanyotherobstructionsinthecabin
seeminglydisappearsothatthedriver
canseeonlywhatisbehindtheirtail.

UNDERTHEBONNET

Model:NewRangeRoverEvoque

5 Door2.0D180SE

Engine:2.0ℓ(Diesel):132kWand430Nm

Combinedfuelconsumption:5.8ℓ/100km

CO 2 emissions:AWDAuto153g/KM

Price:R843 800

The next-generation

Range Rover Evoque

luxury SUV proves

that you can teach an

old dog new tricks

COMPILED BY CAIRA-LEE DURAND

LEISURE / MOTORING

PHOTOGRAPH: SUPPLIED

Living up to its Land Rover heritage, the

new Evoque comes loaded with impressive

and sophisticated off-road features. Its

integral Link Rear Suspension offers

incredible comfort and support on bumpy

or uneven surfaces, and gives you a great

sense of confidence on any road. Terrain

Response 2 is now available as standard

for the first time, and drivers can choose

between four off-road modes (Comfort,

Sand, Grass/Gravel/Snow and Mud/Ruts)

to help tackle specific terrains.

If you’re planning on taking your Evoque

through water, you’ll be pleased to note

that the new model has an increased

wading depth that goes up to 60cm (that’s

essentially to the height of the driver’s

seat). A reverse camera is also standard

on all models, as well as a host of advanced

driver assistance systems, that include

Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane

Keep and Blind Spot Assist, and a Driver

Condition Monitor, which detects the

driver’s state of awareness and gives

a warning when you need to take a break.

In regular driving conditions, the

combination of the Evoque’s All-Wheel

Drive, nine-speed automatic transmission

gearbox and efficient diesel engine options

make it a consummate cruiser. That, paired

with the supple suspension, allows the

new Range Rover Evoque to be the perfect

traffic companion for off-road adventures

as well as your daily commute. O

Caira-Lee Durand is the digital editor

of womenonwheels.co.za.