2019-09-01_Harpers_Bazaar_Australia.

buggyona golfcourse—andina car that is just packed with

features. The most immediately noticeable aspect of the new

Evoquewasthatit feltfamiliar,even on a first-time drive. It’s

comfortable,not justthankstoitsluxurious interior, but also

duetotheintuitivememoryfunctions it offers, so that each time

a drivergetsin,thecarremembersthat driver’s preferences and

adjustsitselfaccordingly.Seats,heating, mirrors, entertainment,

the lot. Other cool features and options include traffic-sign

recognitionandanadaptivespeedlimiter, a wade sensor to show

youthewaterdepthwhenyou’refording puddles or creeks, a

near-360-degree surround camera, two huge 25-centimetre

touchscreensandworld-firstground-view technology that means

thereis cameravisionto showyouprecisely the terrain you’re

drivingon,whethernarrowroador,yes, golf-course bunker hill.

WhentheEvoquelaunchedin2010, it was a game changer in

theluxurycompactSUVcategory.It blended city efficiency and

countrycapability,it waspricedwelland its design became iconic.

The update for 2020 has a more streamlined look from the

outside,andanexpanded,spaciouscabin. It’s still a compact SUV,

soa golfbagwilltakeupmostof theboot space, but the interiors

havebeenmaximisedtogivepassengers more knee room, as well

as offermorestorageoptionsforhandbags and knickknacks.

Onpaper,thespeedstatisticsarenot great — 0 to 100km/h is

achievedina sluggish9.3seconds.However, while not a sports

car, the Evoque responded very handsomely driving through

bothbusytrafficandona motorway. The model I tested was a

‘mildhybrid’diesel(anunderfloorbattery means the engine can

beturnedoffwhencoasting, braking or stationary);

a plug-inhybridis coming in the next few months,

thoughnoall-electricversion for the time being.

Takingitssustainable-luxury focus a step further,

the companyis also providing a groundbreaking

veganalternativeto leather interiors. Customers can

opt to forgo cow and instead choose technical

textilesthat userecycled plastic — there are also

responsibly sourcedwool blends, faux suede and

eucalyptusfibreoptions. Land Rover says the cabin

is designedto bea calming space, ensuring comfort-

ableandhappyoccupants. Job well done.

I’VEALWAYSWANTEDtodriveanoff-roaderona golfcourse.

No,quiteseriously.It’sbeena sick,sadisticdesireofminetoruin

thosepristinegreens,spinsomedirtygrassthroughchunkywheels,

andbasically leavebehind somedeep-tread tracksof malicious

enjoyment.Cueevillaugh.It’spaybackformeandallothergolf

widowswhogetdesertedforhoursonendeachweek.(“Honey,

I’mjustpoppingovertoThailandwiththeboys

toplaygolfon 720 poshcoursesthisweekend.”

Oh,areyou?Howabsolutelywonderfulforyou!

Doenjoy ...) Sowhen Land Rover suggested

I test-driveits 2020 modelRangeRoverEvoque

ona golfcourse,I thought,Youbeauty.

Asit turns out, a golfcourse proved a very

appropriate avenue to showcase the Evoque’s

off-roadingabilities.Weclimbed,weveered,we

drovedeep,wedrovesteep,wemadetracksin

every way imaginable on Bondi’s picturesque

Golf & Diggers Club. Under careful, albeit

apprehensive, monitoring by Land Rover’slead

instructor,John Eggenhuizen, in the passenger

seat,theEvoqueandI becamefirmfriends.

Off-roadingis hard.It’sa technicalskillmany

underestimate.I’ve only ever beenbogged once

(Noosa,the sandyNorth Shorebeach,tide was

rising,notfun),andI’vebeenabletohelpa few

hapless and inexperienced drivers out of tricky

situations,too.Sowhenyou’reperilouslycloseto

the precipice of Bondi’s clifftops, driving over

unevenboulders,youwanttobeina carthatcan

tacklethatkind ofobstacle.When you’re going

overa narrowlogbridge,youwanttobein(trac-

tion)control.Whenonesideof thecaris angledso

highonanadjacentbunkerhillthatyoufeelyou

maytopple,well,you’dratherknowyouwon’t.

Thiswasa gooddayat theoffice.Panoramic

views, a challenging track, a once-in-a-lifetime

opportunity to drive something other than a

VITALSTATS

RangeRoverEvoque

NEEDFORSPEED:

0–100km/hin 9.3seconds,

topspeed205km/h

ENGINE:9-speed

automaticAWD

BESTBITS:Looks,

handling,valueformoney

WORSTBITS:Accessible

luxury,sootherswill

haveonetoo

COMPETITORS:

BMWX4,AudiQ5,

Mercedes-BenzGLA

BUYITBECAUSE:Yo u

needbothspaceandstyle

HOWMUCH:From

$72,980fortheSEmodel,

$84,365astested

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Clockwise from left: Gucci bag,
$7620, gucci.com; Loewe shirt,
$1250, matchesfashion.com; Khaite
NICK DIMBLEBY/COURTESY OF LAND ROVER; STILL LIFE STYLED BY SAMANTHA WONG. PRICES APPROXIMATE. SEE BUYLINES FOR STOCKISTS pants, $942, matchesfashion.com.

Bazaar

DRIVES

The 2020 Range Rover Evoque mixes off-road

savvy with type-A tech. By Katarina Kroslakova

223 HARPERSBAZAAR.COM.AU^ September 2019