2012 Range Rover Evoque: The original Land Rover's progeny and antithesis, all in one car.

In the gloomy dampness of a war-ravaged England, two brothers by the name of Spencer and Maurice Wilks cobbled together a properly English four by four using bits of everything from disused US Army Willys Jeeps to Rover cars to British fighter planes. The result was an incorrigibly slow but indomitably rugged  roadgoing tractor that the world came know as the Series I Land Rover. Over the passage of the next 65 years, that singular vehicle would give birth to two brands, entire market segments, and a myriad of models. But it is only now, with the birth of the Range Rover Evoque, that that the original product of Maurice and Spencer Wilks has found at once both its progeny, and its antithesis.

Of course, if all you've got to go on is it's looks, you'd probably be much more inclined to see the Evoque as everything the old Series I wasn't: handsome, aerodynamic, and thoroughly modern. Although sharing in some of the design cues that are borne in the grills, gills and silhouettes of the existing Range Rover lineup, the Evoque's smaller stature and muscular nature lends itself to the inflammation of those popular cues; the fenders are more flared, the wheelarches tighter, the headlights smaller, and the beltline more aggressively sloped. And it's beautifully detailed, too, with amazing LED running lamps both front and rear, fully functional hood vents, and brilliant LED fog laps. In fact, with the amount if visual impact the Evoque possesses, it's easy to forget that the coupe occupies about as much space on Planet Earth as does a Ford Focus hatchback!

And yet, if you look closer, it's design perfectly marries the practical nature that bore the Land Rover Series I, with the upper-class image that Range Rover has worked hard to build. The short overhangs both front and rear help make the car look more aggressive, while simultaneously reducing its footprint on the road; a real boon in a busy urban environment. The bumper covers are heavily sculpted too, giving healthy approach and departure angles should you ever need to crest a rise or clamber over a snow drift. And the body sides, themselves trimmed in durable (and easily replaced) black plastic, wrap underneath to provide more clearance between the body and any taller obstacles. Furthermore, this has helped bring the doorsill closer to the seat, which in turn eases ingress and egress. Speaking of which, grabbing the door handle and activating the keyless entry system at night ignites the puddle lights housed within the side view mirrors, which is far from a new feature unto itself, but the light housings have been etched so as to project a stylized image on an Evoque silhouette onto the ground in crystal clarity. Not necessarily a useful feature, it's just one of the many details that sets the Evoque apart from any competition, and really demonstrates the time that's been spent ensuring that this vehicle achieves, and maintains, that position. 

But, once ensconces within the Evoque's plush cabin, it yet again seems to distance itself from the Land Rovers of yore. There's certainly no indication that this vehicle is the eventual evolution of something with bare steel floors, shovel-backed seats, and a dashboard comprised entirely of a steel bulkhead. What there is, though, is plenty of leather, complimented by some well-rendered trim, with a smidgeon of technology scattered throughout. Interestingly, the overall design seems to be more Scandinavian in nature than English, looking more akin to a Volvo product than any of Range Rover's.  Instead of the numerous knobs, dials, and buttons used to control the larger Range Rovers' more extensive and complicated systems, there's just a handful of switches, arranged quite logically, and arrayed in the simplest of fashions. The dual-zone climate control knobs, for example, serve to bracket the entirety of the HVAC system's controls, set the individual temperatures, and also serve as the seat heater switches. The shifter, itself another iteration of the oft-touted rotary design shared with Jaguar, occupies less space than a conventional shifter, and when combined with the abbreviated Terrain Response controls, makes for a very low-key and easy to use centre stack that still has room for two cupholders (located beneath quite a nice roll-shutter style cover) and a medium-sized storage bin beneath the armrest. So to it is with the recessed touch-screen infotainment interface; minimalist, well-rendered, and beautifully carried off as it is. Perhaps it might be a stretch to claim that the simplicity of the entire interior design is an homage to the inherent simplicity of the first Land Rovers', but with the available glass roof as an option, at least one can enjoy a hermetically aware version of the original's open-air experience. And although the raised, rakish beltline and low overall height may conspire to produce that stylish but small rear window, the placement of the B- and C-pillars of the coupe combined with the long side windows and glass roof really do make sure that it feels plenty airy inside. 

And then there is the manner in which it's all constructed. Having long suffered a reputation for unreliability, modern Jaguar/Land Rover products are all absolutely first rate in their construction... but the Evoque feels even better than most. Again, between the fine grained texture of the soft-touch surfaces in the dashboard, the brushed steel accents in this particular test car, and the softness of the leather, there is something decidedly Volvo-esque about the assembly and build quality of the Evoque, and that's definitely a compliment. Taking a close look at the exposed stitching on the dashboard reveals that it's actual thread rather than molded-in faux stitching (as it is on many other vehicles). Examining the fitment of the beige fabric dash trim, aluminum trim ring, and plastic switchgear and surround for the infotainment screen shows absolutely no gaps anywhere, and no irregularities. Although the various knobs are probably constructed of some sort of aluminized plastic, they are well made enough to pass for machined components, and all come wrapped in actual knurled rubber to improve their feel in the hand. The seating position is excellent as well as incredibly comfortable, and although not the easiest to clamber into or out of, the coupe's deep rear seats provide adequate leg, head, and elbow room for four large adults... although obviously, just as with older leaf-sprung Land Rovers, the longer-wheelbase four door is an enviably more practical answer to the question of people-moving. 

Speaking of which, the act of moving about in the Evoque is, just as in a classic Land Rover, marked by an extreme sense of occasion. At a relaxed pace, you're continually struck by the endless details that keep catching your eye at the peripheries of your vision; the heat mirages sent up, shimmering, through the hood vents, or the reflection of the insanely good look Evoque loping across curbside shop windows. And although the coupe's short wheelbase and sporting character imbues it with a ride that would be best described as healthily stoic, it's never uncomfortably harsh, and with the cruise control set on even a twisting, turning gyre of a highway, the Evoque remains utterly unruffled. Between the torque available from the 2.0 litre turbocharged engine and the planted, tenacious grip provided by the suspension and 245-series tires, it's a roadgoing representation of Alfred the butler at legal speeds; all full of helpful politeness and calm. And when you arrive at your destination, no matter where that may be, or in what company, you can't help but feel both under dressed and yet quite good about yourself when you get out of the Evoque. Even slotted in amongst Porsches and Maseratis, the Evoque somehow sloughs off it's reasonable price tag and fit right in... something that's been a pretty unique Land Rover trait since those old Series I's starting ferrying around everyone from the local dairy farmer to Winston Churchill.

Increase the pace beyond what any of those old leaf-sprung truck could ever hope to match, and the Evoque still manages to maintain that same sense of occasion. Sure, it's not perfect, and there are times when you can catch the transmission and turbocharger's boost output at odds with one another, but with Sport mode engaged on the shifter dial, and the steering-wheel mounted paddle shifters engaging gears at the driver's beck and call, the whole car comes together quite beautifully. Finding grip around big arcing corners, it's entirely possible to play with the Evoque's willing all-wheel drive system to hustling around corners on the absolute cusp of traction, and its tightly controlled body movements keep rapid direction changes drama-free and quick. The brakes are one area that could stand for some improvement, as their bite isn't entirely linear, but they are capable of hauling the 3,582 pound SUV down from speed quite convincingly.  

But when all is said and done, the single biggest trait that truly makes the Evoque a child of the same thinking that brought about the Series I is its synthesis of existing features to satisfy an as-yet unfulfilled need within the market. It's not the first vehicle to utilize an almost entirely glass roof any more than it's the first to mount God knows how many cameras around its perimeter. It's not unique in its pairing of a turbocharged, four-cylinder engine with a capable all-wheel drive system, and it's not even the first SUV to straddle the hot hatch and utility vehicle markets. What it is, is the first vehicle to combine all of these assets with so many more, to culminate in a vehicle that's equally at home parked next to a Ferrari in Monte Carlo as it is hauling a load of fishing gear up a Canadian forest service road. And with a base MSRP of $46,995, the Evoque finally gives Range Rover the all-important entry level vehicle they've always needed in order to bring the younger generations into their showroom, and even better than that, its concept-car looks ensure that it's an entry-level vehicle that young people will genuinely want. Granted, Land Rover purists may look at the Evoque and disparage its plastic bumpers and independent suspension, but perhaps they've forgotten that although the Series I was as simple a utility vehicle as has ever been produced, it was only built that way because Maurice and Steven thought it was what England needed at the time. And just as the agrarian Series I met a need in post-war Britain, so too does the Evoque meet the needs of many modern-day North Americans... and it does it absolutely sublimely.