It’s been a week of previews for this year’s Geneva Motor Show and Land Rover has added another to the list by announcing that the Range Rover Evoque Autobiography and Autobiography Dynamic will make their debut next month. The smallest of the Ranger Rover line, the four-seater Evoque limited editions will include some tweaked styling and a power boost.
Land Rover lines tend to split as much along lifestyle as technology or price. If the standard Range Rover is aimed at the waxed-coats-and-wellies crowd, then the compact Evoque is more for those who sport smart jackets and designer shoes. Designed for urban motorists who don’t go off-roading much, and to meet current emission and fuel standards, the Evoque doesn't look much like a classic Range Rover or other Land Rover cars. Instead, it forgoes the classic body on frame design for a lightweight unibody construction loosely based on the Ford EUCD platform, but with almost all the parts redesigned.
Despite its somewhat unorthodox design, or perhaps because of it, the Evoque has still managed to win 157 international awards and 270,000 have been sold since its introduction in 2011, which Land Rover says makes it the fastest-selling Land Rover of all time. Upmarket and luxurious, the Evoque is notable for its cabin-length fixed sunroof, push-button start system, 5–inch driver's information display, and an 8-in touch screen entertainment system that displays two different images simultaneously to both the driver and front passenger.
This year’s Geneva Motor Show marks the first time that Autobiography limited editions of the Evoque, which place the emphasis on luxury upgrades, have been released. Usually, the Evoque comes in a choice of the minimalist Pure version, the luxury Prestige, and the Dynamic performance version. The Autobiography editions sit above all three.
The Autobiography limited editions have a new body styling, which is more tweaked to make it a touch more aggressive, 20-in forged alloy wheels, and leather interior details. Under the bonnet is the active driveline that is standard for all Evoques and is designed to improve traction, agility and fuel efficiency by automatically engaging the four-wheel drive as required. There is also brake torque vectoring on all four wheels to reduce understeer.
Of the two new Evoques, the Autobiography Dynamic is billed by Land Rover as the most performance-focused Range Rover Evoque ever produced. Where the Autobiography has the standard two-liter turbocharged 240 bhp engine, the Dynamic gets a 45 bhp boost to 285 bhp and the chassis has been fiddled with for sharper handling. In addition, the 9-speed ZF automatic transmission with adaptive shift program has been retuned to make it a bit more responsive to the driver’s commands.
The Autobiography and the Autobiography Dynamic also introduce the Land Rover InControl Apps, which will eventually be available across the Land Rover range. This system allows you to plug your smartphone into the Evoque using a USB port and all your apps are moved to the car’s touch screen. InControl lets the you use a smartphone to remotely see your location, the car’s location, how much fuel is left, remaining range, and whether or not you've locked it. In addition, the system can find car parks on the fly and tell you what they cost, make conference calls, access social media and travel apps.
“The new Range Rover Evoque Autobiography is a natural progression,” says Land Rover Design Director & Chief Creative Officer Gerry McGovern. “Bringing luxury that’s more commonly associated with far larger, more expensive models to a premium compact SUV, while reaffirming its ability to resonate with customers on an emotional level.”
Source: Land Rover
