At the Detroit Motor Show in January of 2008, Land Rover displayed a concept vehicle called the LRX. Labeled by the company as a "cross-coupé,” it was a sign that Land Rover was interested in moving into the world of smaller, fuel-efficient, Rav 4-like vehicles. Flash forward to the 2010 Paris Motor Show and the LRX is no longer merely a concept – it has now been unveiled as a production vehicle, which will be sold as the Range Rover Evoque. It is the smallest, lightest, most fuel-efficient Range Rover ever built.
The Evoque is 430 mm shorter and 187 mm lower than the Range Rover Sport. Even though it’s smaller, however, the company states that it’s built with the same class of materials and design considerations as the larger Rovers. It’s not just the lackluster economy model, in other words.
Consumers will have their choice of front- or four-wheel drive versions, along with three different engines: a 2.2-liter turbodiesel rated at 150PS (Pferdestärke, which is almost the same as standard horsepower), another rated at 190PS, and a 2.0-liter six-cylinder 240PS Si4 petrol engine. All three engines will be offered with an upgraded six-speed automatic transmission. Fuel economy for the 150PS turbodiesel with front-wheel drive is 58mpg (4.06L/100km), with CO2 emissions of less than 130g/km.
As was seen on the LRX, the Evoque will be offered with a full glass roof. Other features will include Park Assist for automated parallel parking, an eight-inch touchscreen dual-view display (there are separate displays for the driver and passenger), Bluetooth audio streaming, and a five-camera Surround Camera System. Handling will be provided by Land Rover’s Terrain Response system, along with the optional Adaptive Dynamics system, which electronically adjusts the suspension 1,000 times a second.
There’s no word yet on price, but delivery of the Evoque is expected to begin in Q3 of 2011.
