Evoque to stretch Range Rover brand

Land Rover is hoping to sell its new Range Rover Evoque in Australia starting at less than $60,000, making the three-door and upcoming five-door the most affordable Rangie in decades.

Range Rover executives believe the four-cylinder Evoque could create its own segment, potentially competing with everything from four-seat convertibles to entry-level luxury sedan and hatches, as well as existing compact SUVs such as the BMW X1 and upcoming Audi Q3.

To be priced above the $49,990-drive-away Land Rover Freelander, the Evoque three-door is expected to go on sale here about September 2011 with a price tag sneaking under $60,000.

It will be offered with the choice of two four-cylinder engines, making it the most efficient Range Rover ever. It's also the smallest and the lightest.

A 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo destined for the locally-made Ford Falcon in 2011 will produce 177kW and initially be the performance leader.

There's also two versions of the 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel, one producing 110kW of power in the TD4 model and the other SD4 model a more substantial 140kW. While a six-speed auto transmission will be available, manual-gearbox models will feature a stop-start system that can automatically shut the engine down when the car is stopped in traffic.

While the price of the three-door Evoque is relatively expensive, Land Rover says it will ensure the car is highly specified and befitting of the premium price tag.

As well as a raft of standard features, the Evoque will come standard with leather trim on seats, doors and even the dashboard.

LED lights add a touch of class to the exterior, while inside there's a touch of Jaguar with the start-up sequence that displays logos on the colour screen and raises the gear selector from the console.

Customisation will also be a key part of the Evoque's sales pitch, with user-chosen lighting systems able to alter the character of the interior.

There are also three basic themes; Pure, Prestige and Dynamic.

The Evoque Pure models have more neutral colours and a more basic appearance.

The Prestige variants come with 19-inch alloy wheels, premium leather and the increased use of metal and wood.

Choose an Evoque Dynamic and it will come with 20-inch alloy wheels, a darker interior with brighter splashes of colour and perforated leather seats as well as a body styling kit with unique bumpers, side sills and exhaust tips.
The Evoque is the first Range Rover to be available as a two-wheel-drive, acknowledging many owners are more interested in the style and image of a Range Rover than its legendary off-road prowess.

"There is a smaller car segment of SUVs with a growing trend towards two-wheel-drive in Europe," says Land Rover managing director Phil Popham, who points out that two-wheel-drive offers price and fuel economy advantages. "For us, the entry price point is going to be what's relevant ... people are going to that segment that want the practicality and versatility of an SUV or crossover vehicle but actually don't feel they've got a need for four-wheel-drive."

However, Popham says the Evoque is still a competent four-wheel-drive that leads its segment in the rough stuff.

"We will continue to be the leaders in four-wheel-drive technology," he says. "We will continue to build the vehicles with the greatest breadth of capability."

Evoque four-wheel-drive variants get Land Rover's unique Terrain Response system that allows owners to easily select the type of terrain which then optimises various electronic settings on the car to the conditions.

While Land Rover has previously used Harman Kardon sound systems for premium audio, the Evoque will have an optional 17-speaked Meridian system to accommodate the audiophiles.

Other options for the new Evoque will include an onboard hard drive, blind spot monitoring system, automatic parking system and a rear seat DVD player. There's also an adjustable suspension system with continuously variable shock absorbers that can adjust to the driving conditions.

The Evoque is expected to arrive in Australia in the second half of 2011.