DALLAS, October 15, 2012 — When folks found out I was driving the 2012 Range Rover Evoque, there was much to be said. How practical is it? How was the ride? Lots of buzz and I think it might be worth it too. After all, this one has lots of style in the compact luxury SUV market.

It’s a new model for Range Rover this year, so those who want to set a trend, take note. Of course, count on that right-to-the-minute updated offering ala the Land Rover LR2, but add to that a turbo-charged four-cylinder engine and you get the picture. Think fuel economy and power meshed into one.

Competitors rivaling the Range Rover Evoque include the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class.

All wheel drive with Land Rover's Terrain Response System is the norm and you can have fun with the various setting for on or off road situations, it’s all about fun.
The 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque comes with four-door or a two-door coupe body style option. Both are at just one trim level called the Pure Plus. Added to that, however, are what the company calls "design themes," either Dynamic or Prestige choices here and that will ultimately depend solely on the different materials, color choices and design moods you select.

The standards on the Pure Plus are 19-inch wheels, the Terrain Response system, hill start assist, front and rear fog lights, automatic wipers, rearview camera, front and rear parking sensors, power liftgate, panoramic sunroof, keyless ignition, power front seats with six-way driver and four-way passenger options, leather upholstery, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror.

On the Coupe, you can also add a two-person rear seat at no cost.

If you want the Pure Premium package, you will get adaptive xenon headlamps with automatic high beams and LED accents, a blind-spot warning system, a 360-degree parking camera system and a 17-speaker surround-sound audio system with a 10-CD changer.


Range Rover Evoque

Too much for you? Then just go with the Vision Assist Package and that’s just the xenon headlamps, the blind-spot warning and the camera parking system.

The Dynamic package has all the Pure Premium standards with a higher sporty ratio offering 19-inch wheels, a variety of trims, a rear skid plate and perforated leather. For the Adaptive Dynamics package you will also get the adaptive suspension added.
Under the hood, the 2012 Range Rover Evoque has a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 240 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque. It comes standard with a six-speed automatic transmission and the all-wheel-drive system highlights the Land Rover's Terrain Response off-road technology.

Safety on the 2012 Range Rover Evoque means antilock brakes, stability and traction control, trailer sway control, front side and side curtain airbags as well as parking sensors, and a rearview camera.

Range Rover style can, of course, still be found on the Evoque with a variety of multi-tone color combinations and trims from the Pure, Dynamic or Prestige options.
You will also find the interior layout to be the same as the Range Rover Sport with a minor tweaks like the center console and a rotary gear shifter, more like what you find on the Jaguar than other Rovers. The touchscreen is intuitive and easy to use so for non-fussy types this is a win-win.

Headroom is all there and the front seat is more than comfortable. Unfortunately, as in most backseats, this one too has its drawbacks being a bit cramped, but the four-door option could certainly be worse and the Evoque does have 51 cubic feet of cargo space too.

Driving is fun and you will want to, owning the road and knowing that you can. The Rover is agile and easy to handle while sporty with sass. I say kudos to the Evoque and I definitely recommend it.

Should You Need to Know: The Evoque is the only model in this market with two different body styles and we really like the fact that Victoria Beckham had a hand in the Evoque’s creation ala color combinations (not under the hood).

Miles Per Gallon: The 2012 Evoque comes in at 18 miles per gallon in the city and 28 miles per gallon on the highway.

Cost: The Range Rover Evoque price tag I drove was at $52,585.


Read more: Car Review: All new, 2012 Range Rover Evoque has the right buzz | Washington Times Communities
Follow us: @wtcommunities on Twitter