Say hello to the second-generation Range Rover
Evoque, arriving seven and a half years after production of the outgoing model
commenced. In designing the all-new 2019
Evoque, Land Rover opted against ditching the current model’s much-loved sporty
design and have retained the same basic shape we’re familiar with.
While the Evoque’s shape hasn’t changed much, it
does look significantly different in its second generation. At the front, Land
Rover has taken obvious design inspiration from the mid-range Velar
incorporating similarly-slim headlights and a narrow front grille. The 2019 Evoque has largely-identical front air intakes to its
older sibling. Again, that’s no bad thing but it could make differentiating
between the two in traffic quite difficult.
Much the same can be said about the second-gen
Evoque’s rear fascia. It too is very similar to the Velar thanks to the thin
taillights. The shorter rear overhang does make it look a little better,
however. The new Velar doesn’t utilize an all-new platform and
instead rides on an updated version of the D8 architecture from the current
model. The automaker’s range of Ingenium four-cylinder petrol and
diesel engines remain on offer. Power from the 2.0-liter diesels varies between
148 hp and 237 hp while the petrol mills enjoy between 237 hp and 296 hp. ZF’s
nine-speed automatic gearbox will be the sole option for most engines but a
six-speed manual is offered for a single diesel variant.
Jaguar Land Rover has revealed that
the updated architecture has been developed for electrification and from
launch, the 2020 Evoque will be offered in a mild-hybrid guise that uses a
48-volt electrical architecture. Roughly 12 months afterwards, a plug-in hybrid
model will hit the market and be the first of its kind used by Land Rover. The
company says it will offer CO2 emissions as low as 149 g/km and fuel economy
from 50.4 mph on the WLTP test cycle.
Beyond updating the vehicle’s exterior design and
some of its powertrains, Jaguar Land Rover has gone to town on the cabin. In
addition to implementing an all-new steering wheel, the 2019 Evoque features a
digital gauge cluster, a widescreen infotainment display, and a second
touchscreen display where features like the air conditioning and stereo can be
operated from.
The vehicle’s footprint is almost identical to the
outgoing Evoque but Land Rover’s designers have managed to increase interior
space thanks to a wheelbase that has been stretched. There is now an extra 20
mm of rear knee room as well as a larger glove box and center cubby. Luggage
space also rises by 10 per cent to 591 liters and increases to 1383 liters when
the second-row seats are folded away.
To ensure the vehicle is as capable off-road as a
Range Rover should be, the new Evoque has been equipped with all-wheel drive
and the second-generation version of the automaker’s Active Driveline with
Driveline Disconnect. Additionally, the 2020 Evoque has Terrain Response 2
which automatically detects the surface being driven on and adjusts the
vehicle’s setup accordingly. The new Evoque can also wade through water up to
600 mm.
Another interesting inclusion in the new Evoque is
Ground View technology. This system effectively makes the bonnet invisible by
projecting camera imagery onto the upper touchscreen, allowing for a 180-degree
view of what’s under the front of the crossover.
In the United Kingdom, the 2020 Range Rover Evoque
starts at £ 31,600 (US$ 40,700) for the entry-level D150 diesel with front-wheel
drive and a manual transmission. Prices jump to £ 35,100 (US$ 45,208) for the D150
with all-wheel drive and an auto ‘box. The diesel range is topped out by the
£ 38,600 (US$ 49,716) D240. As for the petrols, they range in price from £ 35,950 (US$ 46,303)
to £ 40,350 (US$ 51,970).
