Car review: Range Rover Evoque D180 HSE R-Dynamic

Land Rover says that 99 per cent of the Evoque’s body structure is new; only the door hinges have been carried over from the first generation model, as its designers moved to make the new one more practical and comfortable than before. The new Evoque’s wheelbase is 21mm longer, also enabling the designers to make the interior more spacious - and the boot now has ten per cent more loadspace, addressing niggles with the old Evoque.

The central storage unit, between the front seats, is now usefully large (big enough to stash phones or water bottles), while the wading depth (something few people put to the test, but like to brag about) is increased from 500mm to 600mm (great for those floods we keep getting).

Playing with the vehicle’s dimensions has allowed the designers to improve the so-called ‘breakover angle’, the maximum angle it can clear obstacles through contact with the wheels only, instead of ‘digging’ in at bumper level. Great if you ever venture off-road which, of course, all Land Rover products are designed to do, par excellence. Whether you need it or not.

The old practical but unattractive plastic wheelarch mouldings have gone, to make the car look more upmarket, the rear view mirror has been better positioned, there are new (highly effective) LED headlamps, and there’s a wider choice of engines.

Pick of the bunch is probably the D180 diesel, combining refinement with economy and lower emissions. Better still, especially for London drivers, the Evoque now has Mild Electric Hybrid Technology, which boosts efficiency by cutting the engine at speeds lower than 10mph. In doing so, the system harvests energy normally lost during deceleration and sends it back to the engine. Drivers can expect an average five per cent improvement in fuel economy - and of course lower emissions - from this feature. It helps cut city noise down, too.

So much for the theory. How does it work in practice? The amount of standard equipment on the Evoque is highly impressive, and the whole package looks even more premium than before. You could say it has come of age.

The R-Design model in particular - which we have been testing - adds an extra dash of style, incorporating, on the HSE model, 20-inch split-spoke, Gloss Dark Grey/Diamond Turned finish wheels, fancy ‘animated’ directional indicators, extended leather upgrade, smart burnished copper louvres, side vents and exhaust finishers, eye-catching chrome tread plates and more.

As a long-distance motorway cruiser it is now more refined - and quieter. Ride quality is great; only on the nastiest ‘sleeping policemen’ is there any disturbance to the serene progress this car provides.

Performance is brisk, rather than sporty, with 0-60mph coming up in 8.8 seconds from the D180 which goes on to a top speed of 127mph. It makes for refined progress - as it should be in any Range Rover.

One of the best new features is the ClearSight rear view mirror. It relays sharp, particularly wide, images from a rear-facing roof-mounted camera. It brilliantly ‘disappears’ tall rear-seat passengers, or loads that would otherwise obscure rearward vision. Very clever indeed - especially when I had to clear out my son’s university accommodation, and loaded the Evoque to the roofline. We still had a great view of following traffic.

Handling is surefooted, ditto the steering. The quality of the cabin is superb - cosseting, very easy on the eye, and very modern. Internal storage too, is good, with decent door pockets and an extra, hidden compartment in front of the gear lever.

Niggles? Switching from Drive to Reverse in a hurry (for instance in a three-point turn) can be fiddly; it’s not an operation that can be rushed and - for this driver at least - the headrests in the front two, otherwise impressive, ‘16-way heated and cooled, massage electric memory front seats’ - protrude too far forward, making finding the right seating position tricky.

Motorists who want a Range Rover - but balk at their larger models for city driving - will no doubt continue to ensure the city sales success of this, the firm’s smallest, perhaps most stylish, SUV.

Details: Range Rover EvoqueD180 HSE R-Dynamic

Price: Range starts at £32,100

Max power: 197 bhp

Max torque: 430 NM

Top speed: 127 mph

0-60 mph: 8.8 seconds

Combined MPG: 41.5 - 38.2

CO2 combined MPG: 41.5 - 38.2