Range Rover Evoque eD4 2WD review

Land Rover’s smash-hit Range Rover Evoque has just had a facelift.

No, really, it has – not that you’d notice to look at it.

If you park one from the new 2016 model year next to a previous example, you’ll see that the front bumper has been beefed up.

The headlamps are new, too. But that’s about it.

Inside, there are new touchy-feely door skins and revisions to things like the instrument panel and digital display unit.

The infotainment system has more features than ever, as well as faster reaction times, but it deserves better than to be controlled by an 8” touch screen that wants for sharpness and becomes unusable with the sun on it.

Not a lot in the way of major changes, then? No, actually, there is. Under the bonnet, you’ll now find Land Rover’s 2.0-litre Ingenium diesel engine.

This offers various options, and we’re testing the cleanest of them here. It has 147bhp, a manual gearbox and front-wheel drive; in the three-door Evoque, this combination equates to just 109g/km of CO2, while in a five-door it puts out 113g/km.

Behind the wheel, it immediately feels more refined than Evoques used to with the old 2.2 diesel. It’s muted on the motorway, and both quieter and smoother when worked hard.

There’s a more powerful version for keen drivers, but this most modern Evoque can still be hustled along on a B-road, thanks in no small part to a susprisingly sporty gearchange and good brake pedal feel.