Tackling toughest terrains in style

The Range Rover Evoque has been one of the most eagerly anticipated new British cars for years, with expectations of the sleek, coupe-like 4x4 so high that 20,000 people across the globe ordered one without even driving it. But, now on sale, does it deliver? The short answer is yes - and then some.

Available at first with either a 2.2 diesel or two-litre petrol engine, and with a three or five-door body, this is almost a new category of car, and Jaguar Land Rover sees it attracting a different, more style-oriented buyer than fans of the existing Freelander and at a much lower price than for larger and more luxurious Range Rovers.

It ranges from £27,000 to about £40,000 - and don't be fooled into thinking such an elegant 4x4 is just a soft-roader that can't tackle the rough stuff. At its global launch in Snowdonia, it scampered over steep moorland tracks without breaking into a sweat, its electronic systems taking the hard work out of tackling dramatic muddy descents or slithery conditions.

The cabin is bang up to date, using high-quality materials with some style, although the rear seats of the three-door version are difficult to access. Despite its sloping roof, headroom is reasonably good in the back, but the rising waistline combines to reduce visibility for rear-seat passengers, and the view through the rear-view mirror is like peering through a letter box.

But these are minor quibbles about such a capable car that seems as happy on a motorway as halfway up a goat track. The Evoque has created 1,500 jobs on Merseyside - it is built at Jaguar Land Rover's Halewood plant - and it looks like those people will be kept pretty busy satisfying the order book.