Range Rover Evoque

[Disco4SE]

Just thought I would pass on my comments on the Range Rover Evoque.
I have one in my possession at the moment whilst mine is being serviced, as we are looking at the possibility of buying one for the wife. It has the 140Kw turbo diesel.
Drove it home last night (around an hours drive) and around for a bit once I arrived back home.
Here are my comments: -

Seats - Awesome. Big improvement on the D4.
Power - Awesome. Lots of.
Ride - Not as smooth as the D4.
Vision - Quite restricted compared to the D4. My wife finds it hard to see over the large rear view mirror on the drivers side (she is 5ft nothing)
Interior layout - Quite good, although I found that the paddle shifts on the steering wheel get in the way.
Economy - Was showing mid to high 6's on a steady 105Kph.
Size - Similar to the wifes BMW 3 series.
Looks - I think it looks stylish and quite unique.
Would I buy one for the wife..............absolutely. Just have to get her approval.

Cheers, Craig

[stig0000]

if you get a 2 door, the reverse camera is a must,,, rear veiw is just nill,

[irondoc]

To be honest, the styling doesn't quite do it for me - i think it is a bit "look at me" and insular, although this seems to be where cars are headed. I want a car with good visibility that doesn't shelter me from everything outside so i can have good situational awareness while driving.

1.5c worth.....

[Meccles]

I think they look terrific, however my wife didn't like the looks at all. To her it was not a proper Range Rover. We had a classic for years, also 2 x RRS. She thinks a RR should be square and easy to see out of and park.
One way of looking at it.

[big guy]

Just thought I would pass on my comments on the Range Rover Evoque.
I have one in my possession at the moment whilst mine is being serviced, as we are looking at the possibility of buying one for the wife. It has the 140Kw turbo diesel.
Drove it home last night (around an hours drive) and around for a bit once I arrived back home.
Here are my comments: -

Seats - Awesome. Big improvement on the D4.
Power - Awesome. Lots of.
Ride - Not as smooth as the D4.
Vision - Quite restricted compared to the D4. My wife finds it hard to see over the large rear view mirror on the drivers side (she is 5ft nothing)
Interior layout - Quite good, although I found that the paddle shifts on the steering wheel get in the way.
Economy - Was showing mid to high 6's on a steady 105Kph.
Size - Similar to the wifes BMW 3 series.
Looks - I think it looks stylish and quite unique.
Would I buy one for the wife..............absolutely. Just have to get her approval.

Cheers, Craig

That pretty much sums up my experience also.

In that spec its a $85k car though and for my money that is a bit too much which is the size of a Honda CRV which is almost half that money.

I loved the one we had and so did the wife, auto rear door, lovely sunroof and the centre console is just wicked.

Pity they want so much money for one.

[bbyer]

My dealer here in Western Canada claims a line up to purchase Evoque's here and I think he is not exaggerating.

I am of course surprised, but for me, well I think the LR4 is too fancy and should have more Defender in it; the market thinks otherwise so I guess it is good that I am not in product development.

Actually I think the D4 with a utility interior, coil springs, and the old swing type rear door would make a good Defender replacement -well at least better than that recent "styling exercise" - and the design cost is already paid for.

[ozscott]

Wouldnt be hard to do mate - mount the electronics up high, give it a real handbrake (not the electronic handbreak); bit of change to the suspension geometry and upgrading of uni joints etc and a lift (all factory of course) with HD coil springs; hard rubber floor covering and mats to suit; single turbo 2.7 or single turbo 3.0 (?); sliders; HD underbody protection; manually adjustable seats; serviceable pan on the auto as standard; spare up from underneath to rear door as standard...dont call it Defender 2, 4 or anything else, just D4 Extreme OR D4 Expedition.

Cheers

PS. I would buy one.

[101RRS]

My dealer here in Western Canada claims a line up to purchase Evoque's here and I think he is not exaggerating.

I am of course surprised, but for me, well I think the LR4 is too fancy and should have more Defender in it; the market thinks otherwise so I guess it is good that I am not in product development.

Actually I think the D4 with a utility interior, coil springs, and the old swing type rear door would make a good Defender replacement -well at least better than that recent "styling exercise" - and the design cost is already paid for.


It is all the hairdressers buying it.

[Mike_S]

It is all the hairdressers buying it.

Or as my dealer back in the UK called them, the 'tight white t-shirt brigade' :D

Something like 50% of the Evoques they had orders for were from these chaps, urban cowboys....

I actually liked the Evoques they had on display & all the ones I saw at Gaydon. The seats in the 3 door are stunning, it's just a shame you can't get in the back of the 3 door without dislocating your shoulders and breaking your back in half. Oh and the rear window is like looking out of a postbox, bloody hopeless.

[bbyer]

All is well and I feel better.

I looked closer at one of those things today - yes, the dealer does have an Evoque on the lot with a sold sign on it, and in big letters on the leading edge of the bonnet are the letters RANGE ROVER and not Land Rover.

That explains it all; I am certain that there will be pink ones coming as well. O well, if that is what it takes to generate development funds for a newer Defender, well there is a price for everything.

[PhilipA]

A friend asked me what I thought of the Evoque at dinner .

I thought back to my 25 years in the car industry for parallels and replied that, as a stylish "coupe" version of an existing utilitarian model (F2), I would expect it to sell well initially to "Early Adopters" and style conscious.

This phase lasts from about 6 months to a year when the reality of limited room and rearward vision etc takes hold and enough have been sold to become commonplace. A recent example would be the VW Beetle.

After this time the sales will drop to less than 30% of the rate of initial sales, and they will be discounted as the planners will always overestimate ongoing demand.

However if you can keep one long enough, say 30 years they will become a classic, as the small numbers sold and impracticality will ensure only a few survive, and a cult following will grow. EG the series 1 Tickford wagon and falcon XA XB hardtop.

Regards Philip A

[gghaggis]

We had an Evoque Pure TD4 for the weekend - we're buying one :BigThumb:

Signing up this week. And to all you nay-sayers - it's a Range Rover, and (at least this one) WILL go off-road :twisted:

After one or two plates are fitted [bigwhistle]

Cheers,

Gordon

[ozscott]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I understood there is no low range with these ones...presumably the off road ability is about the same as a F2 with no low range? I am thinking about the same as a Subura Forrester (without low range - manual versions from last shape had low, but dont know about new one).

Cheers

[101RRS]

The Range Rover Stormer Concept Car became the Range Rover Sport but the same styling cues, though exaggerated are also in the Evogue. Land Rover Range Stormer Concept (2004) (http://www.netcarshow.com/land_rover/2004-range_stormer_concept/)

Like the FL2 people need to accept that this vehicle is not targeted at the 4wd market but as a stylish town car or a car to be seen in snow fields car parks or driven around town by soccer mums and hairdressers.

Garry

[gghaggis]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I understood there is no low range with these ones...presumably the off road ability is about the same as a F2 with no low range? I am thinking about the same as a Subura Forrester (without low range - manual versions from last shape had low, but dont know about new one).

Cheers

Correct - no low range as per the FL2. But if you've ever taken an FL2 off-road, you'd be rather suprised - it'll easily outperform the Forrester/Rav4/Pathfinder. The Evoque has upgraded Terrain response, better power-to-weight and greater clearance (220mm). Should be a good sand and mud performer, but obviously won't rock-climb like a Disco. And oh, look here - some 19" Goodyear MTR tyres I happen to have that will just fit :angel:

Cheers,

Gordon

[Disco4SE]

We had an Evoque Pure TD4 for the weekend - we're buying one :BigThumb:

I would have too Gordon, but the other half can't see around those huge side mirrors...........put her off.

Cheers, Craig

[jsp]

My wife thinks it looks like an enlarged veloster or a diesel territory from the front and its the first range rover you look at and dont instantly know its a range rover.

Then again she drives a magna, um, im sorry a verada....

[ozscott]

I have heard the FL2 is surprising off road, and read good reports. If they could easily tow a 2 tonn Vagabond I might be tempted! It would be interesting to see a supersized one as the new FFRR is say 2-3 years time...

Cheers

[~Rich~]

In Dubai - just got this off the Disco3.UK site:
I wonder what the cause was? An accident or a mechanical fault / failure?

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2011/12/367.jpg (http://www.gtspirit.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Range-Rover-Evoque-on-Fire.jpg)



Pity netherless!

[ozscott]

God it's the love child of a certain late model supercar

[100inch]

Never forget.
If the sales of the Evoque bring loads of cash and a new customers to the brand then it can only be a good thing.
I hated the Disco (1) when it came on the market but it probably saved Land Rover in the long run and has attracted a lot of new cutomers who tow, travel, offroad....
IMO

[Phideaux]

A bit like Proust's opinion of the Eiffel Tower, "I enjoy dining there - the only place in Paris where I don't have to look at it!"

The Evoque is a driver's car. Critics such as Clarkson and Hammond love it, against all expectations.

I hate the look of the things. My grandkids would hate to be in the back of one. The low waistline of the Freelander was one of my deciders - people can see out!! (or see to reverse, though I've an r-camera fitted).
But I wish my FL2 had that extra 20mm of clearance! (Wouldn't have got stuck outside Esperance in that dirty great hidden-ruts puddle, would I?)(Wouldn't have scraped the belly near the Eyre Bird Observatory, would I? etc)

As far as I can work out, they might actually be (gasp) better off-road than the FL2 - which has its rep for amazing low-range fanatics and humiliating Jeeps.

Horrible things - but they work. And more sales means better support network for the brand-as-a-whole. Just so long as they don't drop the Freelander with its practicalities off the manufacturing list!

[Slunnie]

Never forget.
If the sales of the Evoque bring loads of cash and a new customers to the brand then it can only be a good thing.
I hated the Disco (1) when it came on the market but it probably saved Land Rover in the long run and has attracted a lot of new cutomers who tow, travel, offroad....
IMO
The Disco1 is what drew me into the brand. When I first saw one of those I knew straight away that I wanted one.

[101RRS]

The car that saved Landrover in the 90s was the much maligned Freelander 1. Back in 98 it changed the way a lot of people thought of awd vehicles and brought a lot of people to the brand (some would say it also drove them away).

The FL1 was a huge sales success and was the best selling awd/4wd vehicle in Europe for many years, no other Landrover model has come close to the sales/time figure.

Likewise 10 years later in Aust - it was the RRS and not the D3 that drove the sales in Aust - for a few years the RRS outsold the D3 and overall sales of each type have been similar though the D4 seems to have picked up really well compared to the RRS - see heaps of D4s on the road but not too many of the equivalent RRSs.

Garry

[Scouse]

The car that saved Landrover in the 90s was the much maligned Freelander 1. :confused::confused::confused:

I don't think many will see that being the case.

[Lotz-A-Landies]

The car that saved Landrover in the 90s was the much maligned Freelander 1. Back in 98 it changed the way a lot of people thought of awd vehicles and brought a lot of people to the brand (some would say it also drove them away). ...That is stretching a very long bow.

The Freelander was only released in 1997 so 2/3 of the 1990's had already passed. The vehicle that actually saved the Land Rover marque was the Discovery, matching both Range Rover and Defender sales in it's first full year 1990, then progressively out producing the other two until 1993 when it more than double the combined production of Defender and Range Rover and maintaining a lead right up through the decade. Land Rover FAQ - History, Production, Sales - Production Data (http://www.lrfaq.org/FAQ.3.LR_production.html)

Do you have any production and sales figures for the freelander?

[101RRS]

The Discovery never got to be best selling 4wd in Europe - the Freelander did for a few years - from release in 1997 to 2002.

[Lotz-A-Landies]

The Discovery never got to be best selling 4wd in Europe - the Freelander did for a few years - from release in 1997 to 2002.Europe is only a small segment of the World market.

[100inch]

I always thought that the UK is/was LR biggest single market???
Sure Russia, US and China are on the rise.m

[Phideaux]

See Land Rover History (http://www.zercustoms.com/news/Land-Rover-History.html) for some info, dated 2009. Basically:
1948-Jan/2009(?) SERIES I to Defender: 1,912,108
1970-Jan/2009(?) Range Rover 693,860
1989-Jan/2009(?) Discovery 823,062
1997-Jan/2009(?) Freelander 623,883
2004-2009 Range Rover Sport 159,533

[bbyer]

I am surprised at what appears to be a relatively small number of Sports.

Around town here, I regard the RRS as a disease; the village is infested with them, whereas for the LR3 or 4, seeing one can still be pretty much be regarded as a "sighting."

My view is that given that the Sport and the 3/4's share frame designs etc, the RRS has probably saved the 3/4, hence the production numbers look light even for five years.

Maybe my village is not indicative of the rest of the world?

[gghaggis]

I am surprised at what appears to be a relatively small number of Sports.

Around town here, I regard the RRS as a disease; the village is infested with them, whereas for the LR3 or 4, seeing one can still be pretty much be regarded as a "sighting."

My view is that given that the Sport and the 3/4's share frame designs etc, the RRS has probably saved the 3/4, hence the production numbers look light even for five years.

Maybe my village is not indicative of the rest of the world?

The RRS is the saviour of LR/World/Mankind - but the Evoque is pretty close!

Off topic, the Disco was the 4wd that saved LR in the 90's - it was the only one that could compete with the "Japanese Invasion". The FL1 built on that sales base in Europe, but couldn't replicate the feat anywhere else.

Cheers,

Gordon

[Phideaux]

Trying to find some "end argument" facts, pretty much failed.
11400 LRs sold in UK in one month in ?March 2011.
Russian market up by 47% for the month (from what?)
Freelanders are 'big' in Russia, where they are a luxomobile compared to the dreadful (but functional, well, sometimes) Lada. How many sold? You tell me.
Rangies popular with the elite/crime-bosses, etc.

Core point: More LRs sold (present/future) is good for LR owners (current). I'm happy about that.

[101RRS]

Around town here, I regard the RRS as a disease; the village is infested with them,

And I bet they are almost all black (the preferred mode of transport for drug runners). Black RRS around here are like cockroaches - they are everywhere.

Garry

[bbyer]

One characteristic of the blacked out windows Sport bunch is that they may not be as understanding and forgiving as those who tend to purchase the 3's and 4's.

This may provide Tata some incentive to continue to improve the reliability of the various systems that fortunately our vehicles share with the Sports. As long as the Sports sell, the production line should continue to produce the 4 as well.

Hopefully the Evoque will be such a world class sales success that it will drive Tata to match dealership for dealership worldwide, the current leading supplier of transportation for the agents of regime change.

Well, maybe ... the Nano is not going to do it.:p

[Lotz-A-Landies]

And I bet they are almost all black (the preferred mode of transport for drug runners). Black RRS around here are like cockroaches - they are everywhere.

GarryBlack with black window tinting and 23" alloy rims fitted with rubber bands for tyres. Quite often driven by someone wearing a tent.

[KaH_ACT]

My Evoque is meeting my expectations!