Overview & Reviews

While Land Rovers are icons of taming the untamed wilderness, they sometimes suffer in more urban settings. Not so with the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque. This small crossover SUV is maneuverable in tight confines and quite pleasant on the highway. Furthermore, the Evoque maintains Land Rover's reputation as a premium brand and can also tackle some surprisingly daunting terrain.

Atypically for a luxury SUV, the Land Rover Evoque is offered as either a four-door or two-door model. Sleek styling, decent fuel economy and an affordable base price are also part of the Evoque's appeal. That price, however, will climb steeply as options are added or trim levels are upgraded. Other drawbacks include mediocre cargo capacity and Land Rover's dubious reputation for reliability. But if you're in the market for a captivating luxury crossover with both on-road manners and off-road capabilities, the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque should work out well.

Current Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
The current Land Rover Range Rover Evoque represents the model's first generation, which debuted in 2012. Although Land Rover (http://www.edmunds.com/land-rover/) uses the Range Rover name here, the Evoque is completely unrelated to its larger SUV sibling.

The two- or four-door Evoque is offered solely in a Pure Plus trim. Buyers can, however, select Dynamic or Prestige "design themes" that differentiate themselves with unique materials, color choices and design flourishes. Standard feature highlights include 19-inch wheels, the Land Rover Terrain Response system, a rearview camera, parking sensors, a power liftgate, a panoramic sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, full power accessories, leather upholstery and a touchscreen interface.

Upgrading to the Pure Premium package adds adaptive xenon headlamps and LED accents, a blind-spot warning system, a 360-degree parking camera system, keyless ignition/entry, a navigation system and premium audio. To that, an adaptive suspension may also be added, along with contrasting roof colors. The Prestige (four-door only) ups the luxury design quotient with finer leather and additional front seat adjustments. Other options include a rear-seat entertainment system, 20-inch wheels and cold-weather features (heated front seats, steering wheel, windshield and washer jets).

Regardless of which Evoque version you choose, it will be powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produces 240 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic is the sole transmission offered. The Evoque's not terribly quick compared to rival luxury SUVs, but the savings in fuel economy should provide some comfort.

In terms of actual comfort, the front seats provide plenty of head- and legroom, along with a wealth of seat adjustments to fit most body types. The rear seats are on the cramped side, particularly for taller passengers. Accessing those seats is a challenge in the Evoque coupe. The four-door model is definitely recommended for those who regularly transport multiple passengers. Cargo space also falls short of other small SUVs.

These weaknesses will likely have family-minded folk looking elsewhere, but the Evoque's strengths should still hold appeal for singles and couples. Primarily, it looks great inside and out, with aggressive yet elegant lines and a cabin that exudes modern luxury. The Land Rover Range Rover Evoque is also perfectly at home in congested cities, where maneuverability and agility are high on the needs list.

User Reviews:

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  Bluetooth Nightmare - 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
  By Stacye - May 4 - 4:49 am

  I have had nothing but problems with the Bluetooth feature in this car! I have had the Evoque to the dealer more than once. I have also changed out my phone thinking it was the phone. The dealership told me they cant find anything wrong yet I have read all over the internet I am not alone. I do a large part of my business on the phone and this is truly unacceptable.

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  Not that impressed ! 11 month update! - 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
  By James - January 6 - 9:43 am

  Okay, never wrote a review before so here it goes, I hope this helps others. Im comparing our new 2015 Range Rover to our 2013 GLK 350. They both costs us about the same. We wanted to try the new Range Rover this time around. Lets start with the outside, we love the look however, no roof racks. You have to buy them at about $1400. The GLK looks like a family car while the Rovers lines look clean and stylish. The cargo door opens with the remote however, you have to push the button on the tailgate to make it close. The GLK you can just use the remote to open or close. The interior, the cargo bay is a lot smaller then the GLK. The driver seat feels okay not great. The finish work inside compared to the GLK , the GLK wins hands down. The steering wheel feels off, not sure why just yet. I cant put it into words, it just feels off. The sound system lacks just about everything, dont plan on rocking out while driving. The take off is good for a 4 banger, yet the transmission shifts hard in and out of gear at times. The interior noise level is a lot louder then the GLK. The GLK has a nice wood finish while the rover is plastic. The backup camera sucks! seriously guys you need to give this some real attention. The ride? This is where the rover is really lacking when comparing it to the GLK. If you hit a good size dip in the road plan on losing your back molars, felt more like a tank then a luxury rover. Ill update this after I take it off road. The rover feels light and you feel more of the road while the GLK is a much smoother ride. The navigation? This is a 50/50 the GLK navigation has no clue what Im saying and there has been more then one time when I wanted to tear it out of the car over frustration. The rover map it tough to follow because it show you going north, south, east or west and you can get spun around looking at the map. The controls on the steering wheel are terrible on the rover. Dont push too hard on the volume or you will change the radio station, very frustrating, and no mute button. The back window is tough to see out of. The lane assist is on the weak side. The GLK makes a noise inside if you try to change lanes with a car in the blindspot, the rover just blinks,,the GLK one has saved my bacon more then once. The rover does have sensors that let you know you are too close in the front and rear while parking. The GLK does not, if it did my wife would not have backed into another car! The Bluetooth for your phone. Your really going to have to have some patients with the rover, you say a command, the command comes up on the screen and it ask you is this the correct command, it takes forever to get though the commands to make one call. The GLK just say a name and it makes the call. Feels like talking to a 5 year old with the rover, dont have too much coffee when asking the rover to make a call or you may end up losing it? this clearly needs some work. So why did we buy the rover? I lease a new car every 30 months and we really wanted to try the new rover. The new GLK wont be out until 2016 and I never want the first year of a completely new car. Just from the two weeks having the new rover and driving both side by side Ill most likely go back to another GLK after this lease is up. Glad this is my wifes car! Update after 11 months. Off road? It is very capable, my only complaint was all the cameras coming on, this is a great feature Im just not sure how to use it yet. We were having a warning message coming saying all wheel drive not working, after four times in the dealership they got it fixed. The key fob stop working one day and I was stranded with no way to start the car. They sent a tow truck, at least their services department is on it and will take good care of you. As I mention previously the GPS in the rover sucks! I cannot tell you how many times it has taken me the long way or in the wrong direction completely. Rover services said there is nothing they can do to fix it. Rattles? This thing has on and off rattles that are driving me crazy. And I mean crazy! I take it in for them to find and fix and it wont do it for the dealership. It sucks gas likes its free. Other then the cool factor of the body Ill be leasing another Mercedes-Benz once our lease is up. Sorry rover, you guys need to work on your finished product a little better. For the same price I can get a better product. I feel if they make some corrections this could be a great SUV. Hope this helps others

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  My personal warning to all - 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
  By carguy951 - May 5 - 10:37 pm

  Warning to all Evoque owners Will let me start by saying that Im 38 years old and have gone through about 37 cars already due to my love for cars , However I have never experienced such poor service then land rover.The major problem that we experienced was due to the shifter malfunction causing the car to engage in gear and running into my parked Car. Range rover had found 3 fault codes and replaced the electronic gear shifter.After calling range rover they are refusing to pay for damages and my demand of replacing the car. This car could have killed someone and they just dont seem to care . This was my 1st and last Land Rover I will every own.

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  Great Looks, HORRIBLE TRANSMISSION - 2013 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
  By cgallen - March 21 - 7:05 pm

  I got the Dynamic because I liked its sportier looks, but I cannot get over how much I HATE the transmission programming. Around 30 mph if you are maintaing speed in traffic and give it just a little gas, it drops a gear, jumps the rpms to 3000, the turbo kicks in, you yank your foot back off and try to slowly accelerate. HORRIBLE, especially for a >$60k vehicle. I have never had a more jerky ride, and it is making me hate this vehicle. And on top of that, my tail lights filled with condensation after the first car wash. 6 months later, I am still waiting for the "new improved ones coming out in 2014." Kind of ruins that look of quality and prestige...

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  I expected so much more! - 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
  By Lynn C - May 3 - 8:40 am

  First the good: This is a great looking car and there are so few on the road I feel special driving it. Also, it handles quite well in snow and ice. The bad: Its small, you cant close the trunk from the inside of the car, the navigation system is horrible (Ive been routed to dead ends more times than I care to recall), the front seats have no lumbar support, the rear window is way too small and the transmission is jerky. The front console is too small and there are too many controls on the steering wheel that could adversely affect driving. The ugly: New front and rear brakes and tires required after only 25k miles! Cost of routine maintenance is ridiculous, and the excessive number of software updates required is unheard of and take FOREVER. Unless you like spending time at the service center and wasting money, move on to something else.