The article was originally produced on October 24, 2011, some facts and prices may have changed since then.

Range Rover Evoque SD4

When the sun, moon and planets are in exactly the right position, it happens. Just what happened when the Range Rover Evoque went from futuristic future concept to production-ready car. Few cars get to keep the cool, and in many cases daring, design lines, but that's not the case with the Evoque. With a cheeky big front with narrow angry lights and a low roofline, the Evoque's lines sit on the cornea immediately. Actually, there's only one thing that clearly separates the concept from the actual production car and that's the rear-view mirrors that were non-existent on the concept. 

The Evoque was presented with three doors and, for reasons of unusualness, it was also the three-door version that hit the market first. It is also available now as a five-door version as well, even rumors of a cabriolet version have abounded. The car we chose to test is of course a three-door because it feels most right for this model. And since the color white on cars has just replaced silver, the choice feels obvious when the question arises whether white is preferable to black.

There's no doubt that the Range Rover Evoque stands out with its bold design, with people literally craning their necks to get a closer look as you drive by. And you almost have to rush into the car when all the questions come pouring in from shameless people out on the town. But of course it's fun when a car has such an effect on people's emotions, it must be a sign that the designers have succeeded. Something the engineers and designers have not left to chance are the details that stand out, and there are many of them on the Evoque. Among the cooler ones are the entrance lights from the rear mirrors that project a silhouette image of the Evoque on the ground when you get out, really neat!

Inside, the design is not quite as cutting edge and futuristic although but for that matter is certainly not boring. The choice of materials and the feeling of quality are at the highest level, which is expected from a brand like this. The Evoque can be had with really cheeky bowled sports seats that look like something taken straight from a racing car with holes for four-point belts. The one we have, however, is equipped with the standard seats, which are really comfortable and provide excellent support for both active driving and also during longer sessions. If you want to let the sun illuminate the interior extra, a large panoramic glass roof is available as an option.

There is no doubt that the Evoque comes from the Land Rover family, something you quickly notice when the road starts to get worse. Sure, the Evoque doesn't have the same incredible off-road capabilities as its bigger siblings, but it certainly handles pretty tough conditions without a problem. However, it is on roads with smoother surfaces that the car really shows how nice the chassis and aerodynamics are despite being an SUV. If you don't keep an eye on the speedometer, it's easy to get rid of the note, you simply don't hear or perceive the speed. 

In order to have full control on all road conditions, there are a number of setting options for the chassis and road characteristics. If you have chosen the Dynamic package, you get the dynamic driving style option, this means that the car has a slightly more active behavior with a stiffer chassis. The tachometer then also changes color to red. Instead of a traditional shift lever, they have now used the same controls that Jaguar has, which is a puck-like knob that comes out of the center console. All controls are clear and easily accessible, while the navigator may not rank as the best on the market. The touch-controlled lights in the ceiling, however, feel just right and ahead of their time.

Among the choices of engines there is a whole range of different options. The car we have for this test is powered by a 2.2 liter diesel engine with 190 horsepower and 420 Nm of torque. In addition to the other petrol engines, there is also a front-wheel drive option with a frugal diesel engine of 150 horses. Going forward, there have also been rumors of a stronger machine of roughly 300 horses. The SD4 (diesel engine) in the test van does its job excellently and flawlessly. 100 km/h is reached after 8.5 seconds and the top speed is around 200 km/h. Fuel consumption for mixed driving ends up at 6.5 liters per 100 kilometers. 

It's inevitable not to like the Evoque if you belong to the group of people who like new trends and fashion. You feel completely trendy and the Evoque is like a well-tailored suit. But we'd rather choose a three-door hatch even though it might not be as practical as a five-door in some cases. The Evoque takes us one big step closer to the future. 

+ Really cool and trend-conscious car with daring design, very good road characteristics both on and off the road.

- It is not always the hard designed lines that are functional that catch the eye through the windows on the side and back.