[CAR REVIEW] Range Rover Evoque 2022: Radiating opulence and distinction

“The golden position” of the Land Rover youngest

Born in 2011, the Range Rover Evoque can be considered “the youngest sibling of the gen Z generation” in the Land Rover family – which has a history dating back to the years 1948 after World War II*. (The Range Rover Velar was born later; however, in terms of size – the Evoque is the younger brother of the brand).

From the moment it was born, the Range Rover Evoque has been positioned as a small crossover, serving young wealthy gentlemen. This segment is clearly “compatible” with the Evoque.

Statistics recorded during the period from 2012 to 2013, the Evoque was the best-selling model of Land Rover with consistent sales of over 100,000 vehicles per year, accounting for 1/3 of the company’s total business volume.

After 11 years with many updates, the Range Rover Evoque now belongs to the second generation of the product and continues to maintain its attractive position as the “youngest” in the “aristocratic assessment” of Land Rover; corresponding to the concise words: fashionable and dynamic.

Eye-catching design following the modern minimalism trend

The position of the “youngest” is repeatedly mentioned above as the first advantage of the Range Rover Evoque: With a compact size of just over 4.3m in length and 2.1m in width; drivers of this crossover model can confidently and flexibly navigate through tight spaces such as urban areas or places with dense traffic.

The advantage of being compact and flexible – the “money-making” point of the Evoque continues to be maintained by the luxury British brand on the second generation and still works very well on the latest 2022 version.

Although there are not many changes in terms of size, the design of the Range Rover Evoque has also been actively updated over time. Thanks to being born later, the Evoque always inherits the most delicate and eye-catching design lines from its seniors such as Velar, Discovery Sport, Range Rover.

Keeping the shape and only changing the design details helps the Range Rover models in the Land Rover house differentiate themselves from other car brands today – when many big names choose to follow the “all-in-one” design style – using the same shape for their entire range of products and only “resize” in size.

Although keeping its own characteristics in terms of shape, it is undeniable that Range Rover Evoque has inherited many design details from its older brother Velar: from the main lighting system, grille, front bumper, to the tail with a sleek coupe style.

The unique details of Land Rover are still retained on the Evoque, such as the two-tone exterior paint scheme: the entire roof and door in contrasting black with the body color; or the protruding door handles…

With the R Dynamic exterior package, the 2022 Range Rover Evoque creates a very youthful and modern feeling. Exterior highlights include: dark-toned radiator grille, front air intake, front bumper, bonnet with air vents, exhaust pipes… especially compared to the standard version.

Luxurious and premium interior space

Stepping inside the cabin, the beautiful design inspired by the Velar elder brother continues to be maintained on the Evoque. The car shares with most brothers in the Range Rover family the distinctive design of the steering wheel, gear lever, minimalist dashboard surface, simplified physical buttons integrated into the modern Touch Pro Duo screen system.

Only two rotary knobs for adjusting the dual-zone automatic air conditioning function with the small integrated screen inside still create a special attraction, providing a modern and high-class feeling, and creating a unique feature in the driving experience.

Learning from the first generation of products, the Evoque now seamlessly fills the surface with premium materials, instead of cheap hard plastic material in the cabin. The two-tone color scheme is also extremely subtle, elegant and exudes luxury both visually and tactilely.

Another detail that is consistent with the protruding door handles on the outside; the main entertainment screen inside the Range Rover Evoque is also designed to be adjustable in tilt. When the engine is turned off, it will automatically retract flat against the dashboard; when in use, users can freely adjust the tilt to optimize the display ability according to their needs.

With an increased wheelbase, the interior of the second-generation Evoque has become much more adorable. Passengers over 1.7m tall can still comfortably sit in the second-row seats without touching the front seat. However, the car has not yet achieved the extreme comfort in terms of space, but is just good enough.

The interior space: enough for short trips for 4 – 5 adults, or daily use. This is easy to understand because, in the end, the Evoque is still a small-sized crossover in terms of size.

In addition to the sports exterior package, the P250 SE R Dynamic version of the Evoque priced at VND 3.9 billion is also equipped with: 20-inch wheels with unique dual 5-spoke petal design, dual-zone automatic air conditioning with ionizing air purification function, full panoramic sunroof, Touch Pro Duo dual-screen system – with 2 10-inch digital screens evenly distributed on the dashboard, horse saddle and a 12.3-inch instrument cluster screen behind the steering wheel; a series of modern safety support technologies: adaptive cruise control, lane keeping, warning of vehicles cutting across when opening the car door, drowsy driver warning, 360-degree camera, automatic parking.

In addition, the Evoque in the article is also equipped with significant additional equipment, such as: intelligent LED lighting system, tire pressure warning, power-adjusted front seats with position memory, premium two-tone Windsor leather seats, 11-speaker Meridian sound system.

Clearly, in the current generation of products, the Range Rover Evoque truly caters to the user experience in terms of both materials and modern equipment lists. The car has truly integrated into the luxury playground and is convincing enough for wealthy customers.

Driving experience with a European touch

Accompanied by a compact figure, the gentle design of the steering wheel also makes controlling the Range Rover Evoque extremely relaxed and simple in urban areas. The car still retains the inherent strengths of the Jaguar Land Rover family, which is a responsive and accurate steering wheel that helps drivers easily grasp the terrain and confidently handle situations. Not to mention that the true steering wheel also contributes to the excitement and stimulation for the driver.

The Range Rover Evoque 2022 P250 version is equipped with the Igenium 2.0L gasoline engine with turbocharging. Combined with a 9-speed automatic transmission and AWD, the car achieves a maximum power of 249 Ps and a maximum torque of 365 Nm at a very low rev range – only from 1,300 rpm.

If you only read up to here and take this specification to compare with other luxury models from Europe, it is clear that the Evoque is in the lower tier. But that is surely a “comparison for those who have never experienced”. Because as soon as you sit in the driver’s seat and try to step on the gas of the Evoque 2022, the car will give the driver a completely different emotion.

Thanks to being equipped with the MHEV hybrid system, the Evoque 2022 has the ability to glide even though the body weighs nearly 1.9 tons. Of course, the Evoque does not promise to provide “powerful, shocking” acceleration experiences. But this is definitely a flexible, agile car that can operate in a very youthful and responsive way.

Both the accelerator pedal and the steering wheel have quick and precise responses to the driver’s every operation, and complete the emotional experience of driving, rather than the dry figures and somewhat incomplete reflection of the overall power of this compact crossover.

In another aspect, the Range Rover Evoque has a ground clearance of 212 mm, a water wading capability of up to 600mm, 4-wheel drive system and Terrain Response 2 mode coupled with Clear Sign Ground View “transparent ground” observation mode. Of course, no one is stubborn enough to take a million-dollar car to climb mountains or wade through mud, off-road.

However, if forced to overcome rough terrain, the Evoque can totally handle the task. In urban areas, Evoque owners will be very confident in climbing curbs or allowing the vehicle to pass through flooded areas – scenarios that are very common in major cities like Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.

Conclusion

The starting price from VND 3.2 billion for the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque is clearly not for the majority, even in the small luxury crossover segment. However, the Evoque creates a distinct difference compared to the options from Germany. The car provides a sophisticated, fashionable and different experience than being placed among industrial mass-produced products, and demonstrates the class or “playful” of the owner.

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Anh Phan (Tuoitrethudo)