From Fifth Avenue to Rodeo Drive and in other ritzy enclaves the world over, few automotive nameplates prick up the ears of image-conscious consumers the way Range Rover’s does. The brand has earned its status-symbol position the hard way, through decades of building vehicles that blend sumptuous luxury with the ability to conquer the world’s toughest terrain. The smallest Range Rover offering, the Evoque, has brought that heritage down to a lower—but still appropriately expensive—price point, luring buyers with eye-catching exterior design and a luxurious cabin. It isn’t as adept off-road as its larger stablemates, nor is it as refined on-road, but it’s mighty attractive nonetheless—and it wears the vaunted Range Rover name spelled out in large letters on its hood. For some buyers, that’s more than enough.
What’s New for 2017?
A revised touchscreen infotainment system—InControl Touch Pro—joins the Evoque lineup as an optional upgrade to the standard system in SE and SE Premium trims. It’s a standard feature on HSE and Autobiography models. This year also marks the introduction of the curious but oddly appealing convertible body style. The Evoque convertible offers the same off-road capability as its hardtop brethren but with sun-worshipping adaptability.
Trims and Options We’d Choose
Land Rover charges a premium for the Range Rover name, and the Evoque is no different. Base prices start at $42,795 for the four-door hatchback and $52,095 for the droptop. Our pick of the lineup is the coupe body style, which offers one trim level: SE Premium. At $46,695, it comes in exactly $100 less than the equivalent hatchback model, offers almost the same interior space, and kicks up the Evoque’s already, ahem, evocative styling a notch. We’d take it easy on options, since the starting price is already higher than some of the top trim levels of its rivals, but we’d spec the optional InControl Touch Pro Tech package for $1300, which adds:
• Premium Meridian audio with 10 speakers and a subwoofer
• The new and much improved Pro infotainment software
• Larger, 10.2-inch infotainment display
All-wheel drive, something its rivals charge extra for, is standard on the baby Rover.
