The evocative Evoque

Jaguar Land Rover, to make its bestseller SUV Evoque even more stylish, launched its two-door coupe version and Ammar Alvi tested it all out on the Autobahn in Germany.
The evocative Evoque

Jaguar Land Rover, to make its bestseller SUV Evoque even more stylish, launched its two-door coupe version and Ammar Alvi tested it all out on the Autobahn in Germany. Here’s more.

Land Rover is known to us for making some heavy, big and powerful luxury SUVs which can handle the toughest, roughest and most difficult terrains. The company, however, was not able to reach the entire SUV-loving community and hence decided to launch the new, stylish, smaller and yet powerful SUV — Evoque. The result was unanimous –Evoque became a runaway success and the rest is history. I was pretty excited this time on my test trip to get my hands on the two door coupe which is equally stunning as compared to the five door model. The Evoque Coupe is actually very similar to the concept car and a very beautiful crossover. Beautiful front fascia adorns the Evoque, high stance, LED headlamps, sleek profile and sporty appearance makes it apart. Interior is exciting with two-tone leather seats which are extremely comfortable. Despite the entry to the rear from the front doors, it is not as difficult to get in as you may think, the rear is spacious and very comfortable. The panoramic sunroof fills the cabin with light, providing rear-seat occupants with an airier environment.

Besides, you will find the start stop button, multi media display which boasts of GPS Nav, Bluetooth, iPod dock and roll over gear knob. There is 550 litres of cargo space with the rear seat in place, and up to 1,350 litres with the seatbacks folded down which is just 100 litres less than its five door sibling.

When it comes to efficiency, the Evoque is definitely a winner. Land Rover introduced smaller powertrains in Evoque making it extremely efficient as compared to its other big SUV siblings. Evoque gets a powertrain that represents the mindset of a younger consumer base who cares about fuel economy and the environment. The 2012 Range Rover Evoque’s turbocharged and direct-injected 2.0L 4-cylinder engine produces 240 hp that peaks at just 1,750 rpm. The only transmission offered is a 6-speed automatic with wheel-mounted paddle shifters. Despite its limitations this crossover does a 0 to 100 km/h sprint in just 7.6 seconds. Then there is the Land Rover’s Terrain Response four-wheel drive system allows the driver to choose between several driving modes with the simple touch of a button.

Driving on the autobahn in Germany is always a delight, you can test the vehicle at odd speeds besides enjoying the comfort and luxury. Evoque Coupe did the same. Smooth drive, brilliant suspension, quick maneuvering and efficiency were the key highlights of my drive. When it comes to efficiency the Evoque does not disappoint.

My average over the course of the week was 11L/100km which is not bad at all, although a little far away from the official ratings of 10.9/6.9L/100km city/highway.

When it comes to the price, the Evoque Coupe is slightly expensive as compared to its five door sibling starting at over Rs 60 lakh ex showroom, however it is a very contender against its competitors that include either the Audi Q5, BMW X3 or Mercedes GLK. The brand has been tested. When it comes to SUVS, it knows exactly what it has to do. I have no reasons to doubt, tried and tested!

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