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Budd Stanley photos
Range Rover Evoque
Although the drivetrain is AWD rather than a proper transfer case, the Terrain Response system does work miracles when wheels start hanging.
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Budd Stanley photos
The Evoques small nimble size was something I really enjoyed after romping around in its massive big brothers.
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Budd Stanley photos
It might be a Cute Ute, but the Evoque still likes to get dirty.
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Budd Stanley photos
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Budd Stanley photos
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Budd Stanley photos
Land Rover air suspension rises 65 mm to give the Sport impressive clearances for such a pretty vehicle.
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John Wycherley
Luxury appointments inside are of the highest level for a 4WD, although I found the digital gauged cluster a bit cheesy.
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Budd Stanley photos
While its looks say on road, the sport does have some bit to Land Rovers marketing bark.
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Budd Stanley photos
While the suspension delivers the goods, lack of locking diffs did produce a lot of wheel spin when wheels became unloaded.
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Budd Stanley photos
510-horsepower will not be stopped by a mere hill.
Story and photos by Budd Stanley
Land Rover is a curious brand to say the least. Their beginnings were based upon giving farmers an automobile that could double as a tractor for various tasks required out in the paddocks. They were the brand that backed cross-continental expeditions of exploration that demanded the best of both man and machine. They challenged national teams to take on the most impassable terrain on the planet and created roads where roads were not possible.
However, Land Rover today is almost unrecognizable. Down and dirty utilitarian 4WD’s have now morphed into beautifully styled luxury vehicles. They are a long way from the farm or the Amazon forest, and for this, they’re just not taken as seriously as they once were by the 4WD community. With a new family being formed under the Range Rover name that are quite obviously built for on-road comfort and handling over off-road adventure, it’s fair to ask, are these models still worthy? Well, I recently had the chance to take these high-end 4WD’s out to get dirty and answer that question for myself.
Range Rover Sport
Lets start with the latest and greatest to be released from the Land Rover stables, that of the Range Rover Sport. Just coming online, the Sport, like it’s Range Rover big brother has seen not just a massive amount of development but has also been on a strict diet with an all-aluminum unibody now sitting 340 kg (749 lb) lighter than its predecessor. Choice of a 340 hp 3.0-litre supercharged V-6 engine or the formidable 510 hp 5.0-litre supercharged V-8, both sending their power through an 8-speed automatic transmission to a two-speed transfer case with a 2.93:1 low range ratio. An optional third row offers seating for two extra children while the interior appointments are second to none in the 4WD segment.
While the Sport has always been a Range Rover breed, its pedigree has been in doubt. Its earlier interpretations were built off the Discovery, which with huge power was decently sporty, while its off-road abilities just didn’t live up to the Range Rover name. However, with a new chassis and more capable driveline and Terrain Response system, can the new Sport be seen as a proper Range Rover by the Roverphiles? Land Rover seem to think so as they have embarked on many marketing expeditions to prove the Sports worth, breaking the record for a production car up Pikes Peak as well as setting a record time (10 hours, 22 minutes) crossing Arabia’s Empty Quarter.
It’s not everyday that a manufacturer allows you to take a 4WD on both an off-road course and racetrack in the same day. Now bear with me for a second, as I’ll get to the off-road potential momentarily, however, its on-road abilities really are quite amazing. I really don't get the whole trend of 4WD's that are track day heroes. Mercedes AMG's, BMW M's, Porsches and the Jeep SRT8 are most definitely weapons when speed limits get tossed out the window, but who really buys a 4WD to be a racecar? There are lots of sports cars that can do the same job, much better. Regardless, Land Rover can be assured their Rover Sport is not just a contender, but one of the most agile of the bunch.
Acceleration and braking are what you would expect from a performance minded SUV – spectacular. But what really caught my attention was its balance in the corners and road holding force. Pulling G’s in a Rangy just doesn’t seem right, but oh does this thing carve out a bend, with the tail hanging out if you get aggressive or brave enough. What I love most about the Sport is that we went straight from the track to the off-road testing grounds. Try this in an Audi, Merc or Bimmer and stuff starts breaking right off the bat. The Sport, it shined.
Tackling a set of three-foot deep elephant tracks with the Terrain Response lifting the suspension a full 65 mm and the sway bars disconnected, the Sport handled the challenge beautifully. Its increased articulation allowed the suspension to do the work, air springs pushing down on lifted wheels to grab as much traction that’s available. It’s clear the Sport is more road oriented than off-road with the lack of proper locking front or rear differentials. This is somewhat replaced with an updated version of Land Rovers Terrain Response System that uses software to make up to the lack of hardware. With 20-inch street oriented wheels with low profile tires, spinning is much more pronounce than in its bigger brother with a locking diff. The Terrain Response System will determine where best to send the power, overcoming challenges with a minimum of fuss.
The course also consisted of aggressive side slopes, a steep hill climb and descent as well as a couple other custom obstacles designed to put the Sport into all sorts of teetering balancing acts. Despite the course being bias, built by Land Rover instructors to the exacting dimensions of the vehicles, this was a challenging course nonetheless. I can honestly say the Sports new-found abilities were surprising. Is it something you are going to challenge the Amazon with, no, but for a luxury off-roader, the Sport has the goods to get its wealthy owner fairly deep into their next wilderness adventure area. The question is; would you want to?
At $91,490 do you really want to drag this beaut through the bush? Yes its capable, but subjecting this body to the wilds is like a roofer going to work in a tuxedo. It works; it would just be tragic to watch. Is it worthy of the Range Rover name? To the Roverphile, no, satisfying the traditionalists just isn’t realistic and that’s not what this vehicle is about. This is a modern vehicle that brings the deeper woods all the more closer to the soccer mom and the executive, and that is no simple feat. What Land Rover has done with this vehicle is truly amazing and likely the most versatile vehicle I’ve ever driven. However, I’d want to do some modifications, namely wheels, tires and bumpers, before owning one myself.
Range Rover Evoque
And now we come to the baby of the family, the stunning Evoque. I, like most of the masses, have completely fallen for the Evoque’s brilliant design. It is truly something special to look at and with the three-door coupe, Land Rover sure have taken a chance, betting that there is a unique niche out there for a two-door sports coupe 4WD. As this description entails, I walked up to the Evoque thinking it is a design that is likely form over function, but oh what form.
So, what do we have in the Evoque? Well, it’s a low-slung Cute Ute with a roof that falls away making ingress and egress potentially hazardous to knocks on the noggin. There is lots of space inside; it’s just getting in that’s the problem. While the Coupe is the coolest of the pair, the four-door is a must for versatility.
Like the Sport, the interior is a fantastic place to spend your time and holds a near futuristic feel about it, albeit, a much cheaper feel compared to the big Rangy’s. No big V-8 needed here as the little 1,770 kg ute gets pushed along quite nicely with a 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder that cranks out 240-horsepower to a 6-speed automatic transmission. Instead of a part-time 4WD drivertrain, the Evoque implements a full-time AWD system more akin to cars than off-road vehicles. This gives the Evoque excellent on road handling and all-weather response, but would it stand up to more aggressive terrain?
While the Evoque has been an instant success with the masses, bodywork is the Evoques most fetching feature, and while it doesn’t look it, also deceivingly astute. Believe it or not, the Evoques geometry angles are equal with and even more competent than that of the Sport. The Evoques weak point is its lower ground clearance and its inability to rise (suspension wise) to the occasion. Also like the Sport, massive wheels and low profile street tires make things a little extra trickier than they need to be.
At the wheel of a coupe, I tackled some of the tamer obstacles that I had already conquered in the Sport, as well as some Evoque specific mounds and undulations to find the articulation limits. Its abilities did surprise me. Sure the height meant it wasn’t able to get into the really deep stuff, but the drivetrain kept the Evoque driving forward, stretching its front wheels high into the sky to clear burms, teetering to the front, transferring the rear into the air. From the obstacle course we made our way through a make shift trail that challenged its 30-degree constant side slope holding ability and nimble maneuvering. It wasn’t on the same level as the Sport, but the Evoque held its own when the going got dirty. While I knew the Land Rover engineers wouldn’t let a lame duck leave the conceptual stage, I should have had a little more faith.
There may be some traits to dislike with the Evoque, at least from the purist’s point of view; there is also a lot to like as well. A 4x4 that gets 7.1L/100km on the highway is certainly a bonus, ingenious electronics that overcome the drivetrain disabilities and of course the quality of the interior and exterior design. Another nice trait is all this is packed into a tight little package, not the massive Range Rover and other bulging Land Rover products that have had to go through an intervention, restricting them to a strict aluminum only diet.
So is it worthy of the Range Rover name? Well I’m going to have to side with the purists on this one. To see an Evoque on the showroom floor with proud historic photos of Series Landys conquering deserts and jungles does leave one with an oxymoronic sense. However, like the Sport, the Evoque does have its place. Yes, people who can’t even comprehend the term “4x4” will buy these things by the thousands, but think of it this way. Of the hoards of small Crossovers flooding the market, all toting all-road capable AWD, there is not one that can handle anything worse than a worn logging trail. There was a hole left when the Sidekick, Eagle and dare I say, Lada stopped being sold. The Evoque is now the only small Crossover with any real world capabilities. For this I respect Land Rover for stepping up to the plate, and really, the Evoque is a fantastic vehicle, in a looking forward kind of way. It’s just unfortunate that there isn’t a market for a more rugged small 4WD.
SPECIFICATIONS: Range Rover Sport
- MSRP: $73,990
- Price as tested: $91,490
- Engine: 3.0L Supercharged V-6, 5.0L Supercharged V-8
- Power: 340 hp, 332 lb-ft (V-6), 510 hp, 461 lb-ft (V-8)
- Transmission: 8-Speed Automatic
- Curb Weight kg (lb): 2,144 (4,727) (V-6), 2310 kg (5,093) (V-8)
- Wheelbase mm (in): 2,923 (115.1)
- Ground Clearance mm (in): (11.2) (off-road height)
- Approach Angle Deg: 25.8 (standard height), 31.0 (off-road height)
- Departure Angle Deg: 26.4 (standard height), 31.0 (off-road height)
- Ramp Breakover Angle: 19.4 (standard height), 24.6 (off-road height)
- Wading Depth mm (in): 850 (33.5)
- Tow Capacity: 3,500 kg
- Fuel Efficiency (L/100km): City: 12.6, Hwy: 8.6, Comb: 10.8 (V-6)
- Fuel Efficiency (L/100km): City: 15.5, Hwy: 10.4, Comb: 13.2 (V-8)
SPECIFICATIONS: Range Rover Evoque
- MSRP: $46,995
- Price as tested: $60,095
- Engine: 2.0L Turbocharged I-4
- Power: 240 hp, 250 lb-ft
- Transmission: 6-Speed Automatic
- Curb Weight kg (lb): 1,770 (3,902)
- Wheelbase mm (in): 2,660 (105)
- Ground Clearance mm (in): 212 (8.3)
- Approach Angle Deg: 25
- Departure Angle Deg: 33
- Ramp Breakover Angle: 22
- Wading Depth mm (in): 500 (19.7)
- Tow Capacity kg (lb): 1,585 (3,500)
- Fuel Efficiency (L/100km): City: 10.6, Hwy: 7.1, Comb: 9.0 (V-6)