Land Rover has released the first pictures of a possible convertible version of the Range Rover Evoque.

The company is maintaining that the car is simply a concept intended to “explore the potential for the world’s first premium convertible SUV” but the official photographs, as well as some unofficial shots circulated via Twitter, show a polished product that looks as though it could go on sale tomorrow. Members of the public will have their first chance to see the convertible Evoque at Land Rover’s stand at the Geneva Motor Show, where it will be displayed alongside further iterations of the equally important DC100 concept, already seen at previous motor shows, which shows the company’s latest thinking on a possible replacement for the rugged Defender model.

The open look suits the Evoque well, but so far none of the pictures show the concept car with a raised top. Ensuring that any production convertible Evoque has a suitably stylish roof-up silhouette will be essential to its chances of success.

So far, Land Rover hasn’t given any indication of when any convertible Evoque might go on sale if the concept is well received but it can probably afford not to hurry as the existing fixed-head models are selling so well.

This article was taken from: independent.co.uk

MSN readers have cast their votes for the best new car launched in 2011 and declared the Range Rover Evoque the winner.

According to our poll, that makes it more desirable than an Aston Martin Virage. Better even than a Ferrari 458 Spider. In a list of dream machines, a £28k SUV has beaten the supercar elite. An astounding achievement.

Evoque wins MSN Cars Car of the Year
The plaudits don’t stop there. Hyperbole master extraordinaire Jeremy Clarkson also declared the Range Rover Evoque his favourite car of 2011. It seems the motoring world is in a tizzy over the baby Rangie. The trophy cabinet in Land Rover’s boardroom must be buckling under the pressure and the executives’ heads swollen to twice their normal size.

So what is it about the Range Rover Evoque that strikes a chord with so many of you? To find out, we’re pitting it against the lesser-known Infiniti EX30d. For those unfamiliar with Infiniti, it is the premium arm of parent company Nissan.

At first, the Infiniti EX30d might appear to be a strange rival, but it is actually well aligned with the Evoque. Both major on style but not to the detriment of function, both are premium-badged products from mainstream manufacturers and both are the smallest SUVs in their ranges. They are perfectly placed for those who either want to downsize but retain some luxury, or for those who want to upgrade for a touch of class.

But while that Range Rover badge will cause punters to flock to showrooms as they would to a buy-one-get-one-free sale at Foxtons, the Infiniti faces an uphill struggle because of its relative anonymity in the UK.

Don’t let that anonymity put you off, though. Soon our roads will be flooded with Evoques and that will somewhat lessen the shine, while the Nissan-built EX30d will remain an unusual and rare sight.

What do they cost?
Cost will play a huge factor in your choice and this is where it gets interesting. The Evoque is distinctly un-Range Rover-like when it comes to price. The range starts at just £27,995, and for that you get a 150hp, two-wheel-drive diesel. That doesn’t sound much like a ‘proper’ Range Rover. Only the truly desperate will settle for this bog-standard car.

Our four-wheel-drive test car was a more attractive proposition, fitted with the most powerful 2.2-litre diesel engine, a manual gearbox, Dynamic trim and the £4,325 ‘Lux Pack’. This adds a powered tailgate, eight-inch display, TV tuner, park assist, climate control and a few other odds and ends. That’s £41,705 all in and a much more realistic barometer of what most people are likely to pay to get into an Evoque.

Now to the Infiniti. The range starts at £37,130 and that gets you into a powerful and, in theory, more sophisticated engine than the Evoque’s, a 3.0-litre turbodiesel V6 with a seven-speed auto gearbox. We’re testing the range-topping GT Premium, which adds a lot of kit as standard, but pushes the price up to £45,270.

The Evoque is starting to look like decent value for money now. But the Infiniti is fully loaded at this price. Our car has only two extras fitted – roof rails (£260) and exclusive red paint (£679) – and that leaves virtually nothing on the options list.

As standard you have: sat-nav, a Bose stereo, 10GB hardrive, leather seats, keyless-entry, cornering Xenon lights, an electric sunroof and rear privacy glass. What else could you possibly need from a car? A chauffeur?

What are they like to drive?
With its achingly desirable concept-car looks, it would be easy to fall in love with the Evoque even if the driving experience was as hideous as a night out with a Member of Parliament.

But panic not. The Evoque, with the 190hp SD4 turbodiesel engine and four-wheel drive, is as faultless as a supermodel with a personality.

It is grown-up, sophisticated and refined. While it might lack the Range Rover’s V8 diesel engine and air suspension, which endows the bigger Rangies with a fundamental smoothness that is lacking here, it drives with precision thanks to light-but-accurate steering and a supple ride that steamrollers surface abrasions. The only major problem is the 20-inch wheels, which send a lot of road roar into the cabin.

Our car wasn’t fitted with the magnetic dampers that allow you to switch between comfort and sports settings for the suspension. Even so, the handling errs more on providing a sporting drive, with well-contained body roll.

Together with the Evoque’s dinky(ish) dimensions, it feels as if you’re sitting on top of a hot hatch. Notice I didn’t say ‘in’. The driving position is very upright and lofty. Some will like it, but it might put off some people trading up from regular cars.

It must be said, the engine isn’t perfect. The performance is adequate but hardly scintillating, and it sounds thrummy at lower speeds. But it is more alive than the V6 TD engine that powers the Range Rover Sport, getting to 60mph a second quicker and providing better fuel economy and emissions. How does a combined average of 43.5mpg and emissions of 174g/km sound?

Moving to the Infiniti EX30d after the Evoque and the most striking thing is how much lower you sit in the cabin. Despite its bulky outward appearance, the Infiniti is actually small and compact on the inside, more like a crossover than a full-blown 4×4. The tape measure confirms this: the EX is 165mm narrower and 35mm lower than the Evoque but 280mm longer. The results don’t bode well when comparing cabins. We’ll get to that in a moment.

First to the driving experience. Start it up and the EX30d’s 3.0-litre V6 Nissan turbodiesel doesn’t fit well in what should be a superior product given its price tag. Vibrations can be felt reverberating throughout the cabin at idle and at take-off it is loud. Thankfully for the preservation of your eardrums, the engine settles down when you’re up to speed. Double-glazed windows help isolate the cabin from external disturbances and, in this respect, it betters the Evoque.

In actual fact, after the Range Rover, the Infiniti is surprisingly refreshing, geared more towards comfort rather than a dynamic drive. Subconsciously, height will always be associated with unwieldiness and the EX’s more car-like driving position endows it with a more comfortable feeling when pushing on. Add in nimbleness of handling, unexpectedly adept steering and plenty of grip whatever the conditions and this car covers ground alarmingly quickly. It even rides remarkably smoothly.

t’s easy to push on in the EX30d, too. With 235hp and 405 lb/ft of torque versus the Evoque’s 190hp and 309 lb/ft, the engine is more flexible and faster to respond when you require an extra shove of muscle. It’s also half a second quicker to the national speed limit.

It’s a shame then that the Infiniti’s gearbox lets down what is an otherwise decent drive. The seven-speed automatic holds on to gears for too long and you can feel every shift through the transmission.

If only the good news could continue for the Infiniti. Where the Evoque is an organic carrot-munching tree hugger the EX is a club-wielding seal killer. Its fuel economy is simply woeful: combined economy is 33.2mpg (good luck with that) and carbon emissions are 224g/km. This simply boils down to a car that is vastly more expensive to run.

What are they like inside?
Move to the leather-lined interior of the Infiniti and things start to look up. It is superbly well made and constructed from high-grade materials. There is no sacrifice on luxury in here.

The driving position is easily adaptable thanks to electric chair movement and the visibility is fine despite the thick pillars. The standard surround-camera system will aid those who are intimidated by tight parking spaces.

Now to the ‘but’. And it is the proliferation of buttons and controls around the centre console. The screen is controlled by a convoluted dial and touchscreen combination, while elsewhere the cabin is littered with buttons.

After the EX’s flight deck-aping interior, the Evoque’s is welcomingly simple, with a nice wide display for sat-nav and stereo and only a handful of buttons for heating controls and other systems.

The cabin quality, too, is definitely a step up from a Land Rover Freelander but it isn’t quite up to the Selfridges-spec of the larger Range Rovers, nor quite as tactile as that of the Infiniti’s.

Space will of course be a determining factor for most buyers of these cars and again it is love-one to the Evoque. Despite the EX’s greater length, the rear seats provide inadequate legroom for anyone approaching six-foot.

Don’t think for a moment that grants you more boot space either: the Infiniti’s a measly 340 litres with the seats up and 1,175 with them down. In comparison, the Evoque’s boot musters 575-1,445 litres and provides more space all-round, whether you happen to be sitting in the front or the back. Should you prefer a more cramped experience, Land Rover will sell you a three-door coupe version.

And the winner is…
It seems you could stick a Range Rover badge on a horse and cart and it would sell. But the baby Rangie is no donkey. The Evoque is one of the most talked about cars of the year. And deservedly so. It is frugal, plush, desirable and cracking to drive. Yet the Infiniti should not to be overlooked completely. It might cost more to run but it is comfortable, charming, well made and kitted out to a high spec. However, it can’t match the all-round greatness of the Evoque. As well as being our car of the year, it is the winner of this test.

This article was taken from: cars.uk.msn.com

If your weekday life consists of boardroom meetings hammering out mega-buck deals and the weekends are spent at your own private game farm in the Waterberg, the chances are your wheels of choice in that triple garage at your golf estate will be a Range Rover Sport.

Since its launch in 2005 it has quickly ingrained itself as a favourite with the movers and shakers in South Africa whose pockets are lined with crisp, new R200 notes.

Why? Well not only does it draw heavily on the Land Rover pedigree for off-road adventure but also because of its sports-car like performance, handling and long list of luxury features.

No wonder its the wheels of choice for international superstars such as David “Golden Balls” Beckham, Steven Gerrard and royalty across the globe

What is it?

The Range Rover Sport Autobiography is now the flagship for this very popular range and incorporates a number of new external and interior design elements for the 2012 version.

The name “Autobiography” – which, one must admit, is a bit unusual – is based on the opportunity it affords customers to put their own individual stamp on the vehicle when it comes to interior combinations.

A glance at its rivals in the up-market segment of SUVs shows it is right up there with the kings of the jungle.

How does it look?

Like the real deal, that’s how. In the cabin you have the choice of five interior themes with a sportiness suggested by the names with which they have been christened – Estoril, Hockenheim, Le Mans, Monaco and Monza.

No fake wood panelling here; it’s all genuine and tastefully used.

Its exterior stance is rather brutish and while the angles may have been rounded somewhat, it’s still an imposing look. There’s a new front grill and side vent while the 20-inch wheels and chrome, square tailpipes seal the deal.

What’s it like to drive?

Press that stop/start button and the deep baritone growl making its way from the 5.0-litre supercharged engine, to those rear tailpipes, drowns out any Cape Town radio station.

Go hard with your right foot and the 2.5 tons of the RR Sport lurch forward like a startled rhino. Keep your foot flat, so the metal is touching the plush carpets, and you’ll get a 0-100km/h time just over six seconds – and that’s when things start to get interesting!

Once its built up a head of steam the vehicle is actually quicker between 100km/h and 160km/h than a BMW M3!

Take it off road – as we did on the 4×4 course at the Simonsig wine estate – and the vehicle channels every one of those 375kW to a different use while scrambling over boulders, through streams and down steep inclines.

Back on tar it handles surprisingly well. Through the bends you can push hard and at the slightest hint of trouble the roll stability control system kicks in by braking individual wheels if the possibility of a rollover is detected.

Any special features?

Too many to mention but what may be of interest is the permanent four-wheel drive system while the Terraine Response System offers five settings that adjust throttle response, gear changes, ride height and the like.

A dual view touch-screen is available for the first time, allowing the driver to keep an eye on the navigation system, while the passenger can enjoy a DVD. Let’s not forget the ultimate Harmon Kardon Logic audio system which churns out an eye-watering 825W through 17 speakers.

Lastly, the tailgate is now powered by the push of a button while rear-seat passengers can enjoy WhiteFire wireless technology which incorporates cordless headphones.

Should you buy one?

If you have a cool R1-million-odd, to spare, why the hell not! You’ll be the envy of all as you rock up at the Inanda Club on a Sunday morning for brunch.

The Specs:

Engine: 4999cc V8 Supercharged

Power: 375kW at 6000-6500rpm

Torque: 625Nm at 2500 to 5500rpm

0-100km/h: 6.2 seconds

Top speed: 225km/h

Fuel consumption: 14.9/100km (claimed combined)

CO2: 348g/km

Price: R1159300

We like:

Equally at home burning up the tar or getting dirty off road

We don’t like:

Around town, driving will be mighty expensive. Expect it to guzzle more than 20l/100km.

This article was taken from: timeslive.co.za

The design

Male supermodel and GQ.com Car Correspondent David Gandy reviews the new crossover from Jaguar Land Rover which is streets ahead of its rivals.

Every once in a while there comes a product of such high engineering, technology and design that you can’t quite believe just how far ahead of the competition it is. The fact that it is widely available to everybody and not just the lucky few, is also a pleasant surprise. The iPhone 4S and iPad spring to mind, but the Range Rover Evoque is one such product.

Looking at the design, you almost feel like the designers of its immediate competition, the Audi Q3 and BMW X3, should hold their heads in shame and tuck their tails between their legs for producing such humdrum, boring cars by comparison. At every car show there are always beautiful yet unrealistic concepts, but you can bet your children that the production piece will be unrecognisable. Jaguar Land Rover should be applauded for converting the radical LRX concept from 2008 into the astonishing-looking car I have just driven for two days in the Austrian mountains. People stop on the street or even slow down alongside you on the motorway to gawp at this car. It seems to have taken its design cues more from Optimus Prime than any traditional Range Rover. The interior is less radical, but Jaguar Land Rover now builds some of the best in any road car. Every surface is of the highest quality leather, metal or plastic. There are some great touches that make you feel you are in something very premium, but also with an almost traditional British style and quality.

The drive

Imagine a small Jaguar sports car and that’s how the Evoque drives and handles. This is not surprising as Mike Cross, who is known for making Jaguars drive, ride and handle as well as they do, is now “chief engineer for vehicle integrity” for the whole of the Jaguar Land Rover fleet, including the Evoque.

Both 2WD and 4WD are extremely agile, the steering as precise but at the same time refined as any other Range Rover. Both variants give you huge confidence, but the 4WD has that little bit extra stability. Never has a crossover been so capable: it really is “the bee’s whiskers” as my grandfather use to say.

With a platform adapted from the Freelander, the Evoque’s off-road credentials are outstanding. Unlike most BMW or Audi crossovers, this is not just a beefed-up road car with a 4×4 system. In fact, it is more of a true off-road vehicle with sports hard handling. But even the 2WD (with winter tyres) got us up steep snow and ice-covered mountain roads, so would be more than capable of anything a British winter could throw at it.

One tip: the magnetic dampers are the latest version on any road car and are superb. They obviously allow for adaptive dynamics, but the ride is noticeably improved.

The engine

There are four forms of engine and it all gets slightly confusing, to be honest. But what you need to know is for the 2WD you can only choose the 150bhp 2.2-litre diesel with 380nm of torque. However with the 4WD there is a 2.2-litre diesel with either 150 bhp and 400nm of torque or 190bhp and 420nm. There is also a 2.0-litre petrol engine with 240bhp and 340nm.

The engine to go for is the 190bhp diesel: quiet, powerful with ample amounts of pull. The 150bhp is perfectly adequate, but feels a little breathless when pushing on. The strong torque can be felt and used to good effect, but only go for this if the carbon dioxide levels are of that great importance to you. I hated the 2.0-litre petrol engine. Forget the 240bhp and 0-60mph time of 7.0 seconds, it just reminded me of a cheap American rental car engine – in other words, lots of horrible four-cylinder noise all the way to the red line and even more horrible when connected to an auto gearbox. In a few years’ time Jaguar Land Rover will start to build its own engines, specifically to fit its engine bays and car requirements. At the moment it is relying on Ford.

This car is also a very green crossover. In fact, an emission from the Jolly Green Giant is probably more danger to the environment. The 150bhp 2.2-litre diesel emits just 129g/kg and uses up to 62mpg. Even the (probably most popular) 2.2-litre 190 Bhp engine emits 149 CO2 and 54mpg – figures you would normally expect from a small city car.

The conclusion

In a world where superminis such at the Audi A1 and, er, Mini can reach well over £20K then the Evoque seems almost good value, starting as it does at £28K for the 2WD and 29L for the 4WD. Although for it to have any sort of desirability and re-sale value then you’re going to want to add quite a few extras, so realistically think £36K and over (although people are apparently going upwards of 45K).

This car seems to have an answer for everything: great off-road to keep the traditionalists happy, superb on the road for driving enthusiasts. If you want cosseting and luxury, you’ve got it. The low-emissions, frugal 2.2-litre diesel 2WD gives company car drivers what they need and environmentalists cannot complain about the 50+mpg and greener production. Many people have criticised the styling to me, but this is the UK: we don’t take kindly to modern thinking and change (and, come to think of it, seem to be slightly suspicious of anything without an Audi badge). However annoying, their criticism only serves to attract me to the car even more.

I suppose you could say it is a tad expensive, but I would hope this is to keep the Evoque exclusive. However with the popularity of the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport, and considering just how bloody good this car is, I can’t see that exclusivity being maintained, but frankly who cares. They are a pleasure to look at on the road. Let’s face it, Jaguar Land Rover can do no wrong and this is something we should be very proud of. The Evoque is an outstanding car, and I believe the best example yet of what happens when British designers and engineers are given ample opportunity and investment in order to prove themselves the best in the world.

This article was taken from: gq-magazine.co.uk

The steadily growing buzz on the most exciting Land Rover vehicle to date has reached a fevered pitch with the launch of the multi-awarded Range Rover Evoque at the Land Rover Activity Centre in Bonifacio Global City.

Recently named “4×4 of the Year” by UK’s 4×4 Magazine and “Car of the Year” by several prestigious organizations including BBC Top Gear and UK AutoExpress New Car Honours, the Range Rover Evoque is the smallest, lightest and most fuel-efficient Range Rover ever produced. So far the landmark Range Rover has picked up a total of 53 accolades across 15 different countries, cruising the globe in its cross-coupe design which has picked up several distinct recognitions including the Design Trophy from l’Automobile in France. Worldwide orders have already passed the 4,000-mark.

“Range Rover Evoque is a new generation of SUV that attracts customers who have not previously considered getting an SUV. However, it stands out from the crowd with its performance and design features that can only be experienced from a premium Land Rover vehicle,” said Mr. Wellington Soong, president and chairman of Land Rover Philiippines (LRPhils) Motors Inc.

The sleek low-profile design of the Range Rover Evoque is a bold deviation from the traditional Range Rover structure, which evolved from the LRX concept vehicle that represented Land Rover’s progressive shift towards producing sustainable vehicles whilst keeping to its core values to provide premium levels of craftsmanship, luxury, performance, and the renowned Land Rover all-terrain capability, but in a more compact package.

Despite its petite vital statistics at 5’5” (height), 6’5” (width) and 14’3” (length), the Range Rover Evoque does not compromise on interior space and the traditional Land Rover elevated Command driving position, which gives excellent views of traffic and hazards. On the technical side, it is equipped with anall-new 240-horsepower Si4 turbocharged direct injected 2.0 liter four-cylinder engine and a six-speed automatic transmission, delivering excellent performance and fuel economy. Its suspension is configured for dynamic and agile handling across varied terrain featuring with its MagneRide™ magnetorheological damper technology.

Innovative Range Rover technologies include an 8-inch (203mm) touch-screen display, a 360-degree Surround Camera System composed of five digital cameras that provide real-time viewing, adaptive auto-dipping xenon headlamps that follow the curves of the road and automatically switches between high and low beam as needed, and Bluetooth® hands-free phone connectivity and audio streaming. Range Rover Evoque is also the first Range Rover to offer customers the option of two-wheel drive.

Aside from city driving, the Range Rover Evoque can also deliver fun-to-drive sporting handle on various tough terrains with exclusive built-in Land Rover technologies like the Terrain Response and Hill Descent Control systems. It passed the grueling 5,000-mile full-speed non-stop driving test atNürburgring, Germany and also underwent a month-long ‘king of the sand’ durability cycle in the Middle East through dirt roads, off-road sand-driving, and tough inclines in intense desert heat. The Land Rover test center in the UK drove the Range Rover Evoque through deep mud and clay at the Eastnor Castle proving grounds, the MIRA® and Gaydon durability circuits, and the deep water, and ruts of a military proving ground designed to challenge tanks and personnel carriers.

LRPhils Motors Inc. is the exclusive distributor of Land Rover vehicles in the Philippines.

This article was taken from: gmanetwork.com