Used 2013 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque

Land Rover’s rugged-yet-luxurious Range Rover line has long appealed to the well-heeled and adventurous elite. But with rising gas prices and ever-more-stringent environmental standards, even the mighty Range Rover needs to adapt. Attracting younger fans to the fold won’t hurt either. Enter the 2013 Range Rover Evoque, a sleek and stylish compact SUV that comes in 5-door and 3-door coupe flavors and five trim levels that Land Rover likes to call "design themes." With an efficient 240-horsepower turbo-4 engine, good aerodynamics and a small, lightweight body, the all-wheel-drive (AWD) Evoque reinterprets the classic Range Rover formula with a renewed sense of style and a newfound environmental conscience.

Although the 2013 Evoque is smaller and lighter than any Range Rover in history, it still needs to deliver a good measure of the expected on-pavement refinement and in-the-rough capability. And it does. Over the road, the Evoque feels polished and sophisticated yet sporty and maneuverable. Body motions are well controlled, the steering feels right and the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine and 6-speed automatic transmission work well together, producing quick acceleration or relaxed cruising. Beyond the end of the pavement, on muddy, rutted back roads and slippery hills, the Evoque is again impressive, ably getting power to the ground and absorbing impacts from the surface. True, the Evoque lacks the locking differentials and low range of full-size Range Rovers, just as its on-road ride is a bit less plush. But against rival compact-luxury SUVs, the 2013 Range Rover Evoque delivers.

Contrasting with the flashy exterior is a simple-laid-out interior. Material quality is excellent and the details like buttons and switches have a quality feel. The seats are comfortable yet supportive, and passenger space is good though a little tight in back. Sitting three across is strictly short-term. Accessing that rear seat is obviously more challenging in the 3-door. Cargo space is okay in both models with fold-down rear seats adding some room for loads, but the rakish, tapering body design does squeeze space.

The Range Rover Evoque is based on the Land Rover LRX concept vehicle, and the design made the transition from concept to reality almost completely intact. Signature Ranger Rover details like a clamshell hood and "floating roof" coexist with an ultra-narrow greenhouse and sharply drawn features to give the Evoque a low, wide, athletic and modern appearance. Pragmatic types might gravitate to the more useful and $1,000-cheaper 5-door body style, while style-focused buyers will appreciate the slightly lower roofline and stylized hood vents found on the Evoque coupe.

PANORAMIC GLASS ROOF
The standard panoramic glass roof (on all models but the new base Pure) helps keep the Evoque’s interior from feeling confining despite the low roofline and shallow side windows. It lets in an abundance of sunlight and gives a brilliant view out.

POP-UP SHIFT KNOB
When the vehicle is started, a solid-aluminum rotary shift knob ascends from the center console to give the driver control of the transmission. Found on the top-line Range Rover models (and throughout Jaguar’s lineup), the ceremony of the pop-up shift knob reminds you that you’re about to drive something special.

The base Pure trim includes a long list of features including keyless entry and engine start, power-adjustable leather seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, a power liftgate, 19-inch alloy wheels and an 11-speaker audio system with an 8-inch touch screen. All Evoques have AWD with Land Rover’s Terrain Response system featuring specific driving modes for sand, mud and snow, plus hill-hold and Hill Descent Control. Standard safety features include stability and traction controls, roll-stability control, Trailer Stability Assist (to help when towing), and six airbags.

Options are grouped into trim levels Land Rover calls design themes: Pure Plus, Pure Premium and Dynamic on both 3- and 5-door models, and also a base Pure and top-line Prestige on the 5-door only. The Pure Premium trim adds a 5-camera surround-view system, navigation, adaptive xenon headlights and a 17-speaker audio system. From there buyers can move up to either the sporty Dynamic or the luxurious Prestige trims, each offering specific interior and exterior upgrades. The optional Adaptive Dynamics system serves to improve ride and handling by way of magneto-rheological dampers that continually adjust their firmness.

Under the Evoque’s hood sits a 2.0-liter direct-injection turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that provides good power, impressive running smoothness and virtually no throttle lag. Based on the engine in the Ford Explorer EcoBoost, Land Rover has tweaked it for better waterproofing and operation at more extreme driving angles. The sole transmission offered is a 6-speed automatic that includes steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters for manual control. Full-time AWD is standard on all Evoques.

2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4
240 horsepower @ 5,500 rpm
251 lb-ft of torque @ 1,750 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 20/28 mpg