Range Rover Evoque (2011-2019) Review

SUVs are all the rage these days and the Range Rover Evoque was one of the first modern machines to boost the popularity of the sector. It showed you could drive a high-rise machine and not suffer in terms of high list prices, truck-like handling or poor fuel economy.

The five-door Evoque is particularly appealing. Children can easily jump in and out of the back, making it a much more interesting alternative to a humdrum hatchback. The boot is also convenient, proving (just about) pushchair-friendly.

Some new car owners really went to town when speccing their Range Rover Evoque. This means that if you like cars with a distinctive appearance and lots of goodies, there are some really special models out there to indulge yourself with. Meanwhile, diesel versions should offer reasonably competitive running costs – although check the insurance cost first. You might get a bit of a surprise if you’re switching from a regular car.

The five-door Range Rover Evoque has practicality and convenience lacking in the three-door version, yet the stylish looks are barely diminished, so we’d choose that one for starters. Although a range of petrol engines was offered, they’re a bit thirsty, so are only really suitable for those who don’t cover many miles.

The later Ingenium diesels, offered from 2015, are better than the earlier Ford-derived motors, which were a bit workmanlike. Naturally, you should also choose an automatic gearbox – a manual Evoque just doesn’t feel right.

The early entry-level Pure grade was a bit light on style-led features that make the Range Rover Evoque so appealing. Dynamic and Prestige trims have more features, while later SE and HSE versions were better still. Look out for Lux and Tech packs, which have even more goodies.

The Range Rover Evoque beat every other rival to market. It was a completely new type of road-focused premium SUV, and it took Audi and BMW several years to respond with the Audi Q3 and BMW X1. Only recently has Mercedes-Benz readied the GLB (the smaller GLA is not really a rival to the Evoque).

Following the success of its large Cayenne, Porsche introduced a smaller rival to upmarket Evoque models in the form of the Macan. More recently, the Volvo XC40 has arrived to eye up more affordable Evoque variants. Then there’s the internal competition from the Jaguar E-Pace, and Land Rover’s own Discovery Sport – the latter for those who like the idea of an Evoque but need extra space and practicality.

With a few provisos, the Range Rover Evoque is a genuinely premium machine. Many models have leather upholstery, which is thick and supple to the touch. The stitched materials covering the dashboard convincingly mimic the larger Range Rover as well.

The climate control dials make a nice click, column stalks feel sturdy and the rest of the switches have a firm action. Many of the plastics on the upper half of the dashboard also look high quality, living up to the Range Rover reputation for luxury.

Peer more closely, though, and you will encounter cheaper, rougher plastics, particularly on the lower half of the dashboard. The bottom of the doors is also a bit hard, especially in the rear. And early infotainment systems will, by today’s standards, look very poor quality.

The Range Rover Evoque does have a reputation for some quality niggles, too. There’s evidence that reliability isn’t as good as its premium rivals. That’s why we’d suggest purchasing from an approved Land Rover retailer, so you’ll get the reassurance of extensive preparation and a good second-hand car warranty. 

Land Rover infotainment systems were not very good early on in the Evoque’s life. The standard touchscreen tech was a nice feature to have back in 2011, but it was not very user-friendly. Where fitted, the sat-nav mapping was confusing and it generally feels a generation or two out-of-date today.

Some cars will be fitted with Dual View tech, though. This allows the driver to see the map while the passenger watches a video on the same screen. It’s clever, but again rather outdated today.

A welcome improvement came in 2015 when the new Jaguar Land Rover InControl infotainment system was fitted. The 8.0-inch screen was sharper and its user interface easier to use. InControl Touch Plus has a powerful 11-speaker Meridian sound system – look for the ‘Meridian’ logos on the silver speaker grilles.

Another 2015 update was an improved TFT screen display between the speedo and rev counter. Where fitted, sat-nav directions are fed into it, along with other information on demand.

Some second-hand Range Rover Evoques may be fitted with the rear-seat entertainment pack. This comprises screens in the back of the front-seat head restraints, on which media such as DVDs can be watched. The kids will love it  – and you’ll love the fact you didn’t have to fork out the small fortune it cost when new.

The Range Rover Evoque is easily the sportiest Land Rover there has ever been. It feels great to sit in, with a much less stark and upright driving position than other Land Rovers. You still get the high-up commanding view, but it also seems more like you’re sitting within the vehicle, rather than on top of it.

The central transmission tunnel is a bit bulky, but otherwise space up-front isn’t bad. The driving position is multi-adjustable – we like how close you can pull the steering wheel towards you – and many models are fitted with electric seats, which is a nice practicality boost.

It’s tighter in the rear. The three-door feels particularly cramped, not helped by electric front seats that take absolutely ages to whirr forward (and there’s no way you can get in until they’ve slid out of the way). The Range Rover Evoque Coupe has less rear headroom, smaller windows, and generally feels rather on the cramped side. Space for feet is particularly so-so.

The five-door is a bit better. At least you can get in and out easily, for starters. The windows are bigger and it has 30mm more headroom and, impressively, 50mm more shoulder room. Space is far from abundant, but it feels much less hemmed in.

Boot size is good, with 550 litres on offer even with the seats up. Some models have an electric tailgate that you can open with a wave of your foot under the rear bumper (or, more reliably, a press of the remote keyfob). Some may wish the boot was a bit wider overall, although there is a wider section at the rear that will swallow golf clubs. 

The seats also fold in a 60:40 split, opening up a very impressive 1,445 litres of space. Naturally, the five-door is far more practical in this regard too, simply because you can open the rear doors to slide things in and out. It’s a very awkward affair doing the same with the Coupe.

The Range Rover Evoque dimensions are 4370mm long, 2090mm wide and 1635mm tall for the five-door, and 4370mm long, 2085mm wide and 1605mm tall for the Range Rover Evoque Coupe

The first-generation Range Rover Evoque comes with a broad array of engine options that at first seem a little bewildering. Most are likely to be the diesel 2.2-litre TD4, which produced 150PS, or the SD4 upgrade, taking power up to 190PS. There was also a fuel-saving eD4 version with front-wheel drive, which returned some eye-opening fuel economy figures.

The only petrol alternative was a 240PS 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder, which was smooth, but a bit too hot-hatch-like and enthusiastic for a premium SUV. Some still preferred it though, as the earlier diesels are a bit rattly and thrummy.

New engines arrived in 2015. These have the same names, which isn’t helpful, but it is still easy to spot the upgraded diesel engines because they were now 2.0-litre four-cylinder motors (rather than 2.2 litres). The TD4 produced 150PS and the SD4 produced 180PS. Even these diesels are a little on the noisy side, but the sound itself was less gruff than before – and Land Rover did gradually improve refinement of these new Ingenium engines throughout the vehicle’s lifetime.

Later on, a new 2.0-litre turbo petrol Ingenium motor was launched, producing 240PS or a fun-sounding 290PS (0-62mph took 6.3 seconds). This too was a better fit for the Evoque. The best overall choice is probably the 240PS 2.0-litre diesel, which offers a great blend of performance and economy.

You can find a Range Rover Evoque with a manual gearbox, particularly at the cheaper end of the second-hand spectrum. However, we’d strongly recommend you go for an automatic, not least because it has that smart rotary gear shifter.

Early autos were six-speed devices, and there were a few reliability worries. From spring 2013, a new nine-speed auto was launched. This can hunt around a bit, but is still better than the older gearbox, and generally suits the Range Rover Evoque best of all. It also has a lower first gear, which makes it easier to make fuss-free hill starts when towing.

The benefit of being a company famous for building posh luxury SUVs is that some of the know-how filters down to your smaller vehicles. So it proved with the Range Rover Evoque, which generally has convincing luxury car levels of refinement.

Perhaps the biggest niggle concerns engine noise. The early 2.2-litre diesels in particular don’t quite feel up to scratch, but the later 2.0 is better, and all of them cruise at speed without too much raucous rumble. Wind noise is kept at bay during everyday use, although the very large door mirrors can generate a bit of roar on the motorway.

Road noise is well isolated, particularly if you steer clear of the largest wheels. And models with MagneRide suspension do an extremely good job of cushioning city centre harshness. Keep an eye out for the outstanding Meridian stereo, which makes the best use of this quietness with its powerful and crisp 825W multi-speaker surround-sound.

Euro NCAP crash-tested the Range Rover Evoque back in 2011 and awarded it a five-star safety score. Adult occupant protection was rated 86%, with 75% for child occupant protection. Safety assist looks impressive too, with an 86% score, although pedestrian protection was rather less impressive, at a poor 41% – blame that blunt SUV front end.

All Range Rover Evoques have front, side and curtain airbags, plus a driver’s knee airbag. ISOFIX child car seat mountings are fitted to the rear seats, but not to the front passenger seat – and there is no airbag cut-off device. All seats do, however, feature a seatbelt reminder.

Everyday safety features include hill-start assist, rear parking sensors and, on models with all-wheel drive, Land Rover’s Terrain Response system. This allows owners to optimise the 4x4 settings at the press of a button. It is a really useful real-world safety feature, particularly in inclement weather.

It might be worth looking out for a second-hand model fitted with a rear-view camera. The rear window is tiny, making reverse-parking a cumbersome affair. For maximum safety, particularly in tight car parks and on the school run, having the camera will be invaluable.

The Range Rover Evoque scored a disappointing 8.69 out of 10 for reliability in the HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Survey, which better than some of its stablemates but is well down on most of its key rivals. Unfortunately owners have reported numerous issues with electrics, automatic gearboxes, engines and suspension. It has also been the subject of several recalls to do with airbags, emissions, steering and electrics.

The bottom line is if you do decide to take the plunge only go for a car that has a complete main dealer service history, and ideally one that comes from the Land Rover Approved Used scheme which should include a warranty.

Insurance ratings for the Range Rover Evoque start from a steep group 28, which is quite a bit of a jump over a more mainstream car for those drawn in by the car’s newfound second-hand affordability. We’d recommend getting a quote before going ahead and purchasing, just so there are no nasty surprises.

Petrol versions are particularly steep, with an Si4 rising right up to group 40. This will have a fair knock-on effect for annual premium costs, so weigh up carefully whether you really need that extra performance.

Most people will take an eD4 which, in a decent mid-range spec, comes in at group 30. A TD4 in a similar spec is group 35, with insurance groups edging upwards as you move up through the trims.

With remarkably low CO2 emissions, the 2.0-litre eD4 is a VED (road tax) bargain. The 113g/km of the five-door version means a £30 annual tax rate, which the 109g/km of the eD4 Coupe takes down to just £20 a year. Even the earlier 2.2-litre eD4 only costs £150 a year, which the TD4 takes up to £165.

Be wary of petrols. The thirstiest petrol costs £265 a year, and even a later 240PS version is £205 a year.

Models registered after April 2017 should get a flat-rate £165 charge. That’s unless they cost more than £40,000 when new, in which case they’ll still be liable for the £520 a year rate until they are more than six years old.

All Range Rover Evoques are well equipped as standard. Land Rover didn’t follow a conventional model hierarchy, preferring instead to differentiate them with different ‘moods’. The range at launch comprised Range Rover Evoque Pure (base), Range Rover Evoque Prestige (more luxurious) and Range Rover Evoque ynamic (sportier). All models featured climate control, alloy wheels, heated front seats, rear parking sensors and Terrain Response. Wheels grew to 19 inches on the Range Rover Evoque Prestige, which also has rich leather, sat-nav, auto lights and auto wipers.

You won’t miss Range Rover Evoque Dynamic models. They have 20-inch alloys, deeper side sills and bumpers, a bolder interior and optional Adaptive Dynamics suspension. From 2014, an even posher Range Rover Evoque Autobiography Dynamic was introduced. Also look out for the good-value Range Pure Tech pack, which adds a few extra goodies to the base car, including a heated windscreen.

Post-facelift models follow a broadly similar equipment array, with the range then comprising Range Rover Evoque SE, Range Rover Evoque SE Tech, Range Rover Evoque HSE and Range Rover Evoque HSE Dynamic, topped off by the Range Rover Evoque Autobiography.