Range Rover Evoque

The Range Rover Evoque is a compact luxury crossover SUV produced by the British manufacturer Land Rover, part of Tata's Jaguar Land Rover group. It has been produced since July 2011 in three and five-door versions, with both two-wheel and four-wheel drive. The Evoque is designed to appeal to urban buyers and meet requirements for lower CO2 emissions and fuel economy. The production vehicle is similar to the Land Rover LRX concept, which was unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in January 2008. The Evoque has been received positively by the automotive press for retaining the features, amenities, and off-road capabilities of a traditional Range Rover in a smaller package. Land Rover sold nearly 88,000 units of the Evoque in its first year of production.

Development
The Evoque was developed from the LRX concept vehicle with the goal of producing a smaller more environmentally conscious vehicle. The size of the LRX complemented a wide array of efficiency improving technologies in the form of Land Rover’s e_Terrain technologies. These included biofuel compatibility, lightweight construction materials and technologies such as the removable carbon composite roof panels, regenerative brakes, a stop-start system, and the ERAD (electric rear axle drive) parallel hybrid powertrainsystem.

The ERAD system could propel the LRX to speeds of up to 20 mph (32 km/h) before the engine was started by an integrated starter generator as part of the stop-start system. ERAD was designed to reduce CO2 emissions by an average of 20 percent under the NEDC test cycle and was expected to offer another 10 percent reduction in extra-urban driving situations while also optimising the off-road ability of the vehicle. Land Rover aimed to achieve 120 g/km CO2emissions and fuel economy of 60 mpg-imp (4.7 L/100 km; 50 mpg-US) on the European combined cycle with an efficient 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine. The engine would become the only four-cylinder vehicle in the Range Rover lineup.

The latest incarnation of Land Rover’s acclaimed Terrain Response system was also included offering sport and eco modes in addition to the existinggrass, gravel, snow, and sand modes. Typical Land Rover design traits aim at improving off-road performance included a prominent driving position, hill descent control, and useful approach and departure angles. A Land Rover first was an air intake system integrated into the roof which offered exceptional wading capabilities though this feature did not make it to the production model. Land Rover's Range Rover styling was visually apparent in the form of the clamshell bonnet, the ‘floating’ roof, dual-pocket headlamps, and raked roof line.

Interior design improvements were another main focus of the LRX concept though the interior of the production Evoque changed significantly from the concept LRX. Notable interior features in the LRX included ambient interior lighting that changed according to Terrain Response settings, and vehicle data which was presented to the driver through a ‘floating’ three-dimensional LCDdisplay. An aluminium centre console with an iPhone docking station stretched the length of the cabin, separating the four seats and the tailgate. Seats with open frameworks were used to give the impression of an airy interior while also creating useful under-seat and under-floor stowage areas. Electric motors folded the rear seats forward providing enough room for two mountain bikes to be fitted upright, with front wheels removed and stored in dedicated slots in the floor.

Initial release (L538)
The production model Evoque retained nearly identical bodywork from the LRX prototype including the cabin length panoramic sun roof. However no hybrid power train is currently being offered, due to the new top-down hybridisation project undertaken by Land Rover, which will first feature the heavier vehicles such as the Land Rover Discovery, and regular Range Rover, and then later move on to lighter vehicles such as the Evoque. A version of the terrain response system is included, although.

Specifications
The Evoque departs from the classic body on frame design used in the 20th century for vehicles designed for off road use. Instead the Evoque features a more modern unibody construction technique for improved handling and ride quality, and to appeal to buyers who drive primarily on road. Despite a lack of traditional body on frame construction and dedicated transfer case, the Evoque is still capable of class leading off road performance with 215 mm (8.5 in) ofground clearance, 25 degree approach and 33 degree departure angles, and the ability to ford up to 500 mm (19.7 in) of water.[2] The Evoque platform, named LR-MS, is loosely based on the Ford EUCD platform (which was used on the company's Freelander 2) but 90% of its parts were redesigned

The manufacturer's fuel economy estimates for the 2.2-litre diesel engine with manual transmission are 47.1 miles per imperial gallon (6.00 L/100 km; 39.2 mpg-US) urban and 56.5 miles per imperial gallon (5.00 L/100 km; 47.0 mpg-US) combined, with CO2 emissions of 133 g/km.

For the 2.0-litre petrol engine with automatic transmission the figures are 23.7 miles per imperial gallon (11.9 L/100 km; 19.7 mpg-US) urban and 32.5 miles per imperial gallon (8.7 L/100 km; 27.1 mpg-US) combined, with 199 g/km CO2.

United States Environmental Protection Agency fuel economy estimates have been stated as being 19 miles per US gallon (12 L/100 km; 23 mpg-imp) in the city and 28 miles per US gallon (8.4 L/100 km; 34 mpg-imp) on highways for the 2-litre petrol version.

Models
The car was launched as two distinct models: the five-door Evoque and the three-door Evoque Coupé. Both models are available in four trim levels — "Pure", "Prestige","Pure Tech" and "Dynamic". Land Rover markets the Pure as the minimalist version rather than the "base model" while the Prestige adds luxury options and the Dynamic focuses more on performance. Land Rover estimates 80% of North American sales will be for the five-door model.

Interior
The cabin is intended to be upscale and luxurious in line with the rest of the Range Rover brand. More notable options are a cabin length fixed sunroof and an 8–inch touch screen entertainment system that can display two different images simultaneously to both the driver and front passenger, the same system used in other Range Rover and Land Rover models. As well as mood lighting, in colours such as red, and blue, located in the door sills, handles, and other nooks and crannies of the Evoque. The Evoque also has a push button start system, which will start the vehicle automatically, once the key fob is sensed. The cabin seats four, with optional heated seating, steering wheel, and windscreen wipers. There is also a 5–inch driver's information display, which displays information about the vehicle, and more. There are 12 interior colour choices available in a variety of wood and metal trims as well as three optional contrasting roof treatments.

Body
Engineers used advanced weight saving techniques to bring the total kerb weight down to under 1,670 kg (3,680 lb). The use of aluminium for the bonnetand the roof, and composite plastics for the one-piece tailgate helped produce a vehicle weighing 100 kg (220 lb) less than the Freelander. The Evoque can be equipped with five exterior cameras to give the driver added visibility for off road maneuvers and compensate for the sloping roofline design with limited rear visibility.

The Evoque comes in twelve different body colours with three optional contrasting roof colours and five optional wheel choices though Land Rover offers a "designers choice" of predetermined combinations on most models. The Dynamic model incorporates more aggressive bodywork including a different front fascia and lowered suspension.

Engines
Three engine options are available for the Evoque: two 2.2-litre turbodiesels producing either 148 bhp (110 kW; 150 PS), or 187 bhp (139 kW; 190 PS), and a 2-litre 237 bhp (177 kW; 240 PS) turbocharged petrol engine.[14] The 2.0-litre turbo charged engine is sourced from the Ford Ecoboost also being used in theFord Edge, Ford Explorer, and Volvo S60. Small displacement high output engine choices were made to provide the Evoque adequate power while meeting increasing fuel economy requirements.

Despite half the cylinders and less than half the displacement of the Range Rover Sport, the 2.0-litre turbo Evoque with a six-speed automatic transmission achieves similar performance figures including a 7.6  second 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) time and a higher 0.82 g average lateral acceleration.

Land Rover revealed the Evoque with nine-speed automatic transmission during the Geneva Motor Show. This new automatic transmission is developed by ZF Friedrichshafen and offers better acceleration, efficiency and improved comfort. In addition, the nine-speed automatic transmission's first gear is specially designed for off road conditions, towing and adverse on road conditions. And also, first gear of a nine-speed automatic transmission is much lower than the first gear of a six-speed automatic. However, Land Rover did not reveal any further technical details about the new automatic transmission.

All-terrain systems
The Evoque was equipped with either two-wheel drive or a generation IVHaldex permanent Four-wheel drive system until 2014 model year update when Haldex system was replaced by two optional All-Wheel Drive Systems (Standard Driveline or Active Driveline) by GKN Driveline. The Evoque also comes standard with Land Rover's latest version of Terrain Response, which maximises traction in a variety of conditions by altering throttle response, power distribution, and suspension settings. The Terrain Response system also includes electronic stability control, roll stability control, traction control, and an optional hill descent control which automatically applies braking to control speed when moving down an incline.

A third generation MagneRide suspension system is also available which works by magnetising iron particles inside the suspension fluid to quickly adapt shock absorber firmness to road changes.

Safety
The European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) awarded the Evoque a five–star car safety rating, earning the following ratings for each criterion. The tested model was a right-hand drive, five-door with a 2.2 diesel engine registered in 2011: The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) rated the Evoque four out of five stars for crash safety, scoring 32.49 out of 37. This score takes into account the 12.39 out of 16 rating in the frontal offset crash test, and the score of 16 out of 16 received for the side impact test.

Reception
Prior to going on sale in September 2011, Land Rover had 18,000 pre-orders for the Evoque. By July 2012, a year after production began, the company had sold 80,000 units. Land Rover later revealed that they had sold nearly 90,000 units.

Since its launch the Evoque has received acclaim from the automotive press including several "best of" awards. The popular British car show Top Gear, view the Evoque as the softening of the Land Rover image, though Top Gear were impressed with the Evoque's off road capabilities. Motor Trend contends that the Evoque is the necessary evolution of the Land Rover brand to stay competitive in a more environmentally conscious marketplace.

The Evoque has been awarded several national and international awards including: Criticism has been made of the Evoque's voice interface and the entertainment system's touchscreen.
 * 2012 North American Truck of the Year
 * 2012 World Design Car of the Year, part of the World Car of the Year awards
 * 2012 Women's Overall World Car of The Year and Women's Top World Luxury Car of the Year
 * 2012 Best of the Best/Truck by AutoWeek magazine
 * 2012 SUV of the Year by Motor Trend in 2011
 * 2011 Auto Express Car of the Year
 * 2011 Car of the Year by Top Gear, "SUV of the Year 2011" and "Jeremy's Car of the Year".
 * 2010 Best production car by Car Design News in 2010

Production
On 11 March 2009, the British government announced a £27 million grant to Land Rover to produce an all-new model, subject to the conditions that the Evoque would be manufactured at its Halewood Body & Assembly facility inLiverpool. Phil Popham, Managing Director of Land Rover, announced the production of the Evoque by stating: Production of the Evoque started on 4 July 2011, at Land Rover's Halewoodmanufacturing plant in Liverpool, with the first customer deliveries in September.

The British Motor Industry Heritage Trust was given the first vehicle off the line to add to their collection, held at the Heritage Motor Centre in Gaydon, but Land Rover ambassador Zara Phillips became the first person to take delivery of a new Range Rover Evoque.

Worldwide Sales
2011 represented only a partial year, amounting to 10% of total Land Rover sales worldwide. For 2012 and 2013, the Evoque achieved nearly 36% of total Land Rover sales.

2014 model year update (2013-)
Changes include ZF-9HP automatic transmission, new driver assistance and convenience features (Park Exit (to automatically exit parallel parking bays), Perpendicular Park (to position the car centrally in parking bays), Closing Vehicle Sensing and Reverse Traffic Detection (to warn drivers of oncoming traffic), Lane Departure Warning, Traffic Sign Recognition and Wade Sensing), optional Land Rover InControl connected car system, new colour options for the interior, four new alloy wheel styles, a new style of Land Rover badge on the grille, wheel centres and tailgate.

Completely new optional feature is the new Land Rover Active Driveline on demand four-wheel drive system, which is manufactured by GKN Driveline. The Active Driveline system works by disconnecting all of the major all wheel drive components from the gearbox, rather than at the central coupling. The system also features torque vectoring to direct power to individual wheels. GKN Driveline also supplies the all-wheel drive system for the Standard Driveline thus replacing the Haldex system.

Early models include a choice of 3 engines (2.2 diesel 150PS engine, 2.2 diesel 190PS engine or 2.0 Petrol 240PS engine). Active Driveline became initially available on Si4 petrol engine.

UK models went on sale in quarter four 2013.

Range Rover Evoque Autobiography Dynamic (2013-)
Available in coupé or 5-door body styles, it is a version of Range Rover Evoque with 285PS/400Nm 2.0-litre petrol engine, revised chassis for sharper handling, 350mm front brake discs, Land Rover InControl Apps, forged 20-inch alloy wheels in satin technical grey, exterior trim components detailed in Santorini black, new design of grille, lower front valance, new foglight surrounds 'Autobiography' illuminated tread plates, ingot badging on the tailgate and front wing vents, darkened headlights, clear tail lamps, Santorini black contrast roof, body-colour side trim visually lowers the vehicle a dynamic plus leather interior with either sports or premium climate seats in a range of four colours, Autobiography embossed logo at front seats, dashboard with dark brushed aluminium trim, Active driveline, torque vectoring by braking..

Range Rover Evoque Pearl Noir Edition (2014-)
Pearl Noir Special Edition is a version of Range Rover Evoque for Hong Kong market, with 2-litre Si4 (240PS) engine, ZF 9-speed automatic transmission, 8-inch touch screen, Meridian audio system, leather interior upholstery, Panoramic roof, 20-inch Style 9 alloy wheels in matte black, Xenon headlamps with black lamp shade, black exhaust tip, black rear diffuser, black interior, gold body colour.

Range Rover Evoque Convertible (2017-)
Based on the three-door Evoque Coupé, it included four seats, a power-retractable soft top roof, 21-inch wheels. The Evoque's hatchback has been replaced with a drop-down tailgate. Land Rover has stated that: "The new convertible body has been achieved with minimum changes to weight and torsional rigidity. Land Rover has also stated that the Convertible Concept is as off-road ready as the regular Evoque.

The vehicle was unveiled in 2012 at the Geneva Motor Show. After debuting as the 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Convertible Concept, the production version was revealed in November 2015, while the model years start from 2017.

Chinese copy controversy
In 2014, Chinese automotive Joint-venture company Landwind revealed theLandwind X7, which shares major resemblance to the Evoque. JLR complained to authorities in order to try to stop its production. However, authorities did nothing to stop it. And in 2015, it went on sale in China.