Getting your player ready...
Move the shifter to Sport mode and/or engage the paddle shifters to maintain a healthy pace up the mountains with the 2012 Range Rover Evoque.
With only 4-cylinder power (turbocharged) at hand, the shifter and its options were the key in climbing Big Thompson Canyon and up the Devils’ Gulch Road. The shifter, borrowed from Jaguar, is the rotary gear selector which pops up in the center console for dialing of the shifts. Better control and power over the narrow roads are maintained by gearing down with the manual-mode paddle shifts. The Evoque is the new sleekly styled, rear-sloped offering from Land Rover; it has been referred to as “the half-sized, half-priced Range Rover.” That’s an exaggeration, of course, but it puts it in perspective, for it is built on the front-wheel-drive-based LR2 as opposed to the bulky rear-drive-based Range Rover, and its $50,000 price is far below the big guy’s tag. I first saw it as a concept at the Detroit Auto Show three years ago, and, there, it attracted crowds of interested showgoers for it was such a departure from the boxy Range Rovers and Land Rovers. I wondered if it would reach production. It did and has shown up with a splash the past week; it’s been chosen by Motor Trend as SUV of the year. The performance comes from a small 2-liter, 240-horsepower, turbocharged direct-injection 4-cylinder engine with 6-speed automatic transmission. The turbo readily kicks in and adds boost with Sport mode. Like other Land Rovers, the Evoque offers settings for various terrain and surface conditions, including normal driving, in the snow, gravel, mud and sand. Torque response, ride height and shift points are adjusted to meet the particular need. A large, bright panorama roof highlights the interior and lends a soft look to the material covering the dash. There are no grab handles for lifting yourself in and out of the four doors, and space for slipping feet in and out of the rear doorways is limited. Once inside, rear-seat room is sufficient and comfortable. Bolstered leather seats do the job up front. A power liftgate at the rear opens to wide cargo area with adjustable sliding tiedowns.
Meridian surround sound with 17 speakers, adaptive xenon headlamps, heated front seats and steering wheel, navigation and rearview camera boosted sticker price to $50,020.
An attraction among standard items is an ambient interior lighting system in which the front overhead lights are “on” or “off” by simply moving a hand beneath them. Also included among the long list of standard items are dual-zone climate control, driver information center, electronic cruise control, rain-sensing wipers, rear-window defroster.
The Evoque carries an impressive EPA highway rating of 28 miles per gallon; my average for the Big Thompson drive and some back-and-forth in-city maneuvering was 23.8 mpg.
The new style has been likened some to the Dodge Magnum wagon of several years ago.
A look back
Thirty years ago, I reviewed in The Denver Post the 1981 Plymouth Champ. Excerpts:
The little 1981 Plymouth Champ has three strong features going for it as it pushes its way through the ever-growing subcompact automobile market. Its highway fuel mileage will average 40 to 50 miles per gallon, its front-wheel drive will handle Colorado’s snowy roads in a more sure-footed fashion than most larger cars, and it has an unusual twin-stick transmission which offers four speeds in a power mode or four more in higher-geared economy mode. The Champ is built by Mitsubishi Motors Corp. of Japan and is imported under the Plymouth name by Chrysler Corp. The Champ is on a wheelbase of only 90.6 inches, which is 6 inches shorter than the American-built, two-door Plymouth Horizon. Overall length of the Champ is 157 inches, with width of 62.4 inches and height of only 50 inches. A narrow track is 53.9 inches in front and 52.8 at the rear. Total price of the test model was $6,504. Using the twin-stick transmission is simple enough. In addition to the floor-mounted 4-speed shift lever, a smaller lever is used for selecting either the performance or economy driving range. Like most other front-wheel-drive autos, handling with the Champ is impressive. Get used to maneuvering and parking this little one and anything else may seem too large.
2012 Range Rover Evoque
$50,020
(price as tested)
MPG City 18 Highway 28
Vehicle type: Compact luxury SUV
Wheelbase: 104.7 inches
Length/Width/Height: 171.9/75.7/65.8 inches
Weight: 3,715 pounds
Engine: 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Fuel mileage: 23.8 mpg
Fuel tank: 18 gallons
Warranty: 4 years/50,000 miles basic, powertrain
Competitors: Mercedes-Benz GLK, Audi Q5, BMW X3, Cadillac SRX
Built at Halewood, England
Parts content: United Kingdom 50 percent, Spain 10 percent, Japan 10 percent, U.S./Canadian 1 percent
THE STICKER
$41,145 base
$7,000 Navigation, surround sound with 17 speakers, rearview camera, adaptive xenon headlamps
$1,000 Heated front seats and steering wheel and windshield washer jets
$750 Sirius satellite radio
$850 Destination
PLUSES
Rover style departure
High fuel mileage
Surround sound
Terrain settings
MINUSES
Power lack in non-turbo mode
No grab handles for entry
With only 4-cylinder power (turbocharged) at hand, the shifter and its options were the key in climbing Big Thompson Canyon and up the Devils’ Gulch Road. The shifter, borrowed from Jaguar, is the rotary gear selector which pops up in the center console for dialing of the shifts. Better control and power over the narrow roads are maintained by gearing down with the manual-mode paddle shifts. The Evoque is the new sleekly styled, rear-sloped offering from Land Rover; it has been referred to as “the half-sized, half-priced Range Rover.” That’s an exaggeration, of course, but it puts it in perspective, for it is built on the front-wheel-drive-based LR2 as opposed to the bulky rear-drive-based Range Rover, and its $50,000 price is far below the big guy’s tag. I first saw it as a concept at the Detroit Auto Show three years ago, and, there, it attracted crowds of interested showgoers for it was such a departure from the boxy Range Rovers and Land Rovers. I wondered if it would reach production. It did and has shown up with a splash the past week; it’s been chosen by Motor Trend as SUV of the year. The performance comes from a small 2-liter, 240-horsepower, turbocharged direct-injection 4-cylinder engine with 6-speed automatic transmission. The turbo readily kicks in and adds boost with Sport mode. Like other Land Rovers, the Evoque offers settings for various terrain and surface conditions, including normal driving, in the snow, gravel, mud and sand. Torque response, ride height and shift points are adjusted to meet the particular need. A large, bright panorama roof highlights the interior and lends a soft look to the material covering the dash. There are no grab handles for lifting yourself in and out of the four doors, and space for slipping feet in and out of the rear doorways is limited. Once inside, rear-seat room is sufficient and comfortable. Bolstered leather seats do the job up front. A power liftgate at the rear opens to wide cargo area with adjustable sliding tiedowns.
