Evoque's facelift: Minor changes with a premium price tag

The smallest of the Range Rovers doesn't shine in sales statistics, although it lacks practically nothing. The team from Coventry prepared a minor stylistic update, but at first glance, it's hard to distinguish the pre-facelift models from those after the facelift. However, the Evoque still looks fresh. The new grille is designed to make the vehicle resemble its larger siblings. More modern LED lights have been installed (four modules with 67 LEDs each), available for an additional fee (meaning not in this particular model).

So, the neighbour probably won't notice that we've switched to a newer Evoque model unless they look inside. It's "cheaper" and definitely not as premium as the pre-facelift models. They've done away with the fantastic, multifunctional dials that controlled the air conditioning temperature and seat heating/cooling, and there's no separate air conditioning display. Now everything has been moved to an 11.4-inch multimedia screen.

But to give credit where it's due – I highly value the Pivi software, which looks fantastic and runs smoothly. I understand that the manufacturer tried to "set up" the ergonomics so that most elements could be controlled with two or three taps on the screen. Unfortunately, while Pivi works well, for example, in the Defender (i.e., with dials), the system seemed unnecessarily complicated both in the Evoque and the larger Range Rover Sport.

Luckily, that's the only aspect that has been downgraded. The rest of the Evoque's elements maintain an unchanged standard. The materials inside, even if recycled, are pleasant to the touch. The Meridian audio is excellent, and the noise insulation is kept at a high level (although, together with significant body stiffness, this results in a minimum weight of nearly 1800 kg). Speeding alert systems (now mandatory) can be turned off with a single button. However, not everything might be to everyone's liking: there's enough space in the second row, but the small windows could cause claustrophobia. It's worth appreciating, for example, the high placement of the seats, which allows for a comfortable foot position. The seats could also be a bit longer.

The powertrain offering for the Evoque is attractive. It is dominated by the Diesel engine and plug-in hybrid based on a three-cylinder petrol engine. The vehicle does not get the best notes in this version, but the base Diesel engine is almost an ideal compromise. It has 163 hp and about 380 Nm of torque, allowing the vehicle to accelerate to sixty in less than 10 seconds. Additionally, the engine is supported by a mild-hybrid system, providing not so much additional power as smoother starting of the power unit itself.

This is all the more rational choice since earlier, double-charged diesels generating as much as 500 Nm of torque in city conditions could consume even 11 litres of diesel fuel per 100 km. Here, the consumption turns out to be acceptable.

Even with such a significant weight for its segment, the Evoque drives confidently. The suspension settings keep the body in check; there is no talk of sudden rolls, but at the same time, the level of damping is high (though the significant tyre profile may also help in this respect). The steering system is more precise than, for example, in Volvo, but it heavily mutes feedback from the road.

The Evoque's importer seemed to have jokingly placed in it a price of around £40,000 for models with a three-cylinder engine (but without the mild-hybrid system). The diesel described starts at £58,000 and goes up to about £60,000 for top-of-the-line models.

Competition is enormous, primarily Volvo XC40, Audi Q3, or BMW X1, whose base versions start much below £40,000. Of course, in the Range Rover, you don't pay for wireless Android Auto, wireless charger, active cruise control, or a backup camera, but a bare calculation shows that it's expensive.