Range Rover : Evoque 5-Door breaks cover

Keith Adams

Jaguar Land Rover’s blitz of the Paris Motor Show continues with the arrival of the Range Rover Evoque 5-Door. The 3-Door ‘soft roader’ has already attracted considerable interest and this expansion of the range – which has yet to go on sale – will undoubtedly cement the new car’s success.

The car will be offered initially with two specifications of 2.2-litre turbodiesel, pushing out either 148bhp or 187bhp, and a petrol version, powered by the Ford 2.0-litre EcoBoost engine developing 237bhp. The front-drive 148bhp diesel will return 58mpg and less than 130g/km of CO2…

Keith Adams
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28 Comments

  1. Who said that Tata Motors would not have the resources to develop JLR? Who said they would lose access to Ford’s resources?

    This all looks very positive to me, apart from the “Taxi” paint scheme…

  2. Whatever anyone thinks of the new ‘baby’ Range Rover (personally, I would have preferred a new 3-door version of the Freelander to sit below the current 5-door range in terms of price), at least we don’t have to wait 11 years for the two extra doors – that’s what happened with the very first generation Range Rover.

    I may have reservations about making the Range Rover name this accessible in terms of price and adorning a third model range, but I really hope it will sell and continue to build on Land Rover’s success.

  3. JLR seem to be on a roll – whether you like the styling or not, you have to admit this is the right car at the right time. I reckon they won’t be able to build them fast enough!

  4. I think this 5-Door effort looks much superior to the 3-Door version which seems fit for a wealthy hairdresser and nowt much else.

    However, to say it looks similar to the universally accepted ugliness of that new Osterreicher MINI abomination is just nonsense. I mean let’s face it, BMW do have some history of taking ugliness to new levels – many of their current range of models are simply far too arrogant and far too ugly. Mind you, even if BMWs were the epitome of beauty, they would never sit on my drive anyway.

  5. This going to be a huge seller. I liked the three door but the five door is equally brilliant… Now hurry up and bung the Supercharged Jaguar V8 in it!! I bet Ford are kicking themselves for not holding onto JLR.

  6. @Will
    Sorry Will, you’re great bloke, but I have to disagree with you about the new Land Rover but agree with you about the direction MINI is going.

    The original BMW MINI was a pretty neat little car but, since then, it’s become rather like an aging Hollywood actress who’s had a bit too much plastic surgery and now looks like a bloated has-been.

    I can’t understand BMW – it’s like they can’t help themselves and have to mess about with what was a great little car.

  7. @Ken Strachan
    This car was designed before Tata took over, so the technology was from the Ford era. The LRX Concept was shown before the takeover.

    I agree, though, it is rather smart – apart, that is, from the MINI Cooper paintjob and white door mirrors.

  8. @Craig W
    Yes, just for the record, the Land Rover LRX Concept was first shown at the NAIAS in Detroit on the 14th January, 2008 while Tata Motors Limited’s acquistion of the companies comprising Jaguar and Land Rover was completed on or about the 2nd June, 2008.

  9. I agree with many on here about the colour scheme of the car in the photograph. I am not against two tone per se and, on this vehicle, British Racing Green with a charcoal roof would do me nicely.

  10. Get my gun please! I have seen the berk that designed the Evoque and his hair looks like black astroturf! Severely dyed hair… Deffo a vain bloke and the sort of twit who would drive one of these.

    Another Chelsea tractor based on the ‘G*ylander’ and coming soon to your nearest Waitrose and ‘Thainzbuwwies’ car parks.

    The paint scheme’s a knock off of the BMW 0.5 series. The rear end has a serious safety and blind spot issue – JLR will be making a fortune in replacement panels when some stupid idiot reverses their horrid monster into some poor sod’s hatchback in ‘Thainzbuwwies’.

    I’m sorry, but all new cars have severe blind spots in the rear corners and this has to stop. Thick C pillars are stupid – all just to get 5 Euro NCAP stars… It’s time designers were forced to do reverse round a corner manoeuvres in these things they churn out.

    Sod this crock of garb and bring on a new Defender – something that actually can go off-road.

  11. @Richard B
    I totally agree – BMW only have one half-good looking model and that’s the 3 Series coupe. The rest of the BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce ranges are all ugly bugs – even their bikes look ugly!

    It’s a shame as BMWs were always quite reserved and tasteful as were Mercedes. However, both maarques now seem to have been infected by the UGLY gene that seems to be infecting many Car Designers.

  12. @DaveH
    Absolutely – if I was going to drive a Beemer, it would be the 1980s 5 Series. That was a no nonsense, reliable and comfortable car which did what it said on the tin.

    All BMWs, without exception, now look more pretentious than a bloke with a collar up on a warm summers days. I try but cannot get my head around why people drive them – they all have that sort of ‘air’ about them that says: “Hey, look at me, I have arrived.”

    I would rather drive a banged up Cortina, but then I always was in the minority!!

  13. @DaveH
    Exactly, and when penning the XF and XJ, Ian McCallum mentioned that many cars in those relevant sectors seemed too aggressively or too brutally designed.

    Mercedes has gone nuts! Engines are far too powerful for road use to a point that the electronics need to step in – even with all the safety features switched off.

    However, worst of all is the hamfisted styling which is like a punch to the face – awful stuff… Have you seen the latest C and E-Classes?????!

  14. @Ross Armstrong
    Yes, Mercedes, new design language has the most absurdly stupid rear arch extensions I have ever seen – what were they thinking? Looks good on a Renault 5 Turbo so let’s stick them on our executive motors?

    The XF is a beautiful piece of kit which just needs some nicer lights (give them the XJ’s) and some sharpening up of the side styling line – I know that Ian MCCallum said he wanted it subtle but, in some colours, it’s subtleness is not even seen and it looks a bit bulbous (must be the new design image – Alfa Mito?)

    I still think the XJ is very much in the same category as its rivals: ugly. However, if restraint and more curves had been used in certain areas, it could have been fabulous. Instead, it’s an extremely large, ugly car but then which car in this class isn’t – Maserati anyone?

  15. @Richard B
    I would have a late ’90s 5 Series – sharper handling and I think slightly better proportions.

    However, I agree they seem to be driven by people who want to show they have money, especially when most of them don’t! It’s a problem in this country that the working class want to be seen to be middle class and the middle class, in turn, want to be seen as upper class.

    I have a Volvo S60 because I bought it for the same money as a Mondeo and the engine was far better than the Ford equivalent – not because I see Volvo as a better brand. Indeed, if the Volvo had not been discounted, I would have had the Mondeo. Why? Well, because it’s a bloody good car and does exactly what the BMW 3 Series does for a lot less.

  16. Well, I LOVE it! The 3-Door is interesting but, in real terms, not very practical, especially for those of us with children. I have always liked Range Rovers but, in reality, can’t afford the “proper” one at over £60k. I live in the country so do have a need for a 4wd vehicle and I would like a stylish one that’s affordable, with good fuel economy and cheap road tax… The Range Rover Evoque 5-Door fits the bill for me.

  17. I have a Range Rover Vogue and am sick of filling the tank for £125 when that only lasts for about 4 days in the city. I am very excited about the baby Range Rover – especially the proposed fuel consumption.

    My feeling is that they will be very popular and everyone’s top choice for an economical runaround car – we will be seeing lots of them on the road.

    They have a winner!!!!!!!!

  18. Fantastic – the Evoque has a touch of the P5B about it. Land Rover have, at last, acknowledged what city-dwellers really need. Big up Tata!

  19. Pure class and elegance with a strength of purpose. Simon Woodward got it right. I believe this model (the 5-Door) will be very good seller. I am going to put my deposit down as soon as I can for this model.

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