2017 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Review

It's been said the modern automobile is a study in the never-ending battle between style and substance. Perhaps no vehicle illustrates this time-honored truism better than the 2017 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque.

With the fashion-forward Range Rover Evoque — now available in four-door hatchback, two-door "coupe" and a new convertible variant &mdash the style part of that equation is obvious. One look at its sleek profile and you know this is a model that's all about turning heads. This is a crossover utility vehicle that's been transformed into a sort of personalized car, and it is a trendsetting configuration that lots of people don't understand.

The Evoque is really meant for fast, sporty driving, and its 240-horsepower turbocharged engine, responsive handling and refined, compliant suspension make it an energetic partner for driving, whether you’re on the way to the opera or just going to work. Just as you'd expect from Land Rover, the extensive list of standard creature comforts have a uniquely British character, including leather seat upholstery, a panoramic glass roof and an 11-speaker audio system. If Beverly Hills is your style, the new convertible model's power-operated fabric top folds down in just 18 seconds at speeds of up to 30 mph, just in case you wanted the guys in valet parking to see you coming.

Like all Land Rovers, the Evoque has substance to back up its good looks. Its all-wheel-drive system makes it supremely capable when the road surface is slippery, and the Land Rover's clever Terrain Response configures the system for a wide variety of conditions, from ice and snow to gravel and mud. New All-Terrain Progress Control (aka crawl control) acts like a slow-speed cruise control for really challenging traction situations, allowing the driver to focus on simply steering the vehicle.

The Evoque sacrifices some practicality in the name of style, of course. The size of the passenger cabin is comparable to that of a Ford Edge, and the Evoque's steeply raked roofline cuts into both rear seat headroom and cargo space while simultaneously minimizing rearward visibility. The turbocharged powertrain is also a tad anemic for this hefty package.

While the Range Rover Evoque was the first into this category of sporty crossovers, the more powerful Porsche Macan takes the premise a bit further. If you're looking for more practicality and less personalization, consider the Land Rover Discovery Sport, which offers more room and a third-row seat for thousands of dollars less. You might also consider a more conventional crossover with some sporty aspirations, including the Audi Q5 with its more spacious cabin and the BMW X3, which has more powerful engines plus an available fuel-efficient diesel engine.

Standard safety features on the 2017 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque include antilock brakes, stability and traction control, trailer sway control, front-seat side airbags, a driver-side knee airbag, side curtain airbags, front and rear parking sensors, and a rearview camera.

Other available safety features include blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, a 360-degree parking camera and a forward collision warning system that can apply the brakes if it detects an imminent collision. Convertible models also get built-in roll bars that pop up if a rollover seems likely.

In Edmunds brake testing, an Evoque with 19-inch wheels and all-season tires came to a stop from 60 mph in 121 feet, about average for this segment.

The 2017 Land Rover Range Rover Range Rover Evoque is a compact luxury crossover SUV that's offered in three distinct versions: a four-door hatchback, a two-door "coupe," and a new convertible. The four-door hatchback is available in five trim levels: SE, SE Premium, HSE, HSE Dynamic and Autobiography. The coupe can be had only in SE Premium trim, and the convertible is offered in SE Dynamic and HSE Dynamic trims.

On the road, the 2017 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque's 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine provides performance that can best be described as passable, as there's just not enough power for this heavyweight package. Acceleration from a stop is rather lackluster at first, though it does build noticeably once the engine speed increases. The nine-speed automatic delivers smooth shifts, but its hesitation to downshift when your right foot calls for more power in passing or merging situations can be a bit unnerving.

Just as it promises, the personal-size Evoque feels decidedly more agile than its larger siblings. Responsive steering and the standard suspension deliver above-average handling, although the ride quality is on the firm side, much like in the Porsche Macan. The clever Terrain Response system gives this citified crossover rather remarkable abilities when the traction is a challenge, and programmed modes for a wide variety of conditions including grass/gravel/snow and mud/ruts make the Range Rover Evoque as good riding the range as it is driving to dinner.

Step inside the 2017 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque, and you'll find a passenger cabin that looks great but is really meant for two people, not five. Front seats offer good comfort and support, and the heated and ventilated versions are a boon in climate extremes. The rear seats are another matter entirely, however, as the sloping roofline reduces headroom dramatically. Getting in and out of that backseat can also be a challenge, especially in the two-door coupe and convertible models. Finally, the narrow side and rear windows conspire to impede visibility, making the available 360-degree camera system a valuable tool for maneuvering in tight quarters.

The Range Rover Evoque's stylish exterior is carried over inside the cabin with a sleek, logical control layout and quality materials throughout. The good-sized 8-inch touchscreen in the center of the dash looks great, but it can be a little slow to respond to inputs compared to competing systems. The convertible's new 10.2-inch display is a big improvement thanks to both its larger screen and its greater computing power. The infotainment system's InControl Apps suite that allows apps on a connected smartphone to be accessed from the in-dash touchscreen is another plus, as are the remote control features that allow you to lock and unlock doors, start the engine and adjust the climate control from your smartphone's screen.

Last but not least is the Evoque's cargo capacity, which is diminished due to that down-swept roofline. The four-door hatchback offers just 20.3 cubic feet of storage behind the rear seats and 51 cubic feet with those seatbacks folded down. While these numbers are suitable for adventure getaways for two people, they fall short compared to the cargo holds offered by compact crossover competitors such as the BMW X3.