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.

Standard on the entry-level SE are 18-inch alloy wheels, automatic windshield wipers, power-folding and heated exterior mirrors with puddle lamps, rear privacy glass, a rear spoiler, front and rear parking sensors, keyless entry and ignition, dual-zone climate control with rear console vents, leather upholstery, eight-way power front seats (with four-way lumbar adjustment), 60/40-split rear seatbacks, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a leather-wrapped tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel with shift paddles, cruise control, brushed aluminum trim, a rearview camera, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, an 8-inch touchscreen technology interface and an eight-speaker sound system with a CD player, USB port and InTouch apps.

The SE Premium gets adaptive xenon headlights, foglights, a fixed panoramic glass roof, a hands-free power tailgate, perforated leather upholstery and driver-seat memory functions.

The SE Dynamic model (convertible only) includes 12-way power front seats, a wind deflector, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a 10.2-inch touchscreen interface, a navigation system and an 11-speaker Meridian audio system.

The HSE starts with all the SE Dynamic's equipment (minus the 10.2-inch touchscreen) and adds 19-inch alloy wheels, automatic high beams, heated front seats, configurable interior ambient lighting, a universal garage door opener, a blind-spot monitoring system, a navigation system and an 11-speaker Meridian audio system.

The HSE Dynamic gets an adaptive suspension, distinctive exterior styling details, front sport seats, textured aluminum trim and illuminated kick plates.

The top-of-the-line Autobiography model includes 20-inch alloy wheels, adaptive LED headlights, cornering lights, autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping assist, parallel parking assist, 14-way power front seats with massage, extended leather trim, climate-controlled front seats, heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, a surround-view camera system, and a 17-speaker Meridian audio system.

As you'd expect from a Range Rover, the Evoque has a long list of option packages, such as the SE Tech package that includes automatic xenon headlights, foglights, automatic high beams, keyless entry and ignition, and a hands-free power tailgate. SE Premium models can be had with an InControl Touch Pro package that includes a navigation system and the 11-speaker Meridian audio system, plus a Driver Assistance package that groups a blind-spot monitoring system with automatic high beams and a universal garage-door opener. All models can be had with a Cold Climate Convenience package that adds heated front and rear seats, a heated steering wheel and heated windshield. Stand-alone options include satellite and HD radio and a built-in Wi-Fi hot spot.

The 2017 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that generates 240 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque. A nine-speed automatic transmission is standard, as is all-wheel drive. Every Range Rover Evoque comes with Land Rover's Terrain Response system, which provides selectable settings for specific road and trail conditions. Also included are hill start assist and hill descent control systems.

EPA fuel economy estimates are 24 mpg combined (21 city/29 highway) for the four-door hatchback and coupe, and the convertible comes in at 23 mpg combined (20 city/28 highway), which are better than average numbers for a gas-powered small luxury crossover.

Such superior fuel economy comes at the expense of performance, though. At our test track, the relatively heavy and underpowered Evoque took 7.2 seconds to make the sprint from zero to 60 mph, which is a bit slower than average.