Used 2018 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque HSE SUV Review

The 2018 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque is a subcompact and all-wheel-drive premium SUV that packs an option you won't find in any of its competition: a convertible top. While we're sure most people will opt for the more traditional four-door variant and its fixed roof, the availability of a two-door convertible speaks to the Evoque's fashionable intentions.

The emphasis on style brings about a few sacrifices in traditional SUV traits. Its storage space and visibility fall on the smaller side of the spectrum, and its interior is more difficult to climb in and out of — doubly true for the convertible. Still, the Evoque remains a Land Rover, and it comes with the brand's off-road tech, including a low-speed cruise control.

It isn't the design alone that makes the Evoque a unique offering. Though it's the size of a subcompact, the Evoque's price falls closer to that of a bigger luxury SUV, so direct comparisons are tricky. But if you find the look and feel appealing, comparisons against the Evoque won't be necessary.

For the four-door Evoque, the base SE comes with a decent set of features, such as navigation, a backup camera and proximity sensors, while the SE Premium adds more flair in the form of xenon headlights and a panoramic roof. The Landmark Edition uses the previous trim as a base and adds an array of visual upgrades. The midgrade HSE gains more standard features, from heated seats to blind-spot monitoring, while the HSE Dynamic upgrade adds aggressive bodywork. The range-topping Autobiography comes loaded with style and comfort features, including massaging front seats. The Convertible is available in two trims — SE Dynamic and HSE Dynamic — that match the four-door's similarly named trims.

The base SE comes with a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder (237 hp, 251 lb-ft of torque) and a nine-speed automatic. Standard exterior equipment includes five-spoke 18-inch wheels, a heated rear windshield, halogen headlights, LED taillights, rain-sensing windshield wipers, and heated power side mirrors. Inside you'll find 12-way power-adjusting leather seats, a 60/40-split rear seat, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and dual-zone climate control. You also get technology features such as an 8-inch touchscreen with navigation, an 80-watt stereo with eight speakers, front and rear parking sensors, keyless entry, and a rearview camera with trailer hitch guidance. The SE boasts Land Rover's suite of off-road technology features, which includes hill descent control; All-Terrain Progress Control, which acts like a low-speed cruise control; and the Terrain Response system, which adjusts how the vehicle behaves for preset settings (Gravel, Snow, and Mud and Ruts, for example).

One step up is the SE Premium, which adds seven-spoke 18-inch wheels, xenon headlights with LED accents, a panoramic sunroof, hands-free tailgate access, and memory settings for the front seat.

Think of the Landmark Edition as a variant of the SE Premium that prioritizes style. It comes with seven-spoke 19-inch wheels and the more aggressive exterior design from costlier trim levels, along with a different style of interior layout.

You can tell an HSE apart by its 10-spoke 19-inch wheels and other subtle differences in its exterior trimmings. The interior receives a higher grade of leather, heated front seats, configurable mood lighting, an upgraded stereo (380 watts, 11 speakers), and blind-spot monitoring.

The HSE Dynamic comes with aggressive bodywork and seven-spoke 19-inch wheels. Interior changes include a perforated leather steering wheel and illuminated doorsills.

The top-of-the-line Autobiography rolls on 20-inch wheels and boasts adaptive LED headlights and a heated windshield. The 14-way power-adjusting front seats come with massage, heating and ventilation functions. There are other perks like a heated rear seat, heated steering wheel, illuminated doorsills, and another stereo upgrade (825 watts, 17 speakers). The Autobiography also boasts automatic parking (parallel and perpendicular), a surround-view camera, lane keeping assist, and collision mitigation.

A high-output variant of the 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four (286 hp, 296 lb-ft) is available only on the four-door HSE Dynamic and Autobiography. Models equipped with this engine gain a different, more aggressive front bumper.

The Convertible's two trim levels mirror those of the four-door's with a few exceptions. The SE Dynamic is largely the same as the four-door SE. Differences include seven-spoke 18-inch wheels, 12-way power-adjusting front seats with memory function, a wind deflector, and a 10.2-inch touchscreen with the 11-speaker stereo system. The HSE Dynamic matches the upgrades fitted to the four-door HSE Dynamic with negligible differences.

Each vehicle typically comes in multiple versions that are fundamentally similar. The ratings in this review are based on our full test of the 2017 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Convertible (turbo 2.0L inline-4 | 9-speed automatic | AWD).

NOTE: Since this test was conducted, the current Range Rover Evoque has received some revisions, including a new, less powerful base engine and a more powerful optional engine. Our findings remain broadly applicable to this year's Range Rover Evoque.