Cool, poised, and with just the right amount of flash, the Range Rover Evoque hasn’t lost an ounce of its magnetism since its debut back in 2011.

Now in its second generation, with a gentle facelift in 2023, the Evoque is still the sharp dresser at the SUV party, with everyone else trying to copy its collar fold.

Really, a Range Rover with a tiny engine?

Hold on to your pitchforks for just a moment. While it may seem counterintuitive at first glance, this powertrain combination actually works well.

JLR has fitted its P160 3-cylinder porker into this Evoque, and took out its all-wheel drive capabilities. The result is a front-wheel drive looker that pushes out 158bhp and 260Nm.

It might not be as fast as its all-wheel drive siblings, but the engine is electrically assisted and offers up a healthy wave of torque once you’ve coaxed it enough. Step on it, though, and the engine chugs along with a bit of a grumble.

There’s decent pace (0–100km/h in 10.3 seconds), but you’ll feel the car’s heft when cornering or braking with vigour. The 8-speed automatic gearbox is mostly slick, although it occasionally downshifts like it’s triple-checking your intent. 

It’s fantastic where it counts

Crucially, Range Rover hasn’t pretended the Evoque is sporty. It doesn’t dart around corners like a Macan, but what it does offer is composure. It soaks up bad weather and bad roads with the same kind of grace you’d expect from a car wearing a royal warrant.

Steering feel is minimal, but there’s confidence in the way the Evoque tracks through corners. In tight city lanes, the narrow body and good outward visibility (rear window aside) are worth their weight in gold. And tyre noise? Whisper quiet.

Want to take it off-road? You could. It’s got 60cm of wading depth and more clearance than any rival in its class. But let’s be honest, with front-wheel drive and the sort of people buying them, most Evoques will never see a muddy trail. Unless it’s the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve carpark after a heavy thunderstorm.

But the digital nanny strikes again

Of course, no modern SUV is complete without its suite of nanny systems. The Evoque is chock-full of them: forward collision alerts, speed limit reminders, the whole shebang. Trouble is, every time you start the car, they reset to the most aggressive settings. Imagine being nagged by your mother… every single time you leave the house. “BONG! You’re going 90 in a 70!” Cheers, mum.

Toggling them off requires touchscreen fiddling or steering wheel menus, not ideal when you’re trying to, you know, drive.

A compact SUV that stays compact

In a world where every car seems to gain an inch with each generation, the Evoque stays true to its city-slicker dimensions. And that’s great news. Because in places like central Singapore, size really does matter.

That familiar wedge shape remains, only now it’s cleaner and sharper. Panels lie as flush as pressed linen, the lights sparkle with pixel precision, and the handles hide away. It’s all rather obsessive, in the most Range Rover way possible.

But don’t mistake this for a rehash of the old. The Mk2 Evoque sits on an all-new platform, and a longer wheelbase hints at its grown-up intentions, namely better ride, more tech, and a touch more legroom for rear-seat royalty.

It’s still got that Range Rover plush. You slide in, not just climb. The seating position is just high enough to lord over traffic, but never so high that you feel like you’re piloting a commercial lorry.

Upholstery and materials are as posh as you’d expect, and the rich leather options have endured enough abrasion testing to outlive your next three smartphones.

Boot space is generous (591 litres with the seats up, 1,383 litres down), making it more cavernous than most of its German peers. There’s also smart storage throughout the cabin: big bins in the doors, a deep centre console, and a cubby beneath the armrest for your coupons and mysterious sweets from your last road trip.

And let’s not forget the gadgets. The Ground View camera system is great for threading through HDB carparks without curbing your alloys, while the digital rear-view mirror gives you eyes even when the boot is packed to the brim.

Goodbye buttons, hello screen

Now, about that facelift. Outside, the changes are minimal, but inside, it’s screens galore. The old dual-display setup has been traded for a single, curved 11.4-inch touchscreen. It looks stunning. Crisp graphics, clean layout, and just about everything you need lives inside it.

Well, almost everything. There’s just one physical control left: the gear selector. Everything else, from fan speed to heated seats, now lives in the digital world.

The system is responsive enough, and the always-visible sidebars help. But do we miss the tactile twist of a good old-fashioned knob? Yes. Yes, we do.

Offering a different sort of fun

The Range Rover Evoque still feels like the most stylish kid on the block. It might not be the roomiest, nor the sportiest, but that’s never been the point. This is a baby Range Rover with proper Range Rover manners.

If you’re looking for an SUV that’s as much about self-assurance as it is substance, the Evoque remains a class act. It doesn’t shout. It doesn’t need to. It just knows it looks good doing whatever it does.

Technical Specifications

Range Rover Evoque 1.5 S

Engine: 1.5-litre in-line 3, Turbocharged
Drivetrain: Front-Wheel Drive
Power: 158 bhp
Torque: 260 Nm
Gearbox: 8-Speed (A)
0-100km/h: 10.3 seconds (claimed)
Fuel Tank Capacity: 67 litres 
Fuel Economy: 12.3 km/litre (claimed)
Price: S$172,888 (Standard) or S$182,888 (Premium Pack), both without COE (accurate at the time of this article)

Photo Credits: Sean Loo (@auto.driven)

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Land Rover has always been a brand with a dual personality. On one hand, it’s the go-to for adventurers needing a vehicle capable of conquering the wildest terrains – think scaling rocky cliffs, fording rivers, or crossing the Sahara.

On the other hand, it’s often spotted in the driveways of football stars and celebrities.

But just because some Range Rovers are more likely to see the streets of Beverly Hills than the outback, doesn’t mean they lack substance. The Range Rover has a loyal fanbase that borders on the fanatic.

Whether they need its formidable capabilities or not, people are drawn to it, charmed by its blend of luxury and ruggedness. It’s the kind of car that creates serial owners, or at the very least, a deep-seated yearning to one day have one parked in the garage.

The Range Rover is also one of those rare vehicles that seem to defy the usual rules of the automotive industry. The previous model launched back in 2012, and even a decade later, it was still ticking all the boxes for its discerning, high-end clientele. That’s no small feat in an era where trends change faster than you can say “luxury SUV”.

But then you catch a glimpse of the new Range Rover (and only in its fifth generation, mind you, in 51 years) and you realise that not even this icon is immune to the relentless march of progress.

Technology and connectivity have become as crucial as horsepower and leather seats. And, of course, there’s the looming reality of climate change, which is no longer just a topic for debate but a pressing issue that demands attention, even from a brand as storied as Land Rover.

Thus, this plug-in hybrid variant was born, and it’s ready to meet the future head-on.

Smooth as silk

Immediatelly from the get go, it’s clear that Land Rover is aiming squarely at the top of the luxury automotive foodchain with this one.

Built on a fresh MLA-Flex chassis, this iteration of the Range Rover is now 50% stiffer than its predecessor, thanks to strategically placed high-tensile steel.

The suspension setup is where the magic happens; the Range Rover has fully independent air suspension with a new five-link rear axle and twin-valve dampers. Those massive 22-inch wheels might send a slight tremor through the chassis on sharp impacts, but for the most part, the ride is as smooth as silk.

The electric power steering is precise but light, and the ZF automatic gearbox remains as silky as ever. While it has a certain poise and body control, this isn’t a vehicle that enjoys being pushed hard around corners.

It’s much happier when you back off and let it do what it does best – delivering a sublime ride. Comfort mode felt like the right place to be.

What about the hybrid system?

What really sets this Range Rover apart, though, is its seamless integration of a hybrid system. The transition between electric and petrol power is so smooth you’d hardly notice it.

There’s enough electric range to make a real difference, and it can charge quickly enough (at 50kW DC) to make public charging a viable option.

Even after the battery is drained, the Range Rover still manages a respectable 8.9litres/100km, which is impressive given the luxury it’s lugging around. And if you keep that battery topped up, you’ll enjoy about 80 kilometres of electric range.

Speaking of, in electric mode, it’s easy to push the throttle too hard and kick the petrol engine into action. But that’s a small trade-off for the peace of mind that comes with lower emissions and the knowledge that electric power fits the Range Rover’s character so well.

And with a combined 542bhp and 800Nm of torque on tap, lugging around that extra battery weight doesn’t feel like a chore. 

You’ll be hard pressed to find something else more comfortable 

Refinement is the name of the game here. The Range Rover cocoons you from the outside world with the kind of serenity usually reserved for a Rolls-Royce.

Advanced speaker technology, combined with the car’s inherently solid chassis, provides a revised active noise cancellation system.

It monitors wheel vibrations, mechanical noise, and tyre hum, then uses the 1,600W Meridian audio system to send out a noise-cancelling signal. Oh, and did I mention there are 35 speakers, including four hidden in the headrests? Yes, 35.

It’s a bit of a pity that Singapore’s urban jungle doesn’t offer much in the way of off-road challenges. This meant the Range Rover’s Terrain Response 2 system, which automatically adjusts the various chassis settings remains untapped.

But even without the mud and rocks, this is an SUV that clearly knows its way around luxury.

This looks very posh

Indeed. The Range Rover cabin is a smorgasbord of plated metals, ceramics, mosaic marquetry, and contrasting colours.

The five-seat (though in most cases, the rear centre seat would be deployed) configuration offers a palatial amount of rear legroom, complete with massage functionality for the front folk.

Everywhere you look, the Range Rover’s interior exudes quality; there’s not a subpar switch or button in sight, save for the occasionally temperamental steering wheel controls.

The doors themselves close with a satisfying thud, and, borrowing a page from Rolls-Royce, they can even be specced with power assistance. 

Driving position is as you expect – classic Range Rover, commanding and confident. But the modernity really shows in the technology. A new electrical architecture supports over-the-air updates and manages a staggering 69 individual ECUs that can handle nearly 23,000 network messages. It’s like driving The Matrix.

Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Alexa voice AI are all integrated into the upgraded version of Pivi Pro, featuring a 13.1-inch touchscreen (the largest ever in a Land Rover).

The graphics are sharp, and the user interface is generally solid, though it doesn’t quite match the intuitive nature of Mercedes’ MBUX. Haptic feedback is an option, but it can slow things down a bit, so you might prefer to switch it off.

Land Rover, like many others, has overcomplicated the climate control system with screen-only controls, removing the rotary dials that used to adorn the centre console. Though they were fiddly to use, the dials were much more intuitive than the current fingerprint-smudged screen configuration.

As for the boot, it’s spacious without being cavernous, providing 1,050 litres with the seats up. The “Executive Class rear seats” do eat into that space a bit, but it’s still more than enough for most family needs. 

It’s subtle, but still bold enough to notice

The Range Rover has shed its flashy trimmings and adopted a more refined, mature demeanor. Gone are the oversized intakes and bold bumpers, replaced by a sleek, sophisticated design that speaks with quieter confidence.

The exterior is cleaner than ever, with a smooth, almost gel-like finish that gives it a distinguished presence. Black gloss accents are thoughtfully placed throughout the exterior, enhancing its polished look. 

And yes, those two shark fin antennas perched on top aren’t just for show, Land Rover has acknowledged they’re essential to handle the growing number of wireless connections that today’s vehicles demand.

Confidence in spades

This Range Rover exudes confidence, and rightly so. It may not be as dynamic as some of its luxury SUV counterparts, but that’s not its aim. The Range Rover exists in its own realm, not concerned with proving itself beyond what’s necessary.

If you’re in the market for one, this plug-in hybrid variant is the one to get. The integration of electric power feels like it was tailor-made for the Range Rover, and you can essentially run on standalone electrical power as long as a charger is within easy access.

After 50 years of perfecting the formula, Range Rover knows how to nail the brief.

Technical Specifications

Range Rover Plug-In Hybrid

Engine: 3.0-litre In-line 6-cylinder, Twin-charged
Power: 542 hp
Torque: 800 Nm
Gearbox: 8-Speed (A)
0-100km/h: 5.0 seconds (claimed)
Top Speed: 250 km/h
Fuel Capacity: 71.5 litres
Battery Capacity: 31.8kWh

Price: S$806,888 excluding COE (accurate at the time of this article)
Contact: Land Rover Singapore

Photo Credits: Sean Loo (@auto.driven)

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